Golf Hawaii Launches Its Eighth Season On The Golf Channel Featuring The Best Of Golf In The 50th State

Contact Linn Nishikawa
808-242-6717
linnpr@hawaii.rr.com

LAHAINA, Maui, Hawaii (November 20, 2002) -- One of the longest running magazine programs in sports television, Golf Hawaii, hosted by Mark Rolfing, is set to begin its eighth season on Tuesday, November 26 on The Golf Channel.

Rolfing, who first made his mark in television as an ESPN golf announcer and now works for NBC Sports, will host 12 new editions of Golf Hawaii each week, with replays of each program airing as well at various times. The season premiere, as well as subsequent editions, airs at three times, 6:30 p.m. EST, 10 p.m. on the West Coast and at 8 p.m. HST on the islands.

"I am very much looking forward to another great season of Golf Hawaii to bring fans the best combination of instruction, interviews and travel features in golf television," says Rolfing, who also works as an on-course reporter for NBC Sports' golf coverage and hosts selected Senior PGA Tour events on CNBC. "We're planning another exciting year with great personalities and stories to share with viewers. It's always a pleasure to bring golf from Hawaii into people's living rooms."

Joining Rolfing for a second season to provide swing tips and insights is his NBC colleague Johnny Miller, a former U.S. and British Open champion. Miller, one of the game's most popular broadcasters, will take on an increased role this season.

Golf Hawaii has a proven formula that features a number of standard offerings, including:

• Hawaii Focus - An on-site island and golf resort feature that includes a visit with the resort's golf professional;
• TOUR View - An insightful interview with a TOUR professional or key figure in golf. Among the subjects Rolfing interviews this year are Davis Love III, Rich Beem, Gary McCord, Jim Colbert and PGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem;
• My View - Mark Rolfing's outlook and updates on current events in golf;
• Golf Tips - An instructional segment that features Miller and Rolfing. Rolfing provides his insider's knowledge of golf in Hawaii while Miller teaches you how to execute various shots.

The eighth season of Golf Hawaii will air in the fourth quarter of 2002, running from Nov. 26 to Dec. 17, then picking up again in the first quarter of '03, with shows airing Jan. 21 to March 18. Each of the 12 original shows will re-air four times per week for a total of 60 airings.

The Golf Channel delivers 48 million U.S. subscribers, and that number is projected to increase 10 percent to 53 million subscribers in 2003. International distribution is also anticipated to increase - highlighted by over 5 million homes in Canada and Japan with syndicated expansion targeted in Europe and Asia. The Golf Channel enjoys the most affluent viewers (56 percent of its daily viewing audience earns more than $75,000 annually.

Mark Rolfing, has been a member of the PGA and resident of Hawaii for 20 years. In addition to his NBC and CBNC responsibilities, which take him to the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup among other assignments, he periodically hosts The Golf Channel's popular call-in program, Golf Talk Live.

Dubbed "Best Golf ëOn Course' Commentator" by USA Today for the past three years, Rolfing is known for his insightful commentary covering golf's most prestigious tournaments on Tour.

Johnny Miller of Pacific Grove, Calif., is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame who has distinguished himself as an outspoken television analyst. He won 25 PGA Tour titles, including the 1973 U.S. Open and the '76 British Open and played on two U.S. Ryder Cup teams.

For more information on Mark Rolfing and Golf Hawaii, visit the show's website, www.golfhawaiiinfo.com.