Do we really want transparency in golf?
If the last month has proven anything, it’s that there are different opinions as to the level of transparency golfers want in the game. Whether it be the equipment we play or the personalities of the pros we watch on TV, there’s no doubt what qualifies for “too much information” is not widely agreed upon.
In terms of equipment, misinformation and coincidental timelines run rampant at times from competing brands and media outlets. The stories we see on our timelines is only the surface, of course, as deeper details into their origins remain hidden and veiled. This sometimes filters into television commercials, as is the case of Titleist’s latest TV spot discussing the importance of having a centered core in your golf ball. There are few coincidences in this business, folks, and it should be no surprise that one brand doubles down on the defects of its competitor months after the original “story” hit the web. It’s almost as if everything was planned.
Similar coordination is less hidden, although not immediately made clear. Such is the case with the GOLF.com/True Spec kerfuffle, which has turned into a textbook case study of conflict of interest. Keen-eyed internet sleuths were quick to point out their common ownership (8am Golf), and cries for MORE TRANSPARENCY were heard throughout Golfdom. What remains unclear, at least in the case of similar websites that rank products and award “winners”, is how comfortable they are with disclosing their own potential conflicts of interest.
Nobody should hold their breath, however those sites continue to hold their cards close to their chest. That is due to change, and soon.
Opinions as to the level of transparency we want from our favorite pros also spark debate. Rory McIlroy, for example, is lauded for this openness and comfort with holding nothing back, particularly on the topic of the fledgling Primer Golf League. His is an example where thinking before one acts is beneficial to an image. This extends beyond the words that you speak, as another tour pro recently discovered.
Scott Piercy’s incredible poor judgement of sharing what many consider to be a homophobic internet meme is less about him as a person and more about him not thinking before pressing a button. It is most likely that Piercy, a public figure, made the mistake of finding humor in a something best kept to himself, and not because of how multiple sponsors have abandoned ship following the news.
Any of the above examples serve as commentary on how comfortable we are with pulling back the curtain. I contend that we are not as comfortable as we think we are.
Chances are, if you look deeper, you might not like what you find.
