A little before eight o'clock on Jan. 4, the day of the first round of the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Championship, two dozen Golf Channel staffers gathered in a trailer on the periphery of the Plantation course in Kapalua, Hawaii.
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The surroundings belied the supposed glamour of television: The dank trailer had faux-wood paneling, an ugly linoleum floor and a cottage-cheese ceiling, and you could've gotten heartburn by looking at the table of snacks that passed for breakfast, including licorice and potato chips.
The vibe in the trailer was intense. For the previous year the easiest shot in golf was any directed at Golf Channel. Despite a lineup liberally sprinkled with infomercials and B-list tournaments, Golf Channel had stunned the sports world in January 2006 by announcing a 15-year contract to become the exclusive cable home of the PGA Tour, providing early-round telecasts of every tournament and full coverage of 13 events; the '07 Mercedes would be the first tournament to be televised under the deal.
Leaving ESPN with Tiger Woods in his prime was a monumental gamble for the Tour, and back at the Plantation course Golf Channel personnel were beginning to understand what was at stake.
"There's no denying the pressure," on-course announcer Jerry Foltz said as he waited for the meeting to begin. "We know everyone is waiting for us to fail."
For years Foltz had been a stalwart of the Nationwide tour coverage. Golf Channel is an intensely loyal, insular organization, and rather than cherry-pick brand-name talent, it promoted from within, meaning a significant career upgrade for a guy like the 44-year-old Foltz.
(The obvious exception to the insider preference is former ABC and current CBS analyst Nick Faldo, who was wooed by a multimillion-dollar deal to also lead Golf Channel's coverage.)
With his debut in the big time still hours away, Foltz was already radiating adrenaline. "I'm so sick of hearing about ESPN," he said, almost growling. "We're going to make people forget ESPN ever covered golf."
At eight o'clock sharp the meeting began, conducted by executive producer Keith Hirshland. He's a pro, a 30-year veteran of the TV wars, and his soothing voice and efficient manner seemed to have a calming effect within the trailer.
He methodically ran through the upcoming segments and what he expected from each announcer and technician. About the only win-one-for-the-Gipper moment was Hirshland's closing remark: "We've prepared for this, so let's go do it."
"Should we put our hands in a circle together and say, 'One, two, three — Golf Channel?'" Foltz asked.
They didn't.
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