Improving the Product (What does that actually mean?!) | NLU Pod, Ep 811

Over recent months the phrase "improve the product" has become a crutch phrase for players, tour officials, TV executives, and virtually anyone with a stake in the health of professional golf.
We try our best to actually define the phrase and it's various forms, the biggest hurdles standing the way of progress, and what we view as most important to actually making meaningful improvements for the benefit of golf fans.
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[@hunterhouse5097]

More podcasts like this. What a phenomenal discussion to thoughtfully critique and constructively determine the optimal direction of this stupid sport we all love.

[@nickcondeni2835]

Great show. I feel like we are missing it. What is compelling is the best vs the best. That’s a quality product. No watered down fields at Mediocre venues. Break down why The Players is great. Great venue, best vs the best, solid TV product

[@nickclatterbuck3810]

Mullen Football hat is a hard flex. High water mark for Nebraska Class D-2 high school football.

[@g_nw]

fantastic product tonight, guys 🥃

[@joed706]

Pretty simple.....before Tiger, golf sucked on TV, during Tiger's reign, golf was great on TV, after Tiger, golf sucks on TV. Need the next superstar to emerge.

[@b.s.fishing5902]

Great discussion guys! I'm not really sure what category of fan I would be put in, enjoy playing golf, DFS and bet every week...but I can't stand watching golf on TV. I will catch the clips on X and maybe for the Masters I might throw it on in the background while I'm doing something else for an hour but I never just sit and actually watch. I don't think there is a good answer that would boost the product for both the avid golf fans and casual sports fans. Doing something like a Redzone show starting when the final groups hit about the 14th or 16th hole on Sundays (that way maybe by the end of the quick show you could also include the winner) where you get to recap everything that has happened, big shots, funny reactions, a "ONE OF US" segment where you show them hitting trees snapping/throwing clubs, Spieth's missed 2 foot putts and major story lines where you can quickly explain how a birdie on 17 landed a guy inside the top 20 and got him into the elevated events. Something like that might be something that would be more interesting to sports fans, but it wouldn't be something that they would likely be looking for. You'd probably have to put it on ESPN+ with no set time because of the timing of the rounds. Not so sure this would be for the avid fans who in my mind love sitting back and watching the drama unfold live. Side question - what percent of people who golf actually pay attention to Tour level golf? My father in law is in the prime PGAT demographic but can maybe name 5 guys on tour, and the same with his golfing buddies who play 1-3 times a week. I see the same thing with pro bass fishing where fishing in general has exploded in popularity based on the number of licenses sold but the interest and ratings on the tournament broadcasts haven't come close to the same kind of increase.

[@adamgoodrich80]

Kinda good on seeing Seminole for a while.

[@ArgiRadani]

Soly talks about the lack of star making with the current equipment but I don’t think he’s seen the battle for 12th place between Cleeks, Iron Heads, and HyFlyers. Stars in the making there…

[@Wechson]

Literally every recommendation was either an exact replica or some variation of what LIV has done, but do go on…

[@jimiverson3085]

Birdies may be cool, but holes where you can make any score are mega-cool. The water holes at Augusta and Sawgrass are always the best drama. Not entirely sure how you do it in this era, but set up courses so the brain is more important. The all-timers like Nicklaus, Woods and Hogan were the guys who thought their way around the course.

[@davidstokes3909]

TC's flop wall is the equivalent of F1 bosses wanting to add sprinklers to tracks to add excitement.

[@mcrkon]

Thank you TC for mentioning sustainability. Seeing all that over seed at Sawgrass was cringy. Be a role model, PGA TOUR, not stuck in the 1980s.

[@mackenziechris16]

Great discussion, as always. Do we know if the video has made it to Jay's desk?

[@EpicDiehard]

The "it just will" argument on equipment changes is one of the worst that gets repeated

[@jacobwarpinski4973]

Already working on the PGA Tour Schedule with relegation to the TPC Tour!

[@jacobwarpinski4973]

NEW IDEA: PGA Tour -> TPC/WGC Tour -> Academy Tour

[@hailcaesar34]

10/10 Sting reference

[@jimiverson3085]

One issue with any of the "super league" proposals is they don't have a good plan for replenishment. Athletes age, they go through slumps, they just lose their mojo. How do you promote someone who is up and coming or just on a medium heater to replace a "name" who no longer has game? If you can't the super league just becomes the Over the Hill Tour.

[@pplongstockings3]

Match play title throughout the year for dudes to challenge the champ for the belt

[@caleb74helms]

Of course Soly doesn’t want to see a LIV vs PGAT tournament.

[@grahm0lingor]

Shot clock sponsored by Rolex. If you don’t get the shot off in 60 seconds you get penalized the cost of a Rolex day date and that money goes to the title sponsor charity that week.

[@t.davies2635]

You are hard on the PGA product but can it be just down to McIlroy playing too many loose shots and Hovland form falling off a cliff leaving Scheffler to dominate. Didn’t we all enjoy The Rahm, McIlroy Scheffler battles last year.

[@Thomas-gv8zl]

The LIV guys don't want to come back tho. Rahm and maybe Bryson care. It's actually too much golf for the rest of them.

[@progolfcritic]

Did you guys get these great ideas from LIV or do you not realize LIV already does all of this because you don’t watch it? 😂

[@TheDukeSilver69]

Pffft LIV doesn't have a flop wall though.

[@kipbarnhill8848]

They need to stop with the birdie fests there is no drama. You need bunched fields where guys move up and down. A 65 should Rocket you up the leaderboard but you shouldn't be able to shoot that every day. 10-15 is the sweet spot. Obviously, I don't think they should do crazy manipulation to get those scores that is just what they should shoot for given normal weather. Plus throw in a few around par for us freaks like myself and big randy.

[@sgoboys]

As a US based fan the world tour version of the PGA is worst case scenario. Don't want to watch Asian/Australian events at night or Euro events in the morning. One time a year with the open is enough for me.

[@stjudetheobscure]

The big question is how you make it matter to the fan. The majors matter. The Ryder Cup matters in a way that even the majors must envy. Watching players obliterate ‘easy’ courses with freeways in the background or a bunch of shit-faced blow-hards throwing crap onto the greens? I’m sorry - I’m watching anything else…

[@justinp3540]

Great idea for a topical podcast! Wish you all had microphone for everyone and not just TC. Geeze, was his talk time 80 or 86% of the podcast?

[@dougbowman4211]

They should recognize there is a Super Golf League at the top of the pyramid featuring the individual stroke play championship. They should then strive to create additional top of the pyramid events, not merely just hoping The RSM Classic retains its relevance. That answer is a Team Golf Super League, as well as an awesome International Style events (whether that’s the Ryder Cup and/or Pres Cup). And maybe you can stretch and create a compelling Second Division League too. Super Golf League Individual Championship runs 12 events from February through July. Super Golf Team League runs 12 events from February through July. 24 regular season events over 6 months. August is about the Championships for each competition, plus maybe the pro/rel. September is big International Event SZN. And then disappear from October thru January

[@cjn6564]

THE FLOP WALLLL

[@tekspec]

amazing show, some wonderful info that a lot of avid fans probably don’t know (including me) cheers boys!

[@alecdowning2520]

I switched to the video version because I just didn’t get TC’s hair joke. He’s bald!?!

[@NoLayingUpPodcast]

hahahaha! Very!

[@Wechson]

Sounds like NLU gang recommended most elements that LIV has already employed.

[@mistersiye]

Imagine, interweaving KZbin/digital content into a broadcast to make it more engaging and entertaining. Just imagine. 🤯🫠