How Social Media Is Changing Golf – Notes from 140 Conference

Posted by Jason on April 21, 2010 in Social Media, Sports Business · View Comments

2010 140 conference NYC logo

Yesterday I was in New York for the 140 Conference, which brought together some amazing, smart people to talk the effects of the real-time web on people and businesses. Like some of the other conferences I’ve been to lately (such as Social Fresh), the content was stellar. But what I really enjoy about these types of conference is meeting new people and hanging out with other people I’ve met before.

Ok, on to the sports stuff. Here are my notes from a panel titled “How Social Media is Changing the Face of Golf.” Panelists included:

As you might be able to guess from the title, the panel focused on the intersection on how social media is changing golf. This topic is very interesting to me because I play golf  and watch the tournaments occasionally, but don’t really think of myself as an avid fan. I always root for Phil, since us left-handers have to stick together, but I don’t feel a strong connection with any one golfer.  Like baseball, golf is tough for me to watch live on TV, because it’s pretty slow. I think the more golf can utilize social media to help make the sport and golfers more accessible and interesting to casual fans, the more the game will grow.

Please see below for some of my notes and thoughts on the panel.

Why does social media matter?

Kathleen kicked off the panel by asking why social media matters in golf. A big plus is that information moves so quickly through social media compared to golf, in which things typically move slower. Kathleen highlighted an Arnold Palmer quote: “Watching golf on TV is like watching paint dry.”

Scott mentioned that social media is enabling an interesting thing to happen; fans who aren’t able to attend the tournaments in person are acting like an online gallery. They’re talking about the tournament and players as the action unfolds. And some moments (ex: Brian Davis calling a penalty on himself to give up a shot at his first TOUR win) generate a considerable amount of conversation on Twitter.

Kathleen revealed that she had posed a question on Twitter asking for people’s thoughts on the future of golf in a social media world. She shared on of the more interesting answers she received, which predicted the formation of virtual clubhouses. This is a very interesting concept. On one hand I really like the concept of exclusive communities; on the other hand, the exclusive/off-limits notion of golf that people have is a detriment to the game.

Here’s a half-example of a virtual clubhouse. American Express has its Members Clubhouse, a microsite which highlights the company’s golf-related sponsorships and gives cardmembers access to exclusive golf deals and discounts. The site is very well-done, but all good things can be improved, right? If I were them, I might take it a step further and integrate more social elements to turn it into more of a community where golfers/cardmembers can connect with each other, share travel and course reviews, talk about golf, and also learn more about how American Express can help people live the golf lifestyle to the fullest. American Express has done a great job with its OPEN FORUM, a resource/community for small business owners. Maybe they can do this with golf. What do you think?

Back to the panel. Dennis Allen shared the news that he’s starting a golf entertainment network called “The Back 9.” The network aims to make golf more accessible and interesting to average people. Golf by the fans, for the fans. If they can figure this out, I think it definitely has potential to shake up the golf world.

What will change about golf?

Kathleen wrapped up the panel by asking participants what will change about golf in the future. Ryan said that social media will enable fans to get to know golfers more and see more of their personalities. News will continue to spread faster, he added.

Scott said there will be more focus on getting people to interact with golf and the tournaments no matter where they are. I’m excited for this. One of the social media’s strengths is being able to compliment real-life events and extend their reach and interactivity.This should bring more fans to golf and more revenue opportunities for brands involved in the sport.

Dennis offered the final thought of the panel – that in the near future, more focus will be around developing golf programming based on fan feedback. From the  short chat I had with Dennis, it sounds like this is the approach they’ll be taking with “The Back 9.” I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.

Thanks for reading my thoughts about the panel. What do you think about how social media will change golf?

On a side note, I was recently nominated for a Business of Sports Award (best Twitter account). There are a lot of other smart folks who have been nominated for awards there, too. If you’d like to support me, drop a comment on the  site. Either way, I’d encourage you to check out The Business of Sports. It’s a great resource!

Jason
True Life: I'm Jason Peck.

  • http://www.bflofutsal.com Ryan Knapp

    Congrats on the nomination first off Jason, definitely worthy of that honor.

    It sounds like the panel was a good one. Golf is a game which has so many subsets of types of fans/participants that it is hard to reach them all.

    I liked your idea of creating a community with American Express.

    What even if you took it a step further and created a community that would do the same for players of all talents and locations. I know for me, especially if I’m on vacation somewhere I want to get a round in but hate playing as a single. What if we could interact with people all over, especially based on location and find golfers who would have the same handicap or close to it and we could ask to play rounds with them?

    Would be a cool way to interact and meet up with new folks who share the same passion.

  • Anita Lobo

    I think the biggest change will be around the perception of golf.
    For instance, in India, golf is still viewed as an elitist sport & an older man’s game.
    However, we have a talented group of under-30 players who are climbing global ranks.
    The addition of social media to the mix could be a game changer.
    Cheers
    Anita Lobo

  • Jason

    Ryan – I like the idea on community for players of all talents–maybe with various groups/recommendations geared towards people in different locations/skill levels. Maybe more open is the way to go to help open up golf as a whole to more people.

    There are a couple golf social networks/communities that try to connect golfers who are looking for people to play at, but not sure if any of them have really taken off or have it completely figured out yet.

    Anita – Thanks for stopping by. It’s definitely interesting to see the perception that most people have about golf. Hopefully we’ll see this change some in the near future!

  • http://SportsGeek.com.au Sean Callanan

    I think there is a big opportunity in golf (or all sports) to augment the TV product with fan commentary on twitter, the Masters was a great example as golf is a perfect medium to allow fans to converse about the game like they are watching from the galleries. Mashups like Twackle will help golf fans find each other which is the key to sports & social media initiatives IMHO.

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