In terms of appeal, what does Golf have

Golf is much more popular because much/many more:

1)People playing it

2)Money spent on it

3)people watching it on TV

4)golf courses than pool rooms (at least in Florida)

5)Capital invested in golf courses

How many people spend a million bucks to live near a pool room?

How many people shell out $25,000 to join a poool room?

It is what it is like it or not. I play both, and I like pool more than golf, but I am in the minority even among my friends who play both as well.
 
jimmy-leggs said:
You have got too much SPINNING going on in your life.lol:D
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:D I lika Spin Da Balls... you know I played Tennis for awhile, Id use a "CHOP" Stroke, I use to love watching the reaction of my opponet (useualy Duck) when that ball did some crazzy stuff.. but I grew board because there is only so much you can do with a tennis ball.. :rolleyes: Being thats the only reason I played, and the fact I won very little.. I play only to stay in shape..



Bowling and golf, arent near exciting as tennis, to me, so I'll leave it at that..


SPINDOKTOR
 
Golf and bowling have a great advantage that it is possible to have recreation/competition for all levels and every player gets to participate the same amount of time. You play golf in a league, everyone plays 9 holes, or bowls 10 frames. No matter if you are a 30 handicap or bowl an 80 average in bowling. People like to "recreationally compete" at these sports and get alot out of it. Pool does not allow players to have fun competing even if you handicap the match.

I play pool and golf for a membership club/bar. 50 guys play in the golf leage spending $40 a night. 50 guys bowl in the bowling league at $30 a night. I can't get 10 guys to play a handicapped pool league and they are already sitting at the bar every night.

Why? Because the guys say I don't care how much handicap I get I don't want to sit and watch someone else run racks.

Bottom line is no matter how bad you are you get more out of golf and bowling from a low level competition view. Only if people compete do they want to continue/get better at a game.
 
kryptonite9 said:
Golf and bowling have a great advantage that it is possible to have recreation/competition for all levels and every player gets to participate the same amount of time. You play golf in a league, everyone plays 9 holes, or bowls 10 frames. No matter if you are a 30 handicap or bowl an 80 average in bowling. People like to "recreationally compete" at these sports and get alot out of it. Pool does not allow players to have fun competing even if you handicap the match.

I play pool and golf for a membership club/bar. 50 guys play in the golf leage spending $40 a night. 50 guys bowl in the bowling league at $30 a night. I can't get 10 guys to play a handicapped pool league and they are already sitting at the bar every night.

Why? Because the guys say I don't care how much handicap I get I don't want to sit and watch someone else run racks.

Bottom line is no matter how bad you are you get more out of golf and bowling from a low level competition view. Only if people compete do they want to continue/get better at a game.
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Actually....the higher your handicapp in Golf...the more your get to compete...so to speak...

I would only get to compete 70 times to my opponents 105 at Golf.....;)
 
renard said:
I did golf years and years ago, but to expensive. I do miss a beautiful day on the course but that to has been ages ago. I race my car everyday on the highway but we cant trade paint! :p Yes I have tried to sleep between a couple pillows at the aforementioned bar but was pushed away! :eek:
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In Arizona that is really not the case anymore...(especially in the summer)


It seems the housing developers decided that to sell houses they need to build them around a Golf course....so now there are tons of Golf courses that were built specifically to sell houses......Then they sell the course and let the new owners try and figure out how to make a profit..

There used to be many more golfers than there were courses to play in the valley...Now it is the other way around and there are WAY many more courses than there are Golfers...That has driven green fees down

Even in the winter you can find places to play for less than $40...and that may even include the dog....There may be no better food on earth than the post round golf course hot dog.....:)
 
lodini said:
When parents are looking to sign their kids up for sports... mostly it's because they want their child doing something "active." Same with adult participation. You can argue that golf isn't that active either, but I think it has a lot to do with being outdoors and the training that is involved.

I also think that people who love to watch golf (either on TV or in person), do so because even the most amateur golfer appreciates every facet of the game. As it's been said so many times on here, the really amateur pool players ("bangers") just don't "get it." They don't appreciate the intricacies. Hell, SO many people think that they are great pool players just because they can pocket a few balls on a bar table at 3am. Even worse is the person who claims they "get better at pool after they get drunk.":eek:

Bottom line is that the masses associate pool with a smokey, indoor setting where everyone is drunk. And they don't appreciate the skill involved because they all think they can do it.
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I co-sign. Good post, I believe this to be the bottom line here.
 
trustyrusty said:
I'm going to reply to this before I even read any other replies....

first, the "wannabe" culture comment is laughable if you spend any time at all on here. Pool certainly has it's wannabe cultures too. The super-highroller wannabes. The type that laughed at a buddy of mine that wanted to put down a $100 on a match at the DCC last month. Or the type that laugh at anyone who would lower themselves to play a (GASP) production cue. Or, (last example on tis subject) the guys who make fun of beginning players -errrr BANGERS when they themselves have been only recently strung two whole racks in a row....

