Professional Mini Tour Golf Magazine Articles Reviews

...Walked through the door to the media center. An air-conditioned “tent village” with rows of tables, a large scoreboard, TV monitors, telephone and electrical hook-ups. Scores of “scribes” peck angrily at their laptops. Tour-supplied biographical info sheets are scoured for tidbits of information. Cameramen lug around huge lenses, extra batteries and kit bags. The phones ring. They actually RING. No cricket-like chirps, just an old-fashioned ring, a LOUD ring.

Funny thing though, maybe due to tradition, maybe due to cost but the media center has only 28K dial-up internet connections available for the press. One might think that fast access would be the norm in 2002 but dial-up still rules.

Much of what one observes in the media center is a massive duplication of effort. Competing entities of print and electronic media post their stories. The never-ending search for “reportable stories” means finding something new or unique to say is a difficult task. How can a question be asked that hasn’t been asked 10,000 times before?

Golf reporting seems to have taken a “tabloidish” turn in the last few years much has all reporting in the media. It seems that reporters aren’t satisfied unless they have reduced someone to tears or emotional distress. Players are asked impertinent questions about failures, personal lives and controversies, all seemingly in an effort to bring out that one “quotable” quip that will make good headlines. All one need do is think back to Jimmy Roberts questioning of Pete Rose about his gambling convictions on a day when Pete was being honored for the most blatant example.

It used to be that golf reporting was done by players for players. The great writers of the past, Grantland Rice, Herbert Warren Wind, OB Keeler, et al. respected both the players and the game and their writing was done from a common perspective about the nature of competitive golf. Now that “tabloid reporting” has infected all forms of the media reporting Taylor Smith’s adultery and drug abuse and Richard Meisner’s thievery become cover stories for Golf World.

Instead of bemoaning this trend, ProGolfTalk will seek to be about changing the way golf is reported. We will endeavor to return to the days of golf being covered by players for players. No “gotcha” journalism will ever appear in PGT. If a tough questions needs to be asked it will be asked but not in an effort to put someone on the spot nor to embarrass them. Personal lives may be covered but not without a proper deference to the individual and their right to privacy. Being a public figure does NOT carry with it the responsibility to have one’s entire private life exposed. PGT will always seek to honor the integrity of the individual and to evidence a proper respect for our game and its rich history.

Jeff Guimont
Copyright 3-14-02
Bay Hill Invitational
Orlando, FL