The European Tour’s Hero Challenge Looked Amazing

The European Tour’s Hero Challenge is another fun way to make golf more popular. Similar to the growing World Long Drive Championship, the Tour may have created something special.

Here at Pro Golf Now, I think it’s safe to say that we believe golf is the best sport in the world (and it is). However, the game has never been very appealing to younger audiences due to its stereotypical “exclusive” nature. In recent weeks, the European Tour has been trying to reverse this trend, catering to the many golfers who learned the game by playing par-3 courses.

I am one of those people, having played and learned the game on a par-3 course simply known as the “Acorn Course,” which is part of Randall Oaks GC. And being a young man in his early 20s, as well as someone who enjoys style and swagger, I would love to see golf take the next step towards becoming a favorite for all age ranges.

Well, the European Tour got it right with their new tournament, the Hero Challenge. The goal of the event? Hit it as close to the pin as possible on a 156-yard par 3, under the lights inside a stadium full of fans.

Sounds pretty intense, doesn’t it? Well, here’s a clip via the Tour’s Twitter page showing all of the shots:

Pretty awesome, isn’t it? And what’s more, some of golf’s best players got a piece of the action, including Luke Donald, Andrew “Beef” Johnston and Shane Lowry.

The European Tour just continues to come up with innovative ways to make the game more fun for fans. This almost looks like the World Long Drive Championship, which gets its fair share of attention, but this is a closest to the pin contest — a test of pure accuracy.

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The reasons why this would be so appealing to so many young sports fans are obvious: it’s one hole, making it do-or-die on every swing. Playing golf in the dark is always exciting, and there’s flames shooting up after every swing — who doesn’t like that?

In addition, the format doesn’t take too much time out of your day. Most sporting events can drag (especially baseball), but golf may require you to get up extra early to watch certain golfers tee it up. Not only that, but the rounds usually finish in the evening.

The Hero Challenge is a quick and easy watch, and it’s heart-pounding because, as mentioned, it’s one hole. A given player may only be able to take one swing.

No back-nine comebacks, no Thursday rounds (which always seem to be kind of pointless since the leaders are usually long gone by the weekend). It’s watching some of the best swings in the world, under the lights, while still taking in the joys of the sport of golf.

Certainly, some traditionalists may not like this, but in my opinion, you should try to please your young and growing audience. And as I’ve mentioned many times before on other platforms, golf is the most versatile sport on the planet, so why not take advantage?

The possibilities are endless once you have a club in your hand. You can hit the driving range, go to the park and fine-tune your game, hit the golf course itself — and that’s just the beginning.

You can make the world your golf course. If you want to design a course like Pete Dye, all you have to do is find a good place to play and visualize where your holes/targets are. It’s that simple.

In addition, golf is the only sport where the playing field literally has an effect on your play. The Hero Challenge is just another great example of golf’s versatility, and I hope the European Tour, as well as the sport as a whole, can continue to support these, fun, innovative ideas.

Next: PGA Tour: Looking Back at the 2016 Major Season

What are your thoughts on the Hero Challenge? Leave your messages in the comments section, or you can hit me up on Twitter @ChiGolfRadio.