LET 2009 survey

Last updated: 15th December 2009

Want to know what professional golfers really think about the big issues of 2009?

Then welcome to the exclusive survey Golf365 conducted with the players of the Ladies European Tour.

We wanted their opinions on the big news stories, their attitudes to the important controversies in the game and their answers to the really significant questions of the year (like, is Lady Gaga better than Madonna?).

The anonymous replies provide insight, laughter and might even raise a few eyebrows too.

Here are the key findings from the Golf365 LET 2009 survey ...

Tiger Woods

Between us sending the survey to the LET and the players getting the opportunity to answer it something hit the fan - and it wasn't a wild Tiger tee shot.

The players responded in the first week of the controversy and reaction to those early scandals was mixed. Clearly, when we asked if players preferred Woods or Mickelson, some were having doubts.

"Mickelson," said one player. "Or haven't you read the news lately?"

"Right now it is Mickelson ha ha," wrote another before qualifying with a statement that seemed to sum the general feeling up. "No, still Woods even though I'm very disappointed."

Tiger remained more popular with nearly two thirds of the vote but, three weeks on, with more scandal having emerged, it would be interesting to ask the question again and see if those numbers flipped over in favour of Mickelson.

Sexism in golf

According to research the only growth area in club memberships is amongst young women and yet golf clubs still operate 19th century policies. It's absurd: who would you rather play golf with or sit next to in a clubhouse bar? Someone who likes golf (their sex is irrelevant) or a mad man (or even sad man) who is prejudiced against half the human race?

So how do Europe's finest lady golfers view the golfing gender gap?

The general feeling is that the professional game is slightly less sexist than club golf. "Too many courses are still in the dark ages," wrote one player.

Another player drew an interesting comparison with tennis: "The difference in prize money shows how sexist it is. We play the same amount of rounds as the men in most tournaments. In tennis they play best of three and get nearly the same as men."

The marketing of ladies golf

When we asked the players to get creative and suggest improvements for the promotion of the game the biggest cry was for improved television coverage.

In terms of competing in a men's event 1 in 4 respondents have or would consider playing ("it would be an amazing experience"), but they were keen to qualify under what circumstances. "Only as a one-off", said one and, "not unless it was co-sanctioned with ALL the professionals," said another.

In a slightly more frivolous vein we asked what music the players would play on the first tee if it were permitted (as Aussie player Anna Rawson suggested it should). If it ever happens be prepared for lots of Black Eyed Peas and Coldplay.

Golf in the Olympics

What is the ultimate prize: Olympic Gold, the US Open or the British Open? Unsurprisingly the British Open was a convincing winner (57%) but the lure of gold in 2016 was greater than we expected with 20% wanting the medal ahead of the two Opens and a further 17% keen to grab all three.

Asked which athlete they would most like to accidentally-on-purpose bump into in the athletes' village there was a suitably runaway winner, the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

The alignment issue

Should the alignment of players by caddies be banned, we asked, drawing some excellent (and admirably honest) responses.

"If a professional golfer can't line themselves up they shouldn't be there," was a typical statement, with one player adding: "it makes players so SLOWWWWW."

To counter that, 55% of players didn't want to ban it and one player wrote:

"I am VERY partial to that."

Tour questions

We can reveal that Becky Brewerton is the ball-striker most admired by her peers. Diana Luna's short game and Rebecca Hudson's putting skills are also envied, but neither swept the board in the overwhelming fashion Brewerton did.

Talking of fashion, Beatriz Recari was voted "best dressed off the course" with Paula Marti and Rebecca Coakley sharing the "on the course" vote.

Meanwhile England's Melissa Reid was (unsurprisingly) the most common selection in the "best player yet to win on tour" category (although there were a few cheeky "me" answers).

We also asked if Michelle Wie will have won a major by the end of 2012. A hefty 83% think she will have but one player was unimpressed. "Sorry," she candidly wrote, "couldn't care less," causing Golf365's stats correspondent to cough tea all over his laptop (thank you).

Tour life

Finally what picture emerges of the LET golfers off the course?

Musically, in addition to the Black Eyed Peas and Coldplay, there were votes for Eminem, the Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Michael Jackson. Someone also likes the Lighthouse Family. Oh dear!

Most use social media with a tour average of 366 friends or followers on Facebook and/or Twitter (the tour highest is 1220).

They have a weakness for sunglasses and shoes (the items they admit to having spent most on for golf-course wear) and they prefer 24 and The X Factor to The Wire and The Apprentice.

However in the burning cultural issue of the year they remain a conservative bunch - only one in four prefers Lady Gaga to Madonna!

The only way they let us down was with their (very polite) reluctance to dish the dirt on the tour dodgiest movers on the dance floor.