Nov 02

Golf marketing: More abominations visited upon us

You’ve probably heard me rant and rave enough about intrusive advertising and marketing, but I have to pass along the latest abomination that might further sicken you.

In the near future, you won’t be firing at flags, you’ll be aiming at Wendy’s old-fashioned hamburgers!

Custom Golf Flagstick of Scottsdale says it’s coming out with a “patented new design” for flagsticks.

They include a 42-inch sleeve that can be “custom designed for branding purposes.”

“The flagstick is at the heart of the game of golf,” CEO James Deen said in a press release announcing the tacky, new product. “This new product will help all courses increase the visibility of the flagstick, offer branding opportunities for sponsors and partners and help courses generate new economic streams in a tough market.”

These idiots just don’t get it. We go to the golf course to get AWAY. The last thing we need is more two-bit hucksters cramming worthless products down our throats.

Still, you can’t beat these people, they’re as relentless as cockroaches, so you might as well throw in with them. Here’s a great idea: Advertising in the hole. You lean over to pick up your ball after sinking a putt, and there’s the idiotic Geico gecko staring back at you.

Mark my words, it will happen.

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14 comments

§ Brandon Tucker® said on : 11/02/07 @ 10:34
A lot of courses in Europe have big ads around tee boxes and around the clubhouse. The kind of ads you'd think a tour event was around the corner, but it isn't. Pretty tacky, but Europe puts ads on everything. Ever watch a European hockey game? You can't see the ice, just a bunch of Skoda and HSBC billboards.
§ joe said on : 11/02/07 @ 13:07
Brandon , I wonder if your in the US, any european who spends 3 seconds in the USA is instantly hit by ads everywhere, let alone even trying to watch a sport on the tv. At least our sports teams havent sold out there names to sponsors. I thought Chivas was a liquor not a soccer team.
§ wendy (uk) said on : 11/02/07 @ 14:11
Brandon - I have played golf in only 4 countries in Europe but have never seen ads around the tee boxes and clubhouse EXCEPT in sponsored biggish tournaments. Granted there are ads round the pitch at soccer/rugby events, but they are not intrusive enough for me to even register who they are. Joe is right in that any European who visits the US is immediately struck by the amount of ads everywhere. Also it is unbelievable how many ad breaks there are on US TV compared to European TV. The US leads the world in marketing (on both positive and negative fronts) - but agree with Tim that if Custom Golf Flagsticks come to my golf course I may have to resort to vandalism.
§ Tim McDonald® said on : 11/02/07 @ 14:31
I have to agree with the Euros here, Brandon.

The U.S. is a nation of used car salesmen, snake-oil hucksters and third-rate Mickey marketeers.
§ Judge Smails said on : 11/02/07 @ 14:49
Another great patriot on the left.

I will say that the gecko line was hilarious, though.
§ patricia said on : 11/02/07 @ 19:18
If the ads bother you so much Timothy, why don't you just go play on a course that doesn't use them. There are many such courses both here and in Europe and there always will be. However, some of the less elite courses, where the greens fees are more affordable, actually do need to generate new economic streams in order to survive and thrive, and these ads are one way of doing that.

WorldGolf/TravelGolf appear to me to be quite mercenary when it comes to advertising, and I don't blame you guys at all. Even though the ads are rather more invasive and distracting to me than those slim flag pole sleeves, I realize they're the way writers and editors and developers get paid so I put up with them. How much does an ad on here cost BTW. Probably more than I could afford.
§ Tim McDonald® said on : 11/03/07 @ 12:56
I love it when you call me "Timothy."
§ Judge Smails said on : 11/03/07 @ 13:49
Good point, Patricia.
§ Tim McDonald® said on : 11/03/07 @ 14:04
The Judge, agreeing with a FEMALE?
§ Judge Smails said on : 11/03/07 @ 20:08
Tim,

I know, it might ruin my reputation. But I give credit where credit is due -- even when the individual is a member of the weaker sex.
§ Joe Cool said on : 11/04/07 @ 17:29
Weaker sex??...is that why the greatest ruler that ever ruled Egypt was a woman??
§ wendy (uk) said on : 11/05/07 @ 09:27
Oh, for heaven's sake! Women are PHYSICALLY weaker than men. Who gives a damn. Move on.
§ Judge Smails said on : 11/06/07 @ 20:44
Joe,

Because she had great men behind her. Man, don't you know anything about history?
§ Judge Smails said on : 11/06/07 @ 20:46
Joe,

You seem very emotional about this. Are you a hen-pecked man whose domineering wife monitors his Internet activities?