Social media draws in crowds at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Some of the biggest names in golf will be in the Salinas/Monterey area this week for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. NewsChannel 5’s Spencer Washburn found out how the tournament has changed over the years in a big way.
New words are being added to the vocabulary at Pebble Beach and in the golf world. Words such as hashtag, like, thumbs up and others that are part of the social media and tech world and it turns out they are becoming a big part of the game now.
The strike of the ball may sound the same and the neatly sheared grass of a green may feel the same under your feet. But golf has actually changed quite a bit.
“It’s evolving hourly. When I started the game, I had a wood club. I didn’t even know what shaft was in the club. Today they know every shaft, every angle, I mean the club can be moved around so many different ways,” said Monterey Peninsula Foundation CEO Steve John.
For four years, John has been at the helm of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am as the CEO of the host organization the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. Even in that short time the technology has transformed.
“The ability to bring a cellphone to the golf course, you can now find out where your favorite player is at any given time. Find out what their score is in relation to par,” John said. “It’s instant and that’s what this world is about now, is instant feedback.”
This is 30th year the tournament has partnered with AT&T, a company all about technology. This year, Facebook is joining on as a partner as well. Social media is even changing the way people donate. Taking a picture with “Flat Clint” here at the event and hashtagging his name will bring in a $10 donation to charity. He’s not a bad golf partner either.
“I think what you’re going to see is more enjoyment from the game. People are going to be able to get better faster,” Small said.
Small uses all the new technology at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy where he’s the director of instruction.
“I can slow it (the video) down. I can look at the different motions. I can have it go frame by frame,” Small said.
He said it’s also changing how golfers learn to play.
“At one time we had a huge VHS camera and we had a huge tape to transfer that over and now we can even get it to be on a telephone,” Small said.
Whether it’s through your cellphone or your Facebook page, watching the near-perfect swing of a pro continues to draw a crowd. As does the AT&T Pro-Am, which has also maintained some of its past through the years.
“Our purpose hasn’t changed, we’re here to raise money for charity. We’ve done so since 1937 to the tune of $120 million at the conclusion of last year’s tournament,” John said.