As for elitist aura....well, I'd say a good majority of golfers play on munis(municiple - public courses). The number of regular good golfers that belong to ultra pricey country clubs is very low (at least lower than you probably think, unless they are professional golfers already). Sure, your typical CEO might belong to a super exclusive club, but he probably can't break 100 playing "real" golf (by the rules) anyway. And concerning the Masters and limited commercial breaks....the wholes days broadcast might be brought to you by GM, and they get the only commercials for that day - and believe me, THEY PAY FOR IT!!! It's probably the same revenue that Augusta National would get if they took a bunch of different companies advertising fees, but GM or whoever likes the idea of being the sole sponsor, and it also cuts back on broadcast interruptions...win, win.

You can find negative things about all sports, and their professional ranks. Golf happens to have less negatives than most. And most of the negatives in it are merely percieved too. Sergio Garcia hasn't been busted for trying to take pot on a plane, Ernie Els hasn't been accused of running a dog fighting ring, and VJ Singh hasn't been convicted of beating his wife. If these pros were trying to keep up with the Jones' in other pro sports, they'd better get on the ball.

BTW, I've mentioned this a million times on here - I'd much rather play either (pool or golf) than watch either. :rolleyes:
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Rusty, I see the points you're trying to make,and many are valid. One
thing you need to do though is delete V.J. Singh from your hero list.
He has the skills, no doubt, but he has zero personality and was expunged
from the Asian tour for cheating. (more than once) I am surprised he was
accepted on the PGA tour.
Dick
 
midnightpulp said:
that pool doesn't?

I'm with the poster who is angered by the discrepency in payouts to pro golfers vs. that of pro pool players, which can foster a skewed perspective that Gold is a much greater game than pool.

I like Golf, but I'm not an enthusiast, and I know many here are passionate about both Pool and Golf, so I'd like to ask what do you think Golf has that pool doesn't? There was a time when people would rather go get volunteer bypass surgery than watch Golf on TV. It was one of those sports more fun to play than watch. Now it has its own channel, good ratings, and has become a popular spectator sport, even before the arrival of Tiger.

Like I said in another thread, Pool used to mean something in this country. The Mosconi/Fats exhibition was the second highest rated sports program of the year. Great pool players were household names. There 20,000 payouts in the early 1900s, etc, etc.

I know all about the corporate atmosphere of Golf, which I think creates a certain kind of "wannabe" culture. Many times, I've seen golfers with the most expensive clubs, balls, clothing, who have a kind of affluent arrogance about them, but can't break 120 on their best day. For them, participating in Golf is a way to belong. It's not really about the game, but more about being apart of the Upper Class. This wannabe culture is a huge market and Golf has captured it. I found it amusing that last year's Masters was presented with limited commercials, which I believe was a result of these corporate big wigs sacrificing the advertising revenue so they can watch the tournament themselves without the annoyance of commercial after commercial. That's how important the game is to these types. I know it's a stretch, but kind of funny to consider. "Jones, I don't care about the lost adverstising dollars. Damn it, I want to see every minute of that tournament."

So what else? The beauty and uniqueness of the courses vs. the repetitive playing surface of a pool table? The drama of a Sunday finish? The affluent, elitist aura?
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The answer to your question is : Class
 
Da Poet said:
So will you be exhibiting class from this point forward Mr? :D
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I treat everyone exactly how they treat me. If someone doesn't like it, they know where to go. I promise you i won't lose any sleep or money because of anything that happens on this website. I have trouble dealing with dumb, rude, and/or ignorant people, always have probably always will. Life goes on

BTW
that is not meant to be rude, just the plain facts
 
I love pool, and don't even hardly play golf anymore, but Sunday at the Masters or tournements at Pebble Beach are pretty hard to compete against. Gorgeous scenery, a very competitive game for big $$, the sport is pretty damn impressive to me. Everyone would rather play than watch, but when I'm done playing for the day, watching Holmes bash a 359 yard drive and then birdie a hole to win a million bucks is pretty cool.

I think the whole scale of the game is hard to compete against. Throw in water hazards, island greens, bunkers with actual names, and pool is a different thing entirely. I think the possibity of a hole in one is also something that even the craziest pool shot can't compete against.

Golf can't compete with pool for the variety of games, the complexity of the strategy, or the basic ability to play defense.
 
bud green said:
I love pool, and don't even hardly play golf anymore, but Sunday at the Masters or tournements at Pebble Beach are pretty hard to compete against. Gorgeous scenery, a very competitive game for big $$, the sport is pretty damn impressive to me. Everyone would rather play than watch, but when I'm done playing for the day, watching Holmes bash a 359 yard drive and then birdie a hole to win a million bucks is pretty cool.

