The Golf Channel
The Golf Channel is an American cable television network devoted (obviously) to the game of golf. It was launched on January 17, 1995. The idea of a 24-hour-a-day golf network came from the mind of media entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs of Birmingham, Alabama, who first got the idea for the channel in 1991. Gibbs felt there was enough interest in golf among the public to support such a network, and so he had a Gallup Poll done among the public to see if his instincts were right. They were, and Gibbs and legendary golfer Arnold Palmer managed to secure $80 million, which helped the two found The Golf Channel. The first live tournament the channel ever televised was the Dubai Desert Classic, held from January 19 to 22, 1995.
The Golf Channel features programming of all sorts. Live golf is the norm, as the network features coverage of the PGA TOUR, PGA European Tour, LPGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour, Canadian Tour, and PGA Tour of Australasia, and also of USGA and PGA of America tournaments. There is also a nightly news show, Golf Central, and a variant titled College Central, devoted to college golf. There are highlight shows of past tournaments, and even a reality television competition show, The Big Break, whose premise is to help aspiring professionals gain exemptions into PGA TOUR and LPGA events. In 2005, The Golf Channel helped set up a special matchplay event called Big Stakes Golf, in which teams of two paid a $100,000 entry fee to play in a special tournament where the winning team split a $3,000,000 first-place prize, the largest in golf history. In the end, mini-tour professionals Garth Mulroy and David Ping won the grand prize.
The Golf Channel is available in the United States, Canada, and Asia through cable, satellite, and wireless transmissions. There is also a version of the network for Great Britain, although that version shows most of the same programming that the American version does.
The American version's studio is located in Orlando, Florida.
The Golf Channel programs
- A Golf Channel Profile
- Bank of America Leaderboard Report
- Champions Tour Learning Center
- College Central
- Drive, Chip & Putt
- Golf Central
- Golf Channel Classics
- Golf Channel Workshop
- Golf Fitness Academy
- Golf Talk
- Golf With Style!
- IBM's Playing Lessons with the Pros
- Inside the PGA TOUR
- Natural Golf Makeover Challenge
- Peter Jacobsen Plugged In
- Quest for the Card
- Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
- Sprint Pre & Post Game
- The Big Break
- The Golf Channel Academy
- The Golf Channel Academy Live
- The Grey Goose 19th Hole
- What's In The Bag?
- Yoga for Golfers
The Golf Channel on-air talent
- Brian Anderson
- Adam Barr
- Grant Boone
- Steve Burkowski
- Curt Byrum
- Donna Caponi
- Vince Cellini
- Brandel Chamblee
- Kay Cockerill
- Jerry Foltz
- Brian Hammons
- Brian Hewitt
- Peter Jacobsen
- Kraig Kann
- Jim Kelly
- Renton Laidlaw
- Rich Lerner
- Nancy Lopez
- Mark Lye
- David Marr III
- Jennifer Mills
- Frank Nobilo
- Peter Oosterhuis
- Iain Page
- Dottie Pepper
- Mike Ritz
- Steve Sands
- Stephanie Sparks
- Kelly Tilghman