USGA: Where Is The Fox Money Going To Go?

This is the question Golfweek's Adam Schupak ponders as a 12-year Fox Sports contract as well as new international TV money will deliver the USGA significant resources. Hedge fund managers rejoice!

Though that is not the stance of the USGA, Schupak reports of the extra $35 million/20 percent revenue growth the USGA says it'll be adding this year.

“Whatever we got from Fox, however you want to do the math, we’re not harvesting money,” USGA president Tom O’Toole Jr. Said. “We’re spending it. We’re putting at least $150 million a year back into the game by governance or supporting it.”

However you want to do the math? Interesting way to put things! Don't hypnotize this USGA President!

The big change seems to be in on course branding, technological advances in scoring and the GHIN system, says Sarah Hirshland, director of business affairs.

Funding for many of these initiatives still would have been budgeted without the inflated revenue – the infrastructure behind GHIN, for instance, is terribly outdated – but the TV money has provided the luxury to think bigger.

“We wouldn’t have done anything as much or as well as we are going to do it, and we’re doing it all at once,” Hirshland said. “Normally we wouldn’t be in a position to do that.”

Schupak also queried people in golf, and naturally the older folks who just don't care had the best advice.

Arnold Palmer, PGA Tour legend

“Spend it on slowing down the golf ball.”

The King!

Deane Beman, Former PGA Tour commissioner
“The USGA should do a program to develop future golfers that is not based on just public relations but actually doing something. They could subsidize a caddie program at member clubs and provide scholarships for caddies in the form of golf scholarships. That won’t pay off for 15-20 years, but you’d produce a steady new stream of golfers for the long-term future of the game.”

Making too much sense.

Ted Bishop, former PGA president
"As I watched the State of the Industry address at The Players, Mike Davis intrigued me more than anyone when he spoke about reducing maintainable acreage. I'm a course owner with 300 acres. I would love to have a USGA person help me do that at The Legends GC without sacrificing playability. Field reps who provide free services to courses who cooperate with USGA initiatives would be useful."

Again, too easy.

Sandy Tatum, former USGA president
"The question of how to deal with technology advances as it pertains to equipment still must be dealt with. Coming up with the right answer is not easy. It’s certainly important enough to take it on. The guardians of the game have a real dilemma in that everybody loves hitting it 280. But the result is the game got bifurcated into the bombers and the rest of us. It has obsoleted many of our architectural treasures. It really is a miserable problem. The game is more important than anything else and preserving it and all of its characteristics is a vital project. It matters hugely, and while I can’t anticipate the response of the equipment makers, I hope they can be persuaded to join in the crusade."

Maybe this week on a par-70, 7,500 yard course that takes too long too play more will begin to understand the cause?