New Netflix docu-series on PGA Tour

[jdl]

Cast not finalized but this could be good if they are allowed to do it without too much interference.

 

https://golf.com/news/netflix-launching-pga-tour-show/

[ChillyDipper]

Will be great for the Tour if they can get out of their own way, and let the human side come through without the Jimmy Roberts narrative.

[Go Cougs]

9 minutes ago, jdl said:

Cast not finalized but this could be good if they are allowed to do it without too much interference.

 

https://golf.com/news/netflix-launching-pga-tour-show/

Yeah, that F1 Drive to Survive show is awesome.  They definitely know how to do a docu-series.

[DFS PFD]

With all the personality (sarcasm) on tour this should be interesting. Wish they could have got behind the scenes of Tiger's life back in 2002-2008

Edited September 2, 2021 by DFS PFD

[bobfoster]

This could be very cool, depending on how its done, and who is on it. 

 

Seems like the guys that want and like attention would be on it. Others would probably say no way (e.g., BD and figjam would likely say yes, Cantlay and Morikawa maybe not so much).

 

Of course, who says yes may also be partly dependent on sponsors - it may be that some will pay a dividend to a player for their participation - as gear would certainly be part of it (imagine how much a club maker would love to see one of their players doing a custom fitting on a NetFlix show).

[me05501]

25 minutes ago, Go Cougs said:

Yeah, that F1 Drive to Survive show is awesome.  They definitely know how to do a docu-series.

It’s such a good format for sports that are relatively unexciting to watch on TV. I never cared much about F1 but I at least feel like I understand it now. 

[dcmidnight]

Maybe its just me but I guess I have absolutely no faith that the Tour wont be absolutely heavy handed in this show and turn it into another over-edited, over-produced, over-marketed fluff show that we've seen 100x already. Hey its Matt Kuchar running around playing wiffle ball with his kids...

 

Drive To Survive works because its pretty...raw, I guess, for lack of a better word. Whether its the language, the behind the scenes cameras - whatever it is. Just absolutely see no way the Tour marketing/PR offices allow the same kind of show to be produced.

Same with sponsors. You think TM wants people to see some behind the scenes clips of their guys partying their butts off in Mexico during an off week? You think we'll get insight into...a failed drug test? Or will the stuff they have spent decades keeping covered up stay covered up and we will get more clips of guys working out, hugging babies, doing charity work etc.

[TiScape]

20 minutes ago, DFS PFD said:

With all the personality on tour this should be interesting. Wish they could have got behind the scenes of Tiger's life back in 2002-2008

Ha sure! Can you imagine Tiger letting a film crew document his life at that time with what he was up to?! 🤪 Snowball meet hell 😂 But yeah, that would have definitely been ‘must see’ TV! 

[bobfoster]

4 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Ha sure! Can you imagine Tiger letting a film crew document his life at that time with what he was up to?! 🤪 Snowball meet hell 😂 But yeah, that would have definitely been ‘must see’ TV! 

 

Yeah - the dude's yacht is named "Privacy". He wouldn't let anyone in his house, let alone film his more interesting excursions in Vegas.

[Abh159]

Seems like there could be some major PIP implications for whichever players end up being featured on the show. 

[TiScape]

3 minutes ago, Abh159 said:

Seems like there could be some major PIP implications for whichever players end up being featured on the show. 

We will never know. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/golf.com/news/pga-tour-no-intention-disclosing-player-impact-bonuses/

[dcmidnight]

A $40M prize pool distributed completely in secret?

So...right...

 

25 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

Or will the stuff they have spent decades keeping covered up stay covered up and we will get more clips of guys working out, hugging babies, doing charity work etc.

 

[Medson]

21 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

Maybe its just me but I guess I have absolutely no faith that the Tour wont be absolutely heavy handed in this show and turn it into another over-edited, over-produced, over-marketed fluff show that we've seen 100x already. Hey its Matt Kuchar running around playing wiffle ball with his kids...

 

Drive To Survive works because its pretty...raw, I guess, for lack of a better word. Whether its the language, the behind the scenes cameras - whatever it is. Just absolutely see no way the Tour marketing/PR offices allow the same kind of show to be produced.

Same with sponsors. You think TM wants people to see some behind the scenes clips of their guys partying their butts off in Mexico during an off week? You think we'll get insight into...a failed drug test? Or will the stuff they have spent decades keeping covered up stay covered up and we will get more clips of guys working out, hugging babies, doing charity work etc.

I think your concerns are legitimate, and I have some faith in the production to get the story "right". 

