Regaining Perspective from Readers

Posted by on Thursday, May 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

Over pints and putts, those who indulge in golf as a pastime and not a profession have often remarked that I have the greatest job on earth, an opinion that is based on perception, but not necessarily reality.


What they don’t see are the deadlines, the research, weekend work, internal politics, ego and all of the other realities that are part of life for anybody trying to earn a paycheque. The thing about golf publishing is that you spend more time in front of a computer than on a golf course.


Don’t assume dissatisfaction with that statement. There are concerns with every line of work, but just when they
begin to consume your thoughts, golf offers an escape and that’s the side of the business that most people see,
whether it’s covering a tournament, talking to tour players, traveling the world or playing the game.


The fringe benefits of this business are not dental insurance and company pensions – all things that many of
us don’t have in this line of work – but rather, the game itself and the characters who regularly swing clubs, from
professionals to elite amateurs to folks who play for the mere fun of it.


One person can quickly change you from jaded to joyful, which is what Lisa Walters did earlier this year when it was announced she would be a 2008 inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.


The native of Prince Rupert, B.C., won three times on the LPGA Tour and that’s just one less victory than Lorie
Kane, a sure-fire inductee into the hall one day, as of this writing and equal to the total posted by Walters’ pal Dawn Coe-Jones, who is already in the hall. Walters also had 23 top-10 finishes.


Now living in Tampa with her husband Mike, Walters was also the 1977 B.C. junior champ and winner of three
straight provincial amateur titles, as well an all-American at Florida State.


Yet, many Canadians might not be familiar with Walters, likely because she was a little bit introverted, but definitely a quality individual whose joy at being named to the hall spilled over despite her tendency to avoid the spotlight.


After a lifetime in the game, the game had remembered the unheralded Walters, whose emotion and enthusiasm
was contagious for a guy now in his 30th year of writing about fun and games. Despite the day-to-day grind, it’s
difficult to get hardened when those around you are so passionate.


That thought struck me in January when I arrived in Orlando for the massive PGA Merchandise Show held every year at the Orange County Convention Centre. It’s an industry-only affair, with more than 10 miles of aisles
and a million square feet of space for exhibitors.


The face on this column is just one in a sea of souls going about the business of buying and selling or just
networking among peers, which can lead to plenty of giggles and memorable moments after hours.


Still, it is a professional atmosphere and one that could use a different perspective from the end user of all of
this trading going on in January. Wouldn’t it be grand, I thought, to take along a few golf consumers to see how
they would react to such an extravaganza?


Actually, I already know the answer and the enthusiasm would be an injection of extra fun if that were to happen.
Unfortunately, it never will because of restrictions on show credentials, but to the uninitiated, this would be a
playground in the middle of a business environment.


Over the years, I’ve interviewed or chatted with Alice Cooper, Annika Sorenstam, Jim Furyk, Greg Norman,
Sandra Post, Jan Stephenson, Nancy Lopez and the late Byron Nelson, among others, at the show. It was here that
Sorenstam said she planned to play a PGA Tour event, which turned out to be the Colonial.


While I would be more concerned with transcribing the notes afterwards, a casual observer would be fascinated
by the presence and opinions of the above-mentioned names, but that would be just the beginning for someone
whose sole interest in golf is fun.


Depending on his or her specific interests, the person may want to check out the fabrications, styles and colours
of the apparel that consumers don’t normally see until it appears in their local golf shops a few months later.
Taking in a fashion show or chatting with a designer might add extra perspective.


Equipment may be the person’s focus and there are plenty of opportunities to hit the latest and greatest
products from a multitude of manufacturers, beginning with the Demo Day at Orange Country National
Golf Centre, where more than 80 companies displayed their wares in January.


If you prefer to play golf the day before the show, and you wouldn’t be alone in that mission, there are still plenty of opportunities to hit new golf balls and clubs at the Equipment Testing Centre located on the main floor once the three-day show gets underway.


There’s more to the show than just hitting balls indoors. A lively discussion on matters affecting golf is often going on at the PGA Equipment Forum.


One debate that would particularly interest consumers earlier this year was a symposium on adjustable clubs, the
big buzz this year, featuring representatives from various companies and the United States Golf Association.


A rookie in this business quickly learns to put on the blinders at the show and go after specific story ideas, but
someone from outside of the industry would want to consume as much as he or she could over three days.


I saw that wide-eyed enthusiasm from Bill Mason, who joined us on a trip to Ireland last October after winning
a GolfScene/Zoom Airlines contest. The rest of us had extensive travel experience, but Bill’s smile remained
constant for an entire week as we traveled from one links course to another.


It was a delightful change in perspective that was energizing for more seasoned golf travelers and one that
would surely be duplicated if Bill or any other person from outside the industry visited the Orlando show.


It’s that kind of childlike reaction to something new that leads people to believe that this is a pretty awesome profession. It’s that very same reaction that makes me believe them, even when a multitude of deadlines are closing in.


  • Spring 2008 Talking in your Backswing | by Ian Hutchinson

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