I can't be the only one who noticed this. Or the only one who found it a bit...amusing/interesting/disturbing.
Here's the thing; Golf Digest received an astounding 73,581 entries in their U.S. Open contest. The entries, each one featuring a six-word essay, poured in from all over the country. So I was quite surprised this morning when the finalists were announced...and I could barely... tell them... apart.
Don't get me wrong...they all seemed very nice, and each of their essays was clever, if somewhat insular. Individually, each man was an excellent candidate. It's just that... out of 73,581 entries, you'd think there'd be a smidge more diversity..wouldn't you?
Golf has always had a reputation as a game for white, middle-class, middle-aged men.
These finalists certainly do nothing to disprove that.
No, I noticed it too!! Everything almost the same; age, color, ... even attitude.
ReplyDeleteYou mean I didn't make the cut? ;o)
ReplyDeleteI applied for fun, but didn't expect to make it. Honestly, I'm not a good enough "average golfer" with a 14 index. But Hubbie and I were convinced a golfing gal would at least make the cut this year. What a bummer! This is such a highly publicized event, it would have been fun to see a gal take on Bethpage Black, but what do I know.
I'm with you Patricia, a little diversity (of any kind) could have gone a long way here.
golf is not a diverse sport and probably never will be. sure there is some diversity among the top ranked palyers but if you go out on any given course you wil rarely see but white males. golf digest knows this and cateres to it
ReplyDeleteI really did not think my entry was all that hot, but I honestly believe it was better than those four. That being the case, there must have been a million better entries. All four of those guys look identical. I bet a white 57 year-old Golf Digest employee made these selections and he discriminated against me because I'm a 60 year-old white guy. Age discrimination is an ugly, ugly thing...
ReplyDeleteLast year's contest was kind of a farce, IMO. I thought the original premise of the challenge (as Tiger brought forth) was to see if a 10-handicap could break 100. Wasn't the guy they ended up selecting a 4 or 5 handicap? I'd have rather seen someone who hovered more closely to a 10.
ReplyDeleteI guess my argument would hold more water if the guy didn't shoot a 114. I admit, I'm just bitter and jealous that they didn't choose me. ;-p
You know when you go on the Golf Digest website how everytime you click on anything you get a pop-up ad imploring you to subscribe to the magazine?
ReplyDeleteI think that group of finalists represents the dying breed of magazine subscribers, I'll bet you each one of those guys subscribes to the book. Those guys simply represent their best customer. The message it sends beyond Golf Digest is obviously of no importance to them.
Ironically, they're so similar there's really nothing to vote on. I mean, how do you decide between four guys who are so similar? No fun at all!
ReplyDeleteA golf blogger in a bikini would have surely made the cut!
ReplyDeleteThe typical golfers are:
ReplyDelete1 Cop +
1 Firefighter +
2 MDs (1 for everyday maintenance & 1 for emergencies) ...
The local golf course must me the safest, healthiest place in town. ;)
come on Patricia - off your high horse. You're not exactly in the $20 muni course world yourself. They picked the "hero" types - doctor, officer, military, etc.
ReplyDeleteHeather - no - they will never pick a woman. Finding a 10 handicap woman isn't the problem. The problem is finding a 10 handicap woman who plays courses over 7000 yards...and The Black is WAY over 7000 yards with some enormous carries.
Anon - go to a golf course some time - golf is a world wide game and is VERY diverse. All colors, creeds, nationalities, genders, religions play the game.
I'm with you, One - I thought mine was better, too ! But I'm not a hero or a father.
OK, No one is saying they shouldn't pick hero types but couldn't they find even one hero out of 75,000 that wasn't a white middle aged male?
ReplyDeleteAnd you Court...you better get working on you hero/father cred for next year. ;-)
lol Growl - I'm not sure Patricia, Ash, or Heather would be interested in helping with that.
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia. It's just me- the casino guy. I'm just wondering if you may know my cousin and her husband. They lived in your town in CT. for quite a few years. They now live on the same course in CA as Nicole Castrale.
ReplyDeleteSo Court, you don't think my 300yd drives would be in play? OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad.
ReplyDeleteI do understand how hard the course is. Hubbie said I'd be lucky to shoot a 130 (OUCH) but I promise it would have been entertaining AND I would have worn a hot pink golf dress. That has to count for something.
Seriously Court, I'm sure these guys are nice and obviously better golfers than me, but they do look like they came from the same womb.
If they want a white hero, I'm going to write in Capt. Sully. Don't even know if he golfs, but I'd be excited to watch him try.
As far as the father issue goes, why would I help you win? I'm still delusional enough to think they might pick a girl someday.:o)
Well, this athletic-looking bunch certainly puts to rest the argument that golf is not a sport...
ReplyDelete/sarcasm
Game? Yes. Pasttime? Without a doubt. Skill (like darts or poker)? Sure, why not. But a sport is not something that can be performed at its highest level by an overweight, out of shape, middle-aged person.
Many seem to be mildly amused at the selection of four white males, age 38 to 58. Was this a contest or merely an attempt at diversity training? I have no data on the diversity of the entrants but my guess is the population was heavily weighted toward middle-aged white males. Big surprise who the winners are unless one expects the results to reflect something other than an interest in the contest and golf ability (or inability).
ReplyDeleteHow many of the posters actually entered the contest? My guess is most of the posters had better things to do (exception: Heather, One-Eyed, and Roody). I look at this a little like a presidential election; if you don't vote, what have you to complain about?
My complaint is that they included a 4.1 index golfer and another guy who couldn't even be bothered to get a handicap. The original premise of the contest was created by Tiger Woods' comment that a "10 handicap couldn't break 100" at the US Open. So Golf Digest/USGA select someone who would play to a "5" at Bethpage and another guy who doesn't even have a handicap.
Anon: whether golf is a sport or game or hybrid, other than hitting a round baseball with a round bat, it is more difficult than any skill in any other sport.
ReplyDeleteYou are looking at the demographic that reads Golf Digest, and therein lies the problem with a decreasing number of players each year. They're dying off just like the Cadillac crowd. How hard would it have been for GD to have one person in their 30's, 40's 50's and 60's and do a report on aging? How about an experiment on global diversity? There are so many creative ideas that could have come into play here and have on-going commentary about the contest (let's be really out of the box and have a woman in there-LOL). I don't think the GD team realizes how much this polarizes their golf community that they soon will be looking at as their targeted customer...
ReplyDeleteGolf "the industry" has a big problem and they don't seem to know it (or are afraid to look).
ReplyDelete@courtgolf You are right golf is diverse. That said, it's too bad about this contest - a missed opportunity. Keeping the perception that golf it elite and expensive to play is killing it.
Great comments all around though!
Last year's participant was an 8 at his local course, but with Torrey Pine's difficulty, it was bumped up to around 11. He was also chosen because of his cancer diagnosis, and his will to fight/cancer research interest that was an inspiration for GD to choose him.
ReplyDeleteThese guys on the other hand... they don't inspire too much. I don't see anything, other than the weak "haikus", to suggest they truly deserve entry over others.
Makes me wonder what the true reason was.