More golf in HD....wonderful

As more and more professional and college sporting events are being telecast in high definition, golf continues to lag behind the field.

CBS a few years back showed the majority of its events in glorious high-def, a format that requires a specialty TV and a specialty receiver but one that delivers unparalleled picture clarity and sound. But CBS has backed off of their HD promise, showing only the Masters "toon-a-mint" in the format.

Now, NBC has announced that it will broadcast six hours of live coverage from the Senior PGA Championship from Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond, OK, this weekend. It's the beginning of the network's commitment to HD coverage. Expect to see the majority of its PGA coverage, including the US Open and Ryder Cup, in HD.

This is a very, very good thing. Golf telecasts can look washed out sometimes and they look entirely different in HD. You almost feel there. With the flowers and grass and water, it provides spectacular HD theater. I can only hope CBS will follow (and maybe a Golf Channel HD channel?).

USA Network will provide early round coverage of the Senior PGA today (Thursday) and tomorrow, 2-4 p.m. , simulcast in high definition on UniversalHD.

"It's going to take a lot of makeup to make these guys look good, myself included," said NBC analsyt Roger Maltbie.

I'm just glad NBC is making the effort.