What If They Televised a Golf Tournament and Nobody Showed Up to Announce It?

On Saturday, for its broadcast of the Nationwide Tour Albertsons Boise Open, the Golf Channel is trying something new: It's broadcasting the round without any announcers.

Oh, there'll be a few interviewers on hand. But there will be no play-by-play announcer, no analyst, nobody in the tower over at the 17th hole, no on-course reporters trailing groups and calling the action.

The network is calling it "announcer lite." Jerry Foltz will introduce the broadcast, then he and Curt Byrum will focus on tweeting and emailing with viewers. Kay Cockerill, Stephanie Sparks and Phil Parkin will conduct interviews with players.

But nobody will be calling the action. Instead, what viewers will predominantly hear are the sounds of the game: Player-caddie chatter, the whoosh and thwack of clubs, crowd reactions. The network's graphics department will get a serious workout helping explain what's happening through onscreen info.

It's an interesting experiment. And as a one-time thing, it will almost certainly boost ratings as golfers tune in to see what an announcerless golf broadcast sounds like.

This has been done before in other sports. I recall an NFL game from the early 1980s. Dolphins ... on NBC, I think. I remember it being quite boring.

Sports viewers love to hate the announcers. Even more, we love to think we could do a better job. But the Golf Channel's Saturday experiment is likely to make most viewers, I'm guessing, appreciate the broadcasters who actually explain what's happening, and who fill all the time when nothing is happening.

The Nationwide Tour Albertsons Boise Open - sans announcers - airs Saturday on the Golf Channel from 4:30-7 p.m. Eastern time.

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This Week: Tour Championship

The Tour Championship wraps up the FedEx Cup this week in Atlanta, then after that it's on to the Ryder Cup.

The winner of the Tour Championship stands a good chance of winning the FedEx Cup - is guaranteed to win the FedEx Cup if he's in the Top 5 right now (which means Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Charley Hoffman, Steve Stricker and Paul Casey) - and the winner might also determine the PGA Tour's Player of the Year race.

And it's possible that Charley Hoffman, a guy who failed to qualify for a single major in 2010, could walk away as FedEx Cup champ. Is that a bad thing? Is that a sign of major problems in the FedEx Cup structure?

Well, they do call these "playoffs," and odd things happen in playoffs sometimes. Favorites get knocked out, lower-ranked players force their way into the conversation.

So guys like Hoffman, Martin Laird and Kevin Streelman are at the Tour Championship, while guys like Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Stewart Cink, Ian Poulter, J.B. Holmes - and some guy named Tiger - aren't.

View the Tour Championship tournament page for the list of past champions and more event info.

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New Equipment: TM Burner 2.0 Irons; Adams, Tour Edge, more

The TaylorMade Burner 2.0 irons lead off our latest roundup of new golf equipment coming to pro shops.

TaylorMade also has a couple new Burner-branded golf balls. The roundup includes hybrid iron sets from both Adams and Tour Edge, plus an ultra-premium shaft. There are also accessories, and a golf glove that tells you when you're gripping too tightly.

View the new equipment

See also:

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Review: 'My Personal Golf Trainer' For Wii

This title for Wii game consoles isn't a game at all, it's robust golf instruction software.

It features one of the two or three most high-profile instructors around, David Leadbetter, and Leadbetter demonstrates swing concepts and proper techniques. Then, using the Wii MotionPlus controller and Wii Balance Board, the golfer gives it a go. My Personal Golf Trainer analyzes the results, suggests drills for improvement, and tracks your progress over time.

But how well does it do all that? Is it worth having? Read the review.

Wanted: Your Reviews

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LPGA Q-School Sectional Under Way

One of the more prominent players in the LPGA Q-School sectional qualifier that started on Tuesday in California is Jessica Korda. An amateur star, a member of the American Curtis Cup team, Korda is 17 years old. If she makes it through Q-School, she'll turn pro and become just the latest teenager to join the LPGA Tour. If she doesn't, she'll likely still turn pro and play the Duramed Futures Tour in 2011, or, less likely, go to college.

That's the familiar scene in women's golf these days: Teen phenoms bypassing school to turn pro. Some (Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel) meet with big success. Others don't. That's the topic that Beth Ann Baldry covers in the current Golfweek. The article is a superb look at women's golf, the lure of paydays to talented teens, and the realities of the road. Realities such as $60,000 in annual expenses, shrinking tournament opportunities, and almost no lucrative endorsement deals. Give it a read.

Afterward, you might even have a greater appreciation for the unique path traveled by Michelle Wie, who is managing to balance heavy course loads in difficult subjects at a top university with success on the LPGA Tour.

But back to Q-School: The four-round tournament that teed off today at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., is the first of two sectional qualifiers. (The second in is Florida, Sept. 28-Oct. 1).

Some familiar names are in the field. Among the top contenders: Former LPGA players: Sophia Sheridan, Nicole Perrot, Virada Nirapathpongporn, Charlotte Mayorkas Current LET players: Henni Zuel, Christel Boeljon Big Breakers: Carling Coffing, Bri Vega, Blair O'Neal, Elena Robles, Sara Brown, Seema Sadekar, Lili Alvarez Amateur/college stars: Kimberly Kim, Jessica Korda, Sydnee Michaels, Danielle McVeigh, Jennifer Johnson, Belen Mozo, Caroline Hedwall

Scores will be posted on LPGA.com at the conclusion of each round.

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Create a Caption: Arnie and Hope

(Keystone / Getty Images)

You can run across some odd scenes searching photo archives - something I have occasion to do looking for golf pics. I'll be sharing some of those pics from time to time and asking you to write captions for the photos.

Like the one above. That's Arnold Palmer and Bob Hope, and a driver that appears worse for the wear.

Here's the real caption:

Arnold Palmer (left) and Bob Hope examine a bent driver during the filming of the Hope movie Call Me Bwana at Denham, West London, in 1962.

Now, write your own caption - something funny, something clever, something silly, something ridiculous - in comments.

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Wanna Bet? Share Your Group's Favorite Games

Have you ever put the Hammer down? One of our readers posted details of "Hammer," a betting game his group plays - similar to a Nassau, but with some twists.

What side games and bets are taking place when your group gets together for a round of golf? Name your game.

See also:

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