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Covering a golf tournament.. help!

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Jay Sherman, Aug 19, 2008.

  1. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    Don't mention in your story that Tiger Woods Jr. from Podunk High took a leak in the woods around the 14th hole.
     
  2. Big Buckin' agate_monkey

    Big Buckin' agate_monkey Active Member

    Take a golf bag out to the first fairway and as a player is about to take a swing, crank up the radio and have a dance party.
     
  3. Bullwinkle

    Bullwinkle Member

    [​IMG]

    Ooh, then we touched
    Then we sang
    About the lovin things!
     
  4. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    Yep, this is a good idea.

    The one-day tournament is obviously harder, but once you figure it out which one of your teams is doing good you can follow them for the rest of the round and catch up with your crappy teams at the end of the round.

    The team that wins from out of the area? I don't follow them at all, unless I'm going to lead with them (which would be very unlikely). You can get them to talk about your rounds at the end.

    Oh, and the other thing I've noticed about golf is this: the parents, at least at the course, are pretty nice. You can easily ask them how their kid is doing, what the people in their group are shooting, etc.

    If you ask a player how they are playing, that could cause problems. Some players, the relaxed ones, like to BS during their rounds, most would like to hit you with their club if you make the mistake of talking to them. I learned that lesson earlier in my career.
     
  5. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    2underpar is a cheat.
     
  6. Barsuk

    Barsuk Active Member

    Depending on the format, you probably won't be able to follow one team. At most high school meets, the groups include one player from each team (or each of three or four teams for larger tournaments) with the No. 1 players together, the No. 2 players together, etc. I like to follow the No. 1 group around the course, because that gives you a solid chance of seeing the medalist (the player with the lowest score).

    Do talk to parents, who usually keep score for their kid's group and might even keep stats like fairways and greens hit, etc. DO NOT talk to players during the round. That's a major taboo and could really piss someone off. If you know one of the kids and they initiate conversation, that's one thing, but striking up conversation about how the round's going is not a good idea.

    When you interview the players after the round, ask them to recap the round by telling you where they made birdies and bogeys (or anything other than par) then ask for a brief description of those holes. They'll probably be able to tell you how far out they were for their approach, which club they hit, how long of a putt they made, etc.

    Perhaps most important: Blend in to the background. Don't talk when players are hitting or preparing to hit shots. If you have a cart, stop driving when you see a player address the ball. Be aware your voice will carry extremely well on the golf course. Don't stand directly behind the hole (in the player's line of sight) when a player is putting.

    Covering golf can be a lot of fun if you enjoy the game and feel comfortable doing it, or it can be a nightmare if you feel like a fish out of water on the course. Best of luck.
     
  7. TwoGloves

    TwoGloves Well-Known Member

    Stick close to the scoreboard when scores are being posted. Rather than chasing down kids to fill out scorecards, you can ask to look at them right there and fill out your own. Much more efficient. And as Barsuk said, never initiate conversation first. If they talk to you, that's one thing. Then feel free to converse. In high school tournaments, the only time I go out on the course is to watch a playoff since 95 percent of those kids have no chance whatsoever to win.
     
  8. in a lot of tourneys i've covered (club tourneys, high school tourneys, etc.), they've got someone out there with a walkie-talkie/nextel calling in the main tent as well as others. "jack just eagled on 8!" if you can, stay out on the course with the cart and ideally with someone who can hear the updates. spend a day driving around, enjoying (i hope for your sake) beautiful weather, seeing as much as you can, keeping up on the details. stay in touch with the lead group, but don't hesitate to switch up if you hear someone else is ripping it up. and, oh yeah, if you're driving the cart, get a course map if you can.
     
  9. nmmetsfan

    nmmetsfan Active Member

    With my game they call 1-under-par a pipe dream
     
  10. TwoGloves

    TwoGloves Well-Known Member

    The more I think about it, the most important part of covering a high school event is doing your homework. Know who the top teams and players are and then you'll have your story when the scores come in if somebody comes out of nowhere to win or if a favorite lives up to its/their billing.
     
  11. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    While I agree with a lot of what you're saying, I disagree when you say he shouldn't go out on the course.

    If you figure an 18-hole round with five or more teams will take at least 5 hours, then you show up an hour or two in and cruise around.

    I've just never bought into the show up with one hour left and sit in the clubhouse.

    Sports writers aren't allowed to write on games they don't see in other sports, so why is it suddenly acceptable in golf to sit in the clubhouse and never go out on the course?

    Not trying to rip you TwoGloves, this is just one of my pet peeves.
     
  12. PeteyPirate

    PeteyPirate Guest

    I get your point, but unless he knows who the leaders are and they happen to all be playing in the same group, chances are he's going to be writing about a lot of stuff he didn't see even if he goes out on the course.
     
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