Covering a golf tournament.. help!

true, but if he never goes out on the course, he isn't able to even describe the holes or use what he sees out there ("hey, no. 10 has a nasty bunker but you still birdied....how did you avoid it?") to open up some lines of questioning.

 

The bunker on No. 10 isn't even in play!

 

Exactly, plus the rounds take so long, you can skip around the course and watch each group play a couple of holes. Or just sit near one green, where you can see the kids approach and see the next tee shot. Then wait for your kids to go through.

I agree, he's going to have to write about some stuff he didn't see, but if he is out on the course he at least could see the shot of the day.

Hell, one of my favorite golf stories I wrote wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been out on the course.

Basically our school had this one hole where they combined to shoot 7-over. On that same hole, one of the player's boyfriends was bitten by a snake.

There was my lede.

 

Watch for a couple of hours, try to see if anyone is doing especially well then go to the scoring area so you won't miss any players.

 

That sums my post up a little tighter than I wrote it.

 

I've covered an average of six tournaments a year for the past five years or so, from high school and summer juniors to college to amateur to Nationwide Tour. The only times I've ever gone out on the course was for playoffs (had a three-team playoff once upon a time in a high school event).

Like many have pointed out, hang around the scoreboard, especially if you also have to punch in all the scores, and get a look at the leaders' cards when they come in (locals as well if you're focusing on one or two teams). You won't need much play-by-play if it's a team event, but it's always nice to have a few tidbits like Joe Bob birdied the seventh after he dropped a wedge from 120 yards to within eight feet, or Jim Bob fell out of contention when his tee shot on No. 14 hit the water on the left side of the fairway.

Most high schoolers won't be keeping up with info like GIR, but I've gotten a few who let me know they needed only 27 putts to get through the round.

Basically, just ask somebody what happened.

 

Update: The tournament was a success. I showed up at the beginning (d'oh, rookie mistake) and drove a cart around for a while after getting the rosters/pairings. However, it was nearly impossible to figure out what hole these pairings would be on because they all started on different holes (obviously).

I realized I could show up a few hours later and get the same work done. I rarely had an opportunity to follow a group through a hole because each hole took so long and I didn't want to be in the way. I spoke to the three teams we covered (they finished 3rd, 6th and 7th out of seven teams) and their coaches and top performers, as well as the top overall individual performer (a pre-pubescent kid who shot a 74).

Thanks for the tips all, it seems that next time I'll do much of the same but show up much later.

 

Weird that they didn't list the holes for the shotgun start.

 

Golf is an entirely different animal. I wouldn't say I just sit in the clubhouse. While near the scoreboard, I write down every kids name from every school so I have every score. We publish them all so all the kids get their names in the agate. I also talk to the coaches to find out what's been going on with their teams. And honestly, you have no idea who's shooting what on which hole at any given time so it's virtually impossible to "cover" the entire field since they're spread out all over the course. It's not like a basketball or baseball or football game where all of the action is right in front of you. If a kid gets a hole-in-one, do you not write about it because you didn't happen to be right there to see it?

 

They did, but by the time I had pairings and rosters written down, they were on different holes and I didn't know any of the kids, so I was sort of lost on who was who after that.

 

OK, I was a bit too literal in my comparisons.

Obviously, you can't see everything that is played on the course, I just don't understand the mindset of hanging in the clubhouse and not even trying to watch any of the tournament.

At the lower levels, where you can get a cart, you should definitely be out on the course following your kids, etc.

And talking to the coach is an excellent idea.

I tend to go find the No. 1s from my schools that are expected to do something and follow them. Then I talk to parents/coaches/groupies to find out if any of the lesser players are having a really good round and I might go watch them for a hole or two.

I understand the typing in agate thing, but that's not an excuse I can buy to sit in the clubhouse. Track and Field has just as much if not more agate, but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit in the press box the entire time.

 

Next time you cover a tournament, you need to have a different goal: getting to know the head professional so he invites you out to play.