A Couple of Golf Channel Notes

Let’s clear a couple of Golf Channel releases for you. If you don’t know already, the new season of Big Break is about to begin and it’s an all-female affair at the Sandals resort in the Bahamas. Here’s the press release about Golf Channel’s microsite for the show.

Big Break Sandals Resorts Website Gives Fans Head Start on Next Season Through Videos and Contestant Stories

Official Website of Big Break’s 13^th Season

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 2, 2010) – In advance of the June 21 season premiere, Golf Channel today launched the official website for Big Break Sandals Resorts (www.GolfChannel.com/big-break-sandals-resorts), an interactive site for fans to get to know the contestants and preview the series filmed at Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. The network’s popular Big Break series will return for its 13^th season, showcasing a field of 11 women competing against each other in an attempt to make their lifelong dream of playing alongside the world’s top golfers a reality. 

Featuring behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and biographical information about the competitors, the website is a one-stop shop for everything related to Big Break Sandals Resorts. During the 10-week series, the site also will include weekly video recaps, extended interviews not seen during the show and weekly blogs from the contestants and producers. Fans also will be able to interact with the site by posting messages, participating in weekly polls and entering a sweepstakes for the opportunity to win prizes, including a six-day/five-night Luxury Included® vacation to Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas, the set and location for Big Break Sandals Resorts.

Big Break Sandals Resorts will unfold on one of the most picturesque golf courses in the world, Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club at Sandals Emerald Bay. A Greg Norman design, Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club is a 7,200-yard, par-72 oceanside golf course that is highlighted by six signature holes hugging the perimeter of Emerald Bay’s scenic peninsula overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Filmed on location in February, Golf Channel cameras rolled from sunrise until well after sunset each evening, capturing the emotions and drama of the contestants both on and off the golf course. The series also will feature new challenges, twists and special surprise guest appearances, including a visit by Hall-of-Famer Greg Norman, course architect for Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club.

            The Big Break show concept pits highly skilled golfers against each other in a variety of challenges that test their physical skills and mental toughness.  During Big Break Sandals Resorts, one contestant will be eliminated each week, with the last player standing awarded her Big Break, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in select professional tour events with some of the best players in the world.

Past Big Break champions have won tournament exemptions to compete on some of the world’s top professional circuits, such as the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Canadian Tour. Several previous female contestants have gone on to compete on the LPGA Tour, including Kristy McPherson, who also was a member of the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team.

And a programming note from Golf Channel coming up after the break.
Starting on June 22, Golf in America with actor Anthony Anderson as host returns for a second season.

GOLF CHANNEL’S CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED GOLF IN AMERICA RETURNS FOR COMPELLING SECOND SEASON WITH HOST ANTHONY ANDERSON

Golf Channel Uncovers Real-Life Stories as Told Through the Game of Golf

Season Two Premieres June 22 at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel

Video Preview: Golf in America

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 8, 2010) – Golf Channel’s hard-hitting and inspirational summer series Golf in America gears up for its second season with a line-up of new inspirational stories from celebrity personalities and everyday people who are all unified by the game of golf. Film and television actor Anthony Anderson (Law & Order) returns as the series’ host and takes Golf Channel viewers across the country to uncover never-before-told stories that truly capture the heart and spirit of the game. The 10-part series will premiere on June 22 at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel.

This season, Golf in America profiles a dynamic cast of characters from all walks of life. In addition to an array of human-interest stories and profiles, Golf in America will feature rare interviews with various personalities that have experienced what it’s like to be in and out of the limelight. Each episode will feature three stories.

In the premiere episode, Rich Lerner travels to Ashevi
lle, N.C., to meet with outspoken former sports announcer Ben Wright who was fired from his job at CBS after making pejorative remarks about female golfers. 

Correspondent Jim Gray sits down with former world number-one golfer – and the somewhat reclusive – David Duval in the second episode to talk about the highs and lows of his career (he dropped in ranking as far as 882), and how a new family has changed his life.

Joining Lerner and Gray to help share these inspirational stories as series correspondents are Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman, Todd Lewis, Brandel Chamblee, Steve Sands and Scott Walker as well as best-selling sports author John Feinstein and Jim Axelrod, a national correspondent for CBS News who previously served as chief White House correspondent.

Additional episode highlights include:

• Conservative commentator and political lightning rod Rush Limbaugh sits for a one-on-one interview about his love for the game. 

• Catch up with 99-year-old Errie Ball, the only living golfer who played in the first-ever Masters Tournament who is now still giving golf lessons in Florida.

• Discover a Philadelphia reformatory for troubled youth that has a one-of-a-kind golf program that teaches kids life and job skills by working on a golf course.

• Meet 6-year old golf prodigy Amari Avery who happens to have a striking number of similarities to Tiger Woods including the same birthday, family background, and growing up in Riverside, Calif.

• Golfer Dakoda Dowd, who at the tender age of 13 once held the title of being the youngest female to play at an LPGA Tour event, shares how she got both her life and golf game back on track after the tragic loss of her mother to breast cancer.

“Our producers spanned the country to discover some of the most intriguing people and heartfelt stories that we felt really transcended the world of golf,” said Tom Stathakes, Golf Channel senior vice president of programming, production and operations. “We experienced such positive feedback from our viewers on the first season of Golf in America that we wanted to ensure season two was filled with episodes that would fascinate and inspire people in their own lives.”

Golf in America is part of Golf Channel’s new slate of original programming featuring A-list Hollywood talent and fascinating sports personalities. Golf Channel’s other original programming standouts for the summer include the touching documentary Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by John Feinstein (Premiering June 14 at 9 p.m. ET) and the 13^th season of Big Break (Premiering June 21 at 9 p.m. ET) which will pit 11 highly-skilled female golfers against each other for a chance to play on golf’s biggest stages.  

We’re done here.