, sometimes abbreviated as '''TGC''', is an
American Cable Television network with coverage focused on the game of
Golf .
The network was launched on
January 17 ,
1995 . The idea of a 24-hour-a-day golf network came from 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 commissioned a
Gallup Poll to see if his instincts were right. They were, and Gibbs and legendary golfer
Arnold Palmer then secured $80 million, which helped them found The Golf Channel. The first live tournament the channel televised was the
Dubai Desert Classic , held from
January 19 to
22 , 1995.
The Golf Channel features a range of golf programming, including
PGA Tour ,
European Tour ,
LPGA Tour ,
Champions Tour ,
Nationwide Tour ,
Canadian Tour , and
PGA Tour Of Australasia events. It also covers
USGA and
PGA Of America tournaments. The channel devotes considerable time to news coverage of golf, including a nightly program, ''
Golf Central '', a post-tournament program, the ''
Sprint Post Game '' and ''
College Central '', devoted to college golf. There are highlight shows of past tournaments, and 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
Match Play 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 a few nations in
Asia through
Cable ,
Satellite , and
Wireless transmissions. There is also a version of the network for
Great Britain , which shows most of the same programming as the American version. Worldwide, Golf channel is available in over 100 million households.
The American headquarters and studio is located in
Orlando, Florida .
In 2007, the Golf Channel embarked on its 15-year agreement as the exclusive cable television home for the PGA Tour. The network’s annual coverage will feature early-round coverage of the entire
FedEx Cup season, including the
World Golf Championships ,
The Tour Championship and
The Players Championship , the PGA Tour’s crown jewel. In total, early-round coverage of 30 events will air on Golf Channel. Also included in the package will be 13 full, four-round events beginning with the season’s first three tournaments –
Mercedes-Benz Championship ,
Sony Open In Hawaii , and the
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by
George Lopez – and the seven official money events following The Tour Championship. The network also will provide full coverage of three tournaments played opposite golf’s majors and World Golf Championships. Every PGA Tour event will be aired live and then rebroadcast in primetime, a first to the PGA Tour.
There are two weekly blocks of programming: "Your Game Night," on Mondays, and "Top Shelf Wednesday." Shows in these blocks are noted in parentheses.
''Programs talent appear on are in parentheses.''
- Tom Abbott (Golf Central UK)
- Matt Adams (Business Reporter)
- Adam Barr (''What's in the Bag?'', ''Golf Central'' Business Reporter)
- Laura Baugh (LPGA course reporter)
- Casey Bierer (''Golf Central'' Business Reporter)
- Grant Boone (LPGA & Nationwide Tour play-by-play)
- Michael Breed (Nationwide Tour course reporter)
- Billy Ray Brown (PGA & Champions tour course reporter)
- Jason Buha (Nationwide Tour course reporter)
- Steve Burkowski (Golf Central reporter)
- Curt Byrum (Nationwide Tour analyst)
- Donna Caponi (Champions Tour course reporter)
- Brandel Chamblee (''Golf Central'', ''Sprint Post Game'' analyst)
- Kay Cockerill (LPGA and Nationwide Tour course reporter)
- Beth Daniel (LPGA analyst}
- Charles Davis (''Grey Goose 19th Hole'' analyst)
- Dougie Donnelly (European Tour play-by-play)
- Steve Duemig (''Grey Goose 19th Hole'' analyst)
- Nick Faldo (Lead Analyst, PGA Tour Coverage}
- Jerry Foltz (PGA and Nationwide Tours course reporter, ''Quest for the Card'')
- Inga Hammond (''Golf Central'', ''The Approach w/ Callaway Golf'', ''Golf Central'' updates)
- Brian Hammons (''Golf Central'' and Champions Tour play-by-play)
- Brian Hewitt (Golf Channel insider)
- Warren Humphreys (European Tour analyst)
- Rosie Jones (LPGA Tour On-Course Reporter)
- Kraig Kann (''Golf Central'', ''Sprint Pre-Game'', ''Sprint Post-Game'')
- Renton Laidlaw (European Tour play-by-play)
- Rich Lerner (''Golf Central'', ''Live From...'', PGA Tour interviewer)
- Mark Lye (''Golf Central'', Champions Tour course reporter)
- Andrew Magee (''The Approach w/ Callaway Golf'', ''Sprint Post Game'' analyst)
- John Mahaffey (Champions Tour course reporter)
- David Marr III (Champions Tour Play-by-Play and interviewer, ''Champions Tour Learning Center'')
- Alex Miceli (''The Approach w/ Callaway Golf'')
- Frank Nobilo (''Sprint Post Game'', ''Live From...'' and Champions Tour analyst)
- Peter Oosterhuis (''Sprint Post Game'')
- Iain Page (''Golf Central'')
- Dottie Pepper (''Golf Central'', ''Sprint Post Game'', ''Live From...'', LPGA analyst, PGA Tour On-Course Reporter)
- Mike Ritz (''Golf Central'')
- Katherine Roberts (''The Turn'' health expert)
- Mark Rolfing (''Golf Hawaii'', Champions Tour Play-by-Play, PGA Tour On-Course Reporter)
- Tim Rosaforte (''Sprint Pre-Game'' analyst)
- Steve Sands (''Golf Central'')
- Steve Schlanger (LPGA & Nationwide Tour play-by-play)
- Brandi Seymour (Nationwide & LPGA Tour Interviewer)
- Val Skinner (LPGA course reporter)
- Stephanie Sparks (''The Big Break III, IV, V & VI'', ''Golf Central'' updates)
- Stina Sternberg {''Golf With Style!'', ''The Turn'' equipment reporter}
- Doug Tewell (Champions Tour analyst)
- Kelly Tilghman (''Golf Central'', PGA Tour Play-By-Play Host)
- Jay Townsend (European Tour On-Course Reporter)
- Julian Tutt (European Tour play-by-play and On-Course Reporter)
- Megan West (''Golf Central'')