 

If the Tour is going to heavy hand to curate a perfect "everybody loves everybody" image, it is gonna be an one and done show. Don't get me wrong. I think it is going to "get ugly in the trenches" on what can and cannot be said on the show. 

 

Again, this is just my opinion. I think there are interest from everybody (Netflix, Tour, sponsors) to make this a recurring show like Drive to Survive (in its 4th season). Before COVID, golf has a declining participation issue. Golf is gonna enjoy a nice COVID bump for couple of years, but golf still needs to face the reality that is 1) too expensive to play; 2) too long to play; 3) too inaccessible. It is probably an interest for the Tour to get something long-term going. 

 

To be honest, if the Tour does not work out, Netflix should go straight to LPGA that is probably more willing to work something out. 

[TiScape]

4 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

A $40M prize pool distributed completely in secret?

So...right...

 

 

Monahan would have felt pretty ridiculous disclosing they gave Bryson and Brooks a big chunk of that money for, in large part, their ridiculous social media feud. Which resulted in him having to create the new “Bryson rule”.   A lot easier for everyone to keep it all in house. 

[bladehunter]

25 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

 

Yeah - the dude's yacht is named "Privacy". He wouldn't let anyone in his house, let alone film his more interesting excursions in Vegas.

Just proves he’s smarter than most. I don’t invite many strangers into my house either.  Seems weird.  It’s the one private spot.  We can talk in the shop , barn , front yard , or out on the wedge range. But in my kitchen ?  That’s mostly OB .  No way on earth a tv crew comes in .  

[Go Cougs]

1 hour ago, DFS PFD said:

With all the personality (sarcasm) on tour this should be interesting. Wish they could have got behind the scenes of Tiger's life back in 2002-2008

Fully agree, but I'm sure many have approached Tiger's team about something like that over the years.  His agent's spokesperson's 3rd assistant be like:

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Go Cougs

[sailfishchris]

Just have them follow Pat Perez, Kevin Kisner and Patrick Reed....maybe a little where are they now for Anthony Kim. That's got Emmy award written all over it 

[stingerfade]

Don’t get the love for Pat Perez. If he wasn’t on tour he’d definitely be screaming mashed potatoes while swilling white claws at his local tour stop. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by stingerfade

[bobfoster]

33 minutes ago, Medson said:

I think your concerns are legitimate, and I have some faith in the production to get the story "right". 

 

If the Tour is going to heavy hand to curate a perfect "everybody loves everybody" image, it is gonna be an one and done show. Don't get me wrong. I think it is going to "get ugly in the trenches" on what can and cannot be said on the show. 

 

Again, this is just my opinion. I think there are interest from everybody (Netflix, Tour, sponsors) to make this a recurring show like Drive to Survive (in its 4th season). Before COVID, golf has a declining participation issue. Golf is gonna enjoy a nice COVID bump for couple of years, but golf still needs to face the reality that is 1) too expensive to play; 2) too long to play; 3) too inaccessible. It is probably an interest for the Tour to get something long-term going. 

 

To be honest, if the Tour does not work out, Netflix should go straight to LPGA that is probably more willing to work something out. 

 

Not sure about a couple of things. I'm really not certain if the PGA Tour is going to have a lot of say, some, as NetFlix will want to film on some courses during tourneys but probably not a lot. These guys are independent contractors. The Tour governs everything that happens during play, but can't really say anything about what the players do in private (i.e., the Tour has no say in sponsorship deals the players sign with manufacturers, nor public appearances that they make).

 

Also, not sure about golf facing that reality. I've been playing and watching for over four and a half decades. (The game itself is ancient - first 18 holes played were at the Old Course at St. Andrews - in 1764.) Over the years I've seen golf go through its ebbs and flows as far as popularity goes. Every decade or so its immanent demise is predicted - often for the same reasons. Too expensive, takes too long. Kids don't like it. And yet, it keeps bouncing back, with only minor changes. 

 

Our sport has serious staying power.

[golfortennis]

21 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

 

Not sure about a couple of things. I'm really not certain if the PGA Tour is going to have a lot of say, some, as NetFlix will want to film on some courses during tourneys but probably not a lot. These guys are independent contractors. The Tour governs everything that happens during play, but can't really say anything about what the players do in private (i.e., the Tour has no say in sponsorship deals the players sign with manufacturers, nor public appearances that they make).