I think the whole scale of the game is hard to compete against. Throw in water hazards, island greens, bunkers with actual names, and pool is a different thing entirely. I think the possibity of a hole in one is also something that even the craziest pool shot can't compete against.

Golf can't compete with pool for the variety of games, the complexity of the strategy, or the basic ability to play defense.
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You nailed it. The scope of the game is unparalleled as far as leisure sports go. Bowling and Pool are claustrophobic by comparison, and when there is drama, it just seems flat on television. Maybe because the crowd doesn't get into it as much? The clips of this year's Mosconi Cup I saw were very exciting because the crowd was frantic. Also it's worth noting that there's just not a lot of drama in pool. It's very precise and surgical. We know 99% of the time a hanger is going in. In Golf, even a 5 footer is in doubt. Mistakes equal drama, and there's not a lot of mistakes being made in pool.

I'm not trying to sell myself here, but I do like my idea of a "High Stakes Pool" show where wealthy amateurs match up with pros for big bucks. I think it'd be interesting to see if a pro can outrun the 4 out spot he gave to Joe Moneybags, or Joe Moneybags blowing a hanger in a key rack. You can also have two entertaining pros match up, etc, etc.
 
midnightpulp said:
You read my mind. I was just thinking that Golf is easier to understand on a fundamental level than pool. Not saying one game is more difficult to play, but I think pool at its highest level requires more thought than golf, especially when you get to 14.1 and one pocket.

The 25 Handicap golfer doesn't need to understand the advanced strategies, like draw, fade, what kind of shot to play in certain conditions, to appreciate the game. They just know a 140 yard shot hit from a buried lie in a fairway bunker to the green is a great shot. In pool, they won't see what's so difficult about perfectly applied draw drag coming off an extreme angle to kill the ball and keep it in line for the next shot. They'll just think it was hit slowly and they too can do it easily.

Since you're a sports marketer, have you seen the Bowling Doc, "The League of Ordinary Gentlemen?" Even though bowling seems to be growing, the PBA was facing a crisis similar to that of pool.

Also, what do you think needs to be done to revive interest in the game?
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Are you kidding me. Golf is the most difficult game in the world to get great at. You are on a 7300 yard table and see how few of strokes it takes to get in. Have to deal with wind, rain, snow, sleet, ground conditions. There are 1000 different variables in golf. I have played competetive golf since I was 5 years old. Played college golf at a NCAA DIV.1 school. Played golf with Tiger in my junior years. Played professionally for 5 years. To say there are more intricacies in pool is laughable. And as far as fundamentals, you are comparing a 25 handicapper to a higher level player. If you are a C player, do you really think about forcing the ball around the table to get position or do you just focus on pocketing the ball. You pocket the ball. For you who play golf and think you are pretty good because every now and again you can break 80. Try this. Get in the woods and hit a 7 iron from 225 yards that hooks 40 yards and do this while hitting it over a tree. There much more physical and mental aspects to golf than pool. You have to now how to manipulate your swing, the clubface or your body to hit a shot that you need to. So, in short, golf is more desirable to the public because it requires more ability than most other sports. And before you people chime in and say, "What? More than football,baseball, whatever" I am not talking about physical strength, I am talking physical endurance and mental strenghth. Not even close. Just my .02.
 
subdude1974 said:
Are you kidding me. Golf is the most difficult game in the world to get great at. You are on a 7300 yard table and see how few of strokes it takes to get in. Have to deal with wind, rain, snow, sleet, ground conditions. There are 1000 different variables in golf. I have played competetive golf since I was 5 years old. Played college golf at a NCAA DIV.1 school. Played golf with Tiger in my junior years. Played professionally for 5 years. To say there are more intricacies in pool is laughable. And as far as fundamentals, you are comparing a 25 handicapper to a higher level player. If you are a C player, do you really think about forcing the ball around the table to get position or do you just focus on pocketing the ball. You pocket the ball. For you who play golf and think you are pretty good because every now and again you can break 80. Try this. Get in the woods and hit a 7 iron from 225 yards that hooks 40 yards and do this while hitting it over a tree. There much more physical and mental aspects to golf than pool. You have to now how to manipulate your swing, the clubface or your body to hit a shot that you need to. So, in short, golf is more desirable to the public because it requires more ability than most other sports. And before you people chime in and say, "What? More than football,baseball, whatever" I am not talking about physical strength, I am talking physical endurance and mental strenghth. Not even close. Just my .02.
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LOL :D :D

Rep to you sir!!!!
 
