golf distance debate - your opinions wanted!

[MikeH]

Hi all

as several threads on here have proved, the distance golfers, especially the pros, are hitting it these days, is a hot topic in the game.

In a bid to capture as many views as possible on the subject The R&A and the USGA have launched the “Distance Insights in golf: Share Your Opinions” survey, which is being administered by SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC.

The USGA and The R&A embarked on the broader Distance Insights project in May with a vision to build the most comprehensive study of distance (i.e., how far shots travel) in golf to date. This survey forms the next phase of the project and enables people from around the world to share their opinions on this topic.

We are keen to help gather your perspectives - as a group of particularly passionate and active golfers - as part of the research project, and invite you to complete the survey here at any time prior to October 31, 2018: http://www.smsinc.co.uk/distanceinsights

Survey takes less than 10 mins to complete

Please visit the dedicated web pages of http://usga.org/distanceinsights or http://randa.org/distanceinsights to find out more about the Distance Insights project.

thanks in advance for taking the time to share your views

Mike

 

[patricks148]

already done it.

my main issue is the pro's rendering a lot of the great old courses obsolete

 

[drewster]

Done, thanks for sharing.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Done

My main issue in the pro game is that a lack of accuracy is not punished enough.

I don't think pro's should get "line of sight" drops (they shouldn't have been so offline that a concession stand gets in the way), or have TV crews help look for balls, and rough should be more penal when significantly offline.

Basically people like Phil Mickleson have been far too successful when you consider that he can barely find a fairway.

 

[golfsaint]

Done , and that wasted 10 mins at work lol

 

[Imurg]

already done it.

my main issue is the pro's rendering a lot of the great old courses obsolete

True but that's their loss.
99.9% of golfers don't hit the ball too far, many need to hit it further.
It's time the Pro game was detached from ours. It's so different, it bares little resemblance anymore.
Make the Pros play 1 ball type or whatever but don't remove the Amateur's need for more distance

 

[GB72]

Done

My main issue in the pro game is that a lack of accuracy is not punished enough.

I don't think pro's should get "line of sight" drops (they shouldn't have been so offline that a concession stand gets in the way), or have TV crews help look for balls, and rough should be more penal when significantly offline.

Basically people like Phil Mickleson have been far too successful when you consider that he can barely find a fairway.

This, keep the distance but make the penalty for a lack of accuracy far more severe so as pros have to actually weigh up whether it is worth bombing it down there.

 

[Mattyboy]

Done - Bring back persimmon!

 

[drdel]

Too many courses have taken out trees and the 'rough' is often trimmed, manicured or mown so there is little or no consequence to being off-centre.

As others have said the tour players 'play' a different game to the vast majority of golfers.

 

[User 99]

Too many courses have taken out trees and the 'rough' is often trimmed, manicured or mown so there is little or no consequence to being off-centre.

.

It's generally to make the course more playable for the ordinary members. Finding your ball quicker in the trees/rough also makes for a more enjoyable round.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

One thing I would ask is, do we believe the accuracy of some of the stats from back in the day?

There is one going round on twitter with the 1988 top 50 average driving distances.
It lists DJ Russell as being joint 40th at 253 yards.

Well I played golf with DJ quite a few times in the early '90s, and he must have hit if further than 253 on average back then. He was a consumate ball striker, and knocked it over trees which (even taking into account growth) people very rarely manage today.


Could it just be a case of there being more data recorded nowadays, and more accurately at that?

Also, the European tour follows the sun nowadays (Dubai, Oman, Australia, Turkey, SA etc), there are only a few UK based events to bring distance down.

 

[patricks148]

One thing I would ask is, do we believe the accuracy of some of the stats from back in the day?

There is one going round on twitter with the 1988 top 50 average driving distances.
It lists DJ Russell as being joint 40th at 253 yards.

Well I played golf with DJ quite a few times in the early '90s, and he must have hit if further than 253 on average back then. He was a consumate ball striker, and knocked it over trees which (even taking into account growth) people very rarely manage today.


Could it just be a case of there being more data recorded nowadays, and more accurately at that?

Also, the European tour follows the sun nowadays (Dubai, Oman, Australia, Turkey, SA etc), there are only a few UK based events to bring distance down.

maybe the tape measure that day only went that far

 

[Hobbit]

already done it.

my main issue is the pro's rendering a lot of the great old courses obsolete

Why not stick a few bunkers in at 350yds? You're right, it is becoming a bit drive and wedge but could courses be made more difficult at pro yardages? Leaving courses the same as they were 100 years ago and then blaming technology is a cop out. More bunkers and narrow fairways at 350+yds makes it valid to the amateurs who knock it 250yds and the pro's who knock it 350yds.

 

[clubchamp98]

I think it’s a problem in the pro game but not for most ams.
I am put off the bombers on tv and much prefer the iron play and short game artistry.
I think tv editors should show more of this than pros bombing it 345yds as you can’t really appreciate that on tv.

I think the problem with most older courses is not the length but access for spectators it’s a money making business and big crowds equal big money..
The pros play accordingly like Tiger at St Andrews never hit driver to stay out of trouble , they will plot their way around.
The opposite is true though wide open fairways at 7600yds mainly eliminate average hitters.

 

[drdel]

It's generally to make the course more playable for the ordinary members. Finding your ball quicker in the trees/rough also makes for a more enjoyable round.

I wasn't referring to the 'average' club and had in mind the courses played by the 'PGA Tours': where distance off-the-tee is IMO the main issue