MOTORING Words by: John Doe

Images: BMW M6

• 19THPLAYBOOK

BMW M6 Golfers like Tiger, Michelle Wi, Annika, and VJ Singh have helped to diffuse the role that race and gender once played in this genteel sport. It was only as recently as 1961 that the race barrier was broken in pro golf when Charlie Sifford played in the Greater Greensboro Open. It was not until 1975 that Lee Elder became the fi rst African-American golfer to play in the Masters. Now golf is as hip as hip-hop.

In more recent years the saturation of golf on television has helped to spread the sport’s popularity to an even larger audience. With the cable boom of the 80’s golf was ideally suited to fi ll the void created by scads of new 24-hour channels. Golf contained all the drama necessary for television, and already had a large following. Now, with ESPN and the like, sports dominate the television in some places all day long. Whereas in the

50’s you might see Arnold Palmer once a week on Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, now there’s a full time PGA Channel. There’s not a tournament on the Senior’s, Women’s, or Men’s circuit today that isn’t televised. Of all these massive changes in the world of golf, the one contribution that feeds the urbanization more than any other comes from the world of digital technology excels.

BMW M6 2 DOOR CONVERTABLE is dead but the ...business lunch is making a comeback, in step with roomier budgets and rosier sales prospects.

BMW M6The

34 THE19THHOLEMAG.COM

SUPERYACHT Golfers like Tiger, Michelle Wi, Annika, and VJ Singh have helped to diffuse the role that race and gender once played in this genteel sport. It was only as recently as 1961 that the race barrier was broken in pro golf when Charlie Sifford played in the Greater Greensboro Open. It was not until 1975 that Lee Elder became the fi rst African-American golfer to play in the Masters. Now golf is as hip as hip-hop. In more recent years the saturation of golf on television has helped to spread the sport’s popularity to an even larger

audience. With the cable boom of the 80’s golf was ideally suited to fi ll the void created by scads of new 24-hour channels. Golf contained all the drama necessary for television, and already had a large following. Now, with ESPN and the like, sports dominate the television in some places all day long. Whereas in the 50’s you might see Arnold Palmer once a week on Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, now there’s a full time PGA Channel. There’s not a tournament on the Senior’s, Women’s, or Men’s circuit today that isn’t televised.

SRING I 2007 35

is dead but the ...business lunch is making a comeback, in step with roomier budgets and rosier sales prospects.