R&A and USGA distance update.

[LOS]

The R&A and the USGA have re-engaged with the golf industry on the Distance Insights project, which aims to help achieve a more sustainable long-term future for golf.

The Areas of Interest notice addresses two specific Areas of Interest:

• The potential use of a Local Rule that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances. This would enable committees conducting competitions to stipulate whether such equipment should be used. It could be available at all levels of play and would also allow golfers playing outside of competition to choose for themselves.
• A review of the overall conformance specifications for both clubs and balls, including specifications that both directly and indirectly affect hitting distances. This review would consider whether any existing specifications should be adjusted or any new specifications created to help mitigate continuing distance increases. It would not consider revising the overall specifications to produce substantial reductions in hitting distances at all levels of the sport.

https://www.randa.org/en/news/2021/02/distance-update-2021

 

[MPX]

Talking as an individual (not on behalf of Mizuno) - I like playing under the same equipment rules as the pros. If the equipment rules change, i hope its for all. Or not at all.

 

[DCB]

Talking as an individual (not on behalf of Mizuno) - I like playing under the same equipment rules as the pros. If the equipment rules change, i hope its for all. Or not at all.

Agreed, there is a great satisfaction in playing a hole you've seen the Pro's play and walking off with a nice par. Even if you've hit 5W off the tee and they usually hit a 6 iron from 15yds further back That was my 'memory of the day' when I played The Centenary Course at Gleneagles a year ago, 5 w off the tee at the 10th, pin high, two puts, jobs a good un Even managed a par at 17 again using much more club off the tee than the Pro's do but it gives you a great sense of satisfaction.

 

[PaulBoy]

Interesting to hear the opinions on this from the Pros - It really seems to have annoyed some (like Rory!) who thinks the money spent on this (so far & potentially) might be better spent (on grassroots for example) whereas others (like Bryson) think it's a great idea which will mean people like him who work on matters not relating to equipment etc will gain more of an advantage - I am more in the Rory camp - There are already rules & restrictions in terms of equipment, so why change these further & affect all golfers? - If the governing bodies feel Professional golf is getting out of control, then do something to their equipment & leave the rest of us alone ...
Local rules to restrict what equipment can be used in competitions sounds like a recipe for the end of club competitions as we know them & even club membership? - In a time when golf is trying to encourage more people to play, I don't really see this approach helping in any shape or form ...
Paul #grumpierthanusualinlockdown

 

[LOS]

- If the governing bodies feel Professional golf is getting out of control, then do something to their equipment & leave the rest of us alone ...

Paul #grumpierthanusualinlockdown

I am in this camp. How many courses in the UK have the land to extend there courses or could even buy nearby land. I doubt they could extend their courses by moving tee positions back so you would be looking at new greens, updating sprinkler sysytems, more feed and other chemicals and perhaps extra staff as well as increase in rates.. We still have pace of play problems do we need to make it worse? Any extra expense to the club will mean an increase in fees and deter even more people from becoming members of clubs.

Edit:- If the PGA Tours , OEM'S and TV companies are happy with the way things are then perhaps they should buy and run their own clubs for the events.

 

[MTR]

To butcher a Jack Nicklaus quote: #DIALBACKTHEBALL (for pro's)

It's relatively* easy to limit the ball's output for higher club head speeds and leave 'amateur' speeds alone. It can be done in relative fashion so the bigger hitters still have an advantage, but in absolute terms makes it possible to play old tracks without making 'm longer and even slower to play. However much we like to believe otherwise, we already don't play the same game as the pro's, mostly don't (or shouldn't) play from the same tees and can't swing TX 125g shafts. Of course, equipment manufacturers like us to believe differently, for marketing purposes.

*basically the reverse of what they've been doing the past decade...

 

[Halebopp]

I agree, the equipment rules should stay the same for everyone. The local rule regarding grooves was introduced in 2010 but outside of pros (who get their wedges for free) and top amateurs (who've worn out several wedge sets since then anyway), everyone else is still good with their old ones for at least two more years, when the ruling bodies will make their final decision. And considering the difference between the old and new grooves, it really didn't matter all that much.

But with other clubs the differences would be much greater and no player wants to get comfortable playing two different sets of clubs or different balls, therefore top amateurs and juniors dreaming of professional careers would most probably stick with the "pro stuff" putting them at a significant disadvantage in smaller events all the way back to club level.

The courses are long enough for 99.99% of golfers even with the current equipment and I'm not certain things need to be changed so that the scores of the 0.01% wouldn't get too low. The courses that invite the circus, PGA Tour, to come to town can figure it out on their own, build or grow trouble 300+ yards away from the tee etc.

 

[LOS]

The courses that invite the circus, PGA Tour, to come to town can figure it out on their own, build or grow trouble 300+ yards away from the tee etc.

Golf on the PGA Tour seems more like an entertainment show than realistic competitions and is driven by a spectator base which want's to see long drives, birdies, eagles and not see a player struggle to keep his winning 4 round score to -10 max. CBS and NBC are paying the PGA Tour $700 million a year and they want to keep their viewers and the tour would like to keep their income.

 

[Halebopp]

Golf on the PGA Tour seems more like an entertainment show than realistic competitions and is driven by a spectator base which want's to see long drives, birdies, eagles and not see a player struggle to keep his winning 4 round score to -10 max. CBS and NBC are paying the PGA Tour $700 million a year and they want to keep their viewers and the tour would like to keep their income.

Yep, all it would take them is grow the rough and make the fairways narrower in critical areas but they won't because some people think eagles are more entertaining than watching people work for the birdies. it's similar to their Pace of Play "problems" when year after year they simply refuse to do anything about it. Give the rules officials the rights to take care of it and they'd have the players playing their rounds in 4:00-4:30. But they won't because that would hurt the tour's ad revenue.