The "Golf Digest Challenge" aims to improve golfers' games – Yeah, right

Just yesterday, Golf Digest announced the Golf Digest Challenge, a free instructional program for golfers around the world. The goal of the program, as stated in the press release is, “to build upon the success of last year’s program by continuing to give golfers the necessary tools to improve their scores.”

How will they go about succeeding at this task, a task which many decades of publishing tips and lessons have failed to accomplish?

Via the Internet, silly!

Again, from the press release:

“After signing up at www.golfdigest.com/challenge, golfers will receive a personalized practice plan of tips and drills (there are now over 200 available, including 18 video drills) from some of the best teachers and players in golf…. This year’s Challenge allows users to get updated personal stats after each round they play and new tips and drills geared to their skill level and current form.”

Oh, good. Now I can get streaming video of David Leadbetter describing to me how to imagine swinging a dead opossum by the tail while standing in a pickle barrel to get more distance from my fairway woods.

Frankly, as cool as this program sounds (and I’m not being facetious here – it is a pretty cool idea), I’m skeptical that it will work as well as advertised.

Why? Well, despite the fact that I have accidentally renewed my subscription for FIVE FRICKIN’ YEARS, I receive notices almost weekly saying that my subscription is about to end if I don’t act soon.

How in Byron Nelson’s name are they going to organize such a high-tech instructional program when they can’t keep decent records of subscriptions? I suspect that some poor 2-handicapper out there will find nothing online but lesson after interminable lesson on how to stop slicing – just like the real magazine.