 

Also, not sure about golf facing that reality. I've been playing and watching for over four and a half decades. (The game itself is ancient - first 18 holes played were at the Old Course at St. Andrews - in 1764.) Over the years I've seen golf go through its ebbs and flows as far as popularity goes. Every decade or so its immanent demise is predicted - often for the same reasons. Too expensive, takes too long. Kids don't like it. And yet, it keeps bouncing back, with only minor changes. 

 

Our sport has serious staying power.

 

The problem is, you are conflating two things.  Golf is one, the PGA Tour is another.  The tour acts like it cares about the former, but only insofar as it benefits them.  Make no mistake, anything that goes on here will not be about whether it will hurt or help "golf", but whether it will hurt or help the tour.

 

@dcmidnight is spot on.  DtS works because you get drivers getting chewed out because they put their teammate into the wall, frank discussions about why guys are leaving teams...  the comparable stuff from the tour would be stuff like Reed's situation in San Diego, the Dechambeau/Koepka stuff, with other players commenting on that stuff.  No way the tour lets that stuff get aired.  And I think the golfers are so careful with their image....

 

It wouldn't surprise me that had this been done for the 2009 season, when it aired, there would have been no mention of the fire hydrant.  They don't publicize fines, for pete's sake.  I could almost guarantee what gets left on the cutting room floor will be far more interesting than anything that gets aired.   

 

 

[Mustard_Tiger]

Vox Media involved? Not interested.

[vtpachyderm]

@dcmidnight nails it, and sums it up well as has @golfortennis expanded upon.

 

There are no compelling storylines in the PGA that the general public that has not been interested in golf before will interest them. PGA Tour Golf is such a conservative, avoid controversy at all costs, so full of itself, and so risk averse that this documentary will just be one giant advertisement for the tour with a heavy focus on tearjerker episodes. I mean, other than Tiger upsetting the apple cart, I can only think of Reed's indiscretions  and the Bryson/Brooks handbag fight as 'popcorn fodder'.

 

Storylines on the cut line / KFT / Q-school are of limited interest to only us golf diehards IMHO. For the average sports consumer, golf (and tennis) have been a perceived as privileged sports (rightly or wrongly is not the point), and so it's not the same as watching the rookie on Hard Knocks or an entire football club like Sunderland in Sunderland until I die.

 

F1 has been this exotic beast with money, and glamour, and so out of reach, it's like hollywood. Added on the risk of you dying as a realistic consequence which I think that is the biggest pull as to why it succeeds. And the fact that people get chewed out and feelings are really not considered (hint hint - Brooksy) ala Hardknocks, and other 'raw' docuseries.

 

 

[teude]

12 hours ago, Go Cougs said:

Yeah, that F1 Drive to Survive show is awesome.  They definitely know how to do a docu-series.

Not really, they make drama about everything even when there isn't one. But i get it that it's made mainly for americans to get them get excited about F1.

[iBanesto]

13 hours ago, jdl said:

Cast not finalized but this could be good if they are allowed to do it without too much interference.

 

https://golf.com/news/netflix-launching-pga-tour-show/

 

Oh no... more Bryson?!

 

[TiScape]

13 minutes ago, teude said:

Not really, they make drama about everything, even when there isn’t any. But i get it that it's made mainly for americans to get them get excited about F1.

See every reality TV show made since the original Real World. 

[gators78]

Really curious how this plays out, I don't think Netflix would sign up for a docu-mmercial Tour production. 

[golfortennis]

21 minutes ago, gators78 said:

Really curious how this plays out, I don't think Netflix would sign up for a docu-mmercial Tour production. 

 

Probably depends on how much it actually costs them.  If the tour picks up a big part of the costs....  I doubt Netflix will see this as a big subscriber-driver.

[MattyO1984]

It has the potential to be brilliant but by the same token Rickie Fowler had that potential also.

[Frankensteins Monster]

On 6/3/2021 at 1:09 PM, Frankensteins Monster said:

Bring back Big Break.

 

A series where they follow different pros each week for the full week of a tournament. A complete look into their week from the moment they arrive in town until the time they depart. A full week looking into the life of a touring pro. All tours.

 

Paige Spiranac gets her own show. Don't care what it is. 

 

One hour shows that are instruction sessions where it's just a back and forth between golf coach and the student. Vary the level of the golfers from absolute beginner to touring pros.

 

Shows on the mental aspect of golf. Again, cover everyone from the beginner to touring pros.

They stole my idea! 

 

[Go Cougs]

6 hours ago, teude said:

Not really, they make drama about everything even when there isn't one. But i get it that it's made mainly for americans to get them get excited about F1.