Dubai, UAE – Alexey Milovanov, a sports infrastructure expert involved in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, has today called on LIV and PGA executives to take their proposed merger as an opportunity to launch a new format which maximizes golf’s appeal as a live spectator sport.
Putting aside the media frenzy around the PGA and LIV Golf’s relationship, Milovanov is urging their executives to work together towards a common goal of improving the sport, making it more exciting for viewers and a more enticing prospect for live spectators.
Milovanov argues that the coming shake-up and the added backing that will come with it will be a prime moment to add a golf festival alongside existing tournaments to bring in new fans and build excitement for the sport.
Building on LIV Golf’s already characteristically small 9-hole courses, he suggests downsized and reformatted courses with purpose-built infrastructure such as grandstands, hospitality spaces, and corporate areas moulded around the grass course. This addition will create a festival-like atmosphere and allow spectators to see more gameplay at each hole.
Alexey Milovanov, leading sports infrastructure expert, said: “Unfortunately, golf has become known as a sport that is best enjoyed from home. The layout of golf courses means that spectators are only able to view one hole at a time and often have lengthy waits between players, plus there is limited entertainment outside of the golf itself. This makes it difficult for new fans to get into the sport and become enthusiastic about attending events.”
The number of live spectators at golf tournaments is low compared to other sports. At the 2023 US Open, daily attendance was roughly 23,000 with only around 9,000 tickets available for the general public. On the other hand, NBC reported that the final round of the tournament saw TV and online viewership figures as high as 10.2 million.
To address the pitfalls of attending golf events, Milovanov suggests establishing an annual festival event designed to attract new audiences by bringing together the best of both the PGA and LIV.
Taking inspiration from cricket’s The Hundred tournament and LIV Golf’s addition of live music to events, the festival could add further entertainment such as mini driving ranges, food and beverage stalls, fan zones, and performances from A-list musicians.
Milovanov added: “I’m not suggesting a complete overhaul of golf purely for the entertainment factor. There’s room for both traditional competitions with grand, established infrastructure and space for new ideas that will make the experience better for live spectators.”
“The key to golf’s future success will be purpose-built infrastructure that makes the game exciting and accessible to a wide variety of fans.
“I’ve seen how essential well-designed infrastructure is for the success of sport – at the Qatar World Cup, we built seven completely new stadiums so that numerous games could happen at once, maximising the number of spectators we could host, and shortening the duration of the tournament.
“Of course, this suggestion has its challenges but if the PGA and LIV Golf want to make this potential merger a success, they need to take this opportunity to modernize the sport. Bringing together the LIV’s appetite for innovation and the PGA’s history and name recognition has endless potential golf.”