subdude1974 said:
Are you kidding me. Golf is the most difficult game in the world to get great at. You are on a 7300 yard table and see how few of strokes it takes to get in. Have to deal with wind, rain, snow, sleet, ground conditions. There are 1000 different variables in golf. I have played competetive golf since I was 5 years old. Played college golf at a NCAA DIV.1 school. Played golf with Tiger in my junior years. Played professionally for 5 years. To say there are more intricacies in pool is laughable. And as far as fundamentals, you are comparing a 25 handicapper to a higher level player. If you are a C player, do you really think about forcing the ball around the table to get position or do you just focus on pocketing the ball. You pocket the ball. For you who play golf and think you are pretty good because every now and again you can break 80. Try this. Get in the woods and hit a 7 iron from 225 yards that hooks 40 yards and do this while hitting it over a tree. There much more physical and mental aspects to golf than pool. You have to now how to manipulate your swing, the clubface or your body to hit a shot that you need to. So, in short, golf is more desirable to the public because it requires more ability than most other sports. And before you people chime in and say, "What? More than football,baseball, whatever" I am not talking about physical strength, I am talking physical endurance and mental strenghth. Not even close. Just my .02.
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You missed my point.

From a casual viewing standpoint, Televised Golf is easier to understand than televised pool. They see Tiger chop one out of the woods onto the green and know it's a great shot. They don't need an analysis of what Tiger did to appreciate it. Now in pool, they see a player put up a three pack, making it look routine and won't be able to appreciate the difficulty of running 27 straight balls in rotation. They'll just dismiss it that all those shots were easy. It sounds naive, but it's true. People believe this game is easy, they are that ignorant about it.

As far as which game is more difficult, that's impossible to objectively quantify, and I wasn't making a claim, but it's easy to see that from an observer standpoint, Golf is more accessible, which is why it enjoys more success on TV.
 
subdude1974 said:
Are you kidding me. Golf is the most difficult game in the world to get great at. You are on a 7300 yard table and see how few of strokes it takes to get in. Have to deal with wind, rain, snow, sleet, ground conditions. There are 1000 different variables in golf. I have played competetive golf since I was 5 years old. Played college golf at a NCAA DIV.1 school. Played golf with Tiger in my junior years. Played professionally for 5 years. To say there are more intricacies in pool is laughable. And as far as fundamentals, you are comparing a 25 handicapper to a higher level player. If you are a C player, do you really think about forcing the ball around the table to get position or do you just focus on pocketing the ball. You pocket the ball. For you who play golf and think you are pretty good because every now and again you can break 80. Try this. Get in the woods and hit a 7 iron from 225 yards that hooks 40 yards and do this while hitting it over a tree. There much more physical and mental aspects to golf than pool. You have to now how to manipulate your swing, the clubface or your body to hit a shot that you need to. So, in short, golf is more desirable to the public because it requires more ability than most other sports. And before you people chime in and say, "What? More than football,baseball, whatever" I am not talking about physical strength, I am talking physical endurance and mental strenghth. Not even close. Just my .02.
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But I still contend that the harder pool games like 14.1, One Pocket, Full rack rotation, require more thought and strategy than Golf, but Golf obviously requires more physicality, much more. Pool has been called the second toughest intellectual game right behind chess. That's of course debatable, but pool has long been know as a mind first, body second game.
 
In golf, particularly The Masters/US Open/British Open (tough conditions), the average viewer can watch other people fire similar shots and roll off the greens/get stuck in heavy rough and then see a Tiger come along and stick it 3 feet from the pin and appreciate what he did. You don't see players playing the same course in pool, every game is different.

Most people can't appreciate how tough a 100+ run in straight pool is, even with commentators it's hard to make it exciting when a pro is making it look easy. Who am i kidding, the only people who see the videos of straight pool are people who are interested in the game.

I also think that the perception people have of pool is the "hustler". Golf is the "gentleman's game" where people are honorable and call penalties on themselves.
 
daphish1 said:
In golf, particularly The Masters/US Open/British Open (tough conditions), the average viewer can watch other people fire similar shots and roll off the greens/get stuck in heavy rough and then see a Tiger come along and stick it 3 feet from the pin and appreciate what he did. You don't see players playing the same course in pool, every game is different.

Most people can't appreciate how tough a 100+ run in straight pool is, even with commentators it's hard to make it exciting when a pro is making it look easy. Who am i kidding, the only people who see the videos of straight pool are people who are interested in the game.

I also think that the perception people have of pool is the "hustler". Golf is the "gentleman's game" where people are honorable and call penalties on themselves.
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That is exactly the point I was trying to make in this.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=61033
In order for there to be more money in the games of pool, there needs to be a revamping of the aura or feel of the game of pool from the publics point of view.
 
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