Golf Bedlam
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Dec 4th, 2015
Wentworth woes continue
Some idiot has booked Mike and the Mechanics for the BMW...
Words: Daniel Owen Photography: Getty Images
The tales of woe at Wentworth gone from bad to worse. The membership are in uproar over plans for massive price hikes. Their local MP, foreign secretary Phillip Hammond, has been petitioned to intervene. But just as things couldn’t get any darker for the Surrey institution, they announce that Mike and the Mechanics are playing a gig the week of the BMW PGA Championship
The future of golf
Step back and think about that for second. Golf is a sport that’s trying to encourage new young players to the game due to dwindling participation figures. Some bright spark had a light bulb moment. We can just imagine how it went down…
“I know what will bring the kids in, lets get one of those rock bands in.”
“Oh what a jolly good idea. Has anyone heard of this popular beat combo Mike and the Mechanics, one of them played the Pro Am last year, I’m sure he’ll sing a couple of tunes for a chance to play the West again. That’ll get the kids in.”
“Bravo what a bounding idea. Let’s have a Scotch.”
You sang it best when you sang nothing at all
We thought it was bad when the ginger prince of musical darkness, Mick Hucknall, BoyGroan’s Ronan Keating and Uncle’sExcess played at the event a few years ago, but that doesn't hold a candle to this. When a substandard offshoot of Genesis, the band who brought you Phil Collins, is headlining a gig at the premier golf event in Europe, you know the game has got problems.
Why not get some bands on that are relevant to the youth of today? Rather than appealing to the retired, get some acts in that’ll bring the youngsters into the game, encouraging them that a good time can be had at the golf course. The One Direction Boys play golf. Elro raps about the game, while Justin Bieber has become a Belieber at the altar of golf. He'll get the yummy mummy's to the course and try and get known golf nut Justin Timberlake to play a gig with Snoop Dogg in support. It’s not rocket science.
"Yeah that's an eagle shaped clubhouse in the background. What's your problem?"
When they decided to host an event at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club recently, they got Hip Hop super producer Mark Ronson in with Labyrinth to headline a similar gig in the UAE. Bring people to the golf club who would have no interest normally. Encourage the growth of the game, not slowly strangle it through the medium of insipid ’80’s rock music.
Wentworth members call in the Foreign Secretary
