Golf Tees Off on Netflix
From the creators of ‘Drive to Survive’ comes a new show on February 15th, which is set to shake up the traditional PGA Tour.
Courtesy of Netflix
When ‘Drive to Survive’ premiered on Netflix in March 2019, we all mistakenly thought it was another run-of-the-mill Docuseries. Little did we know it would change the industry that was its subject and the broader entertainment market as a whole.
Now those ripple effects are coming to fruition in the form of ‘Full Swing’. Announced in late 20221, it’s a collaboration between Vox Media Studios and Box to Box Film, which is the production house behind the F1 Series. The series' first season will cover the entirety of the 2023 PGA Tour season.
Courtesy of Netflix
If you’ve been paying even the smallest attention to the professional golf world in 2022, then you’d know why this is shaping up to be an electric first season. Ian Poulter said it best in the trailer “You picked a hell of a year to start following the PGA Tour.”
Poulter of course one of the many who led to 2022 being such a dramatic season off the course. As one of the many who initially signed onto the series at the beginning of the PGA Tour Season, only later to defect to rival LIV Golf during the summer. The Saudi-backed league has created one of the largest rifts in PGA Golf in its 50+ year history.
Courtesy of Netflix
All signs point to the drama off-the course being as prominent as the on-course showdowns. Both have the potential to propel the show into the same popularity territory as ‘Drive to Survive’.
With the PGA Tour now facing an existential enemy, ‘Full Swing’ may be its best hope for an offensive stance. It has the potential to drive popularity for the sport in the same way ‘Drive to Survive’ has supercharged F1 Fandom. And with the PGA solely owning the U.S. market, they stand ready to receive the benefits from a booming U.S. golf market.
No matter what happens, we the audience find ourselves in a win-win situation. As the PGA and LIV battle it out for our attention, we can only hope to benefit from that drama. Make sure to block out your calendar for a ‘Full Swing’ binge on February 15th.
