LIV Golf creates 'fun' fan experience at Trump Bedminster, especially for younger audience
BEDMINSTER – There are no signs that read, “Quiet, Please,” and how could there be, when there’s a deejay playing loud music between the 15th green and 16th tee box.
Say hello to longtime DJ Adrian Caraballo, a fan favorite as he mixed beats during Sunday's final round of the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament at Trump National Golf Club.
“It was very ironic,” Caraballo said, “because usually in the sport of golf, there’s no music.”
Saudi-backed LIV Golf has set itself apart from the rival PGA Tour and gained traction with a younger demographic by introducing more fan-friendly experiences. There’s nine-hole miniature golf, a chipping challenge and driving simulator, as well as the Helipad Bar, just to name a few. The weather cooperated Sunday and the word most often used to describe this LIV Golf experience was, "Fun.”
“It’s a bit more open to a younger crowd, and it’s a lot more fun,” said Spencer Wiley, who began playing golf during the pandemic and came from New York's Long Island. “There’s a live band, all types of amenities for all types of crowds, not just young, but any age group. So there’s something for everybody here.”
“We heard that this is different from your average PGA event: more fun, music, food, people, events,” said Katie Bonforte, a Morris County resident. ‘So it’s, ‘Let’s go check it out.’ Great day.”
And it’s not every day you see a former president at a golf tournament. Former president Donald Trump again visited, “So that was pretty exciting,” Katie Bonforte said. “We saw him walk by.” This marked the 11th of 14 LIV Golf events, and the finale is also at a Trump course in Florida, the Miami Team Championship on Oct. 20-22.
Bonforte attended with her husband, John, and several family members, and the crowd was filled with families. Parents pushing strollers was a constant, including Hudson County’s Scott Ingham, pushing a double-wide carriage.
“It’s a nice day, fun thing to do, and I’ve never done it before,” Ingham said, adding, “It’s got a lot of stuff for the kids, which is different, certainly.”
LIV Golf has lured former PGA Tour veterans such as Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Sunday’s runaway winner, Cameron Smith, with big bucks financed by the Saudi’s Public Investment Fund. The second-year LIV has led the PGA Tour to agree to a sit-down and possible partnership.
Meanwhile, LIV Golf has drawn newer, younger fans with a more casual atmosphere and increased off-the-course entertainment. Tongue-in-cheek, you occasionally saw signs held up that read, “Shssh. Zip it.”
“It’s a different environment than what we’re used to, so we figured we would check it out, and, honestly, it was the best thing,” said Bergen County’s Jake Vaneuwen, attending with a couple of friends from college. “It’s more of a party, and it really brings a lot of young people to the game, which we need.”
“I’ve never been to a golf tournament before, so I thought it would be cool," said Michelle Malanga of Somerset County, who attended with her friend, Morris County’s Alexa Garcia, who volunteered she has a crush on Koepka. “It’s really cool.”
“I’m very excited to see a golf tournament that’s more lively,” said Naasik Islam, a resident of Queens, N.Y. “It’s great to see families come out. There’s a lot of fan involvement. Traditionally, when I’ve gone to a PGA Tour tournament, it’s a little bit drier, and heavily focused on rules, and it wasn’t as inclusive for the fans.”
Caraballo’s DJ stand was set up about 60 yards from the green of the par-5 15th hole and about 60 yards from the tee box of the par-3 16th. When golfers approached, the production team lowered the volume. During the interview, a woman walking past told Caraballo, “Nice job.”
“I’m very excited about the DJ,” Islam said. “It’s almost counter intuitive. You always hear, ‘Be quiet,’ at golf tournaments. But as you see at LIV, it’s almost like we’re all hanging out at a large party here.”
Caraballo tried to appeal to a broad audience. His repertoire included from the Bee Gees’ 1970’s hit “Stayin’ Alive,” to Run D.M.C.’s “It’s tricky,” to Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It!” to Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling,” to Bruno Mars’ more current “24K Magic.” Would you expect to hear this at a golf tournament?
“I was all for it,” Caraballo said of working a golf tournament. “Just to bring something different to the game, add more life and good energy to it, and bring it to that golf environment.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: LIV Golf draws younger fans with interactive experience that's 'fun'
