Golf as described on ABC Gruen Planet 16/11/11

gruen planet 16/11/11


“Chalmers took home 1/4 of a million dollars after the Aust. Open, Tiger Woods income has dropped from $100 million to $60 million p/a.


Host Wil Anderson, “Russell how is it that golf a moderately popular game, is the best paid”


“because it is a game played by white in the main, middle class men in the richest countries in the world”


“Well that does explain it…” as simple as that.


Agencies look at sporting events as advertising properties and golf is one of the premium and most valuable. The main reason for that is, “Who watches it” mostly 35 year old plus males with money.


And the consumers of golf product are wealthy, so it is a rich persons sport. Not necessarily a rich persons sport but more so than your average persons sport. Played by upper middle class people who love spending money on themselves, because in the main they are selfish.


Then the one panelist (who plays golf came in)... What! all golfers?


There are two things; One you participate in golf, it is the rare sport where you can increase your participation the older you get and the more you enter you wealth phase. Second in golf you see anything a new driver, ball, pair of socks that will take half a shot of your round you gotta go buy it…”

Episode link Gruen Planet Episode 8 16/11/2011
This TV show is entertaining and delivers the cold hard truth of Advertising up with a serving of wit and in house Advertising opinion. As a golfer myself I had a laugh at the segment the above transcript is taken from. Admittedly this program does have a significant humour quotient as part of the patter, so this has to be taken into account with these words out of the program.

That said it showed to me the image problem Golf has in Oz. It is a cheaper sport for me to play than Football or cricket for that matter., being country based the membership is not too expensive and I get to play as often as I like. Yet golf carries the dated imagery of “exclusivity” still in the minds of many.


Golf has to overcome this sterotypical image to regain a larger share of the sporting public playing the game.

Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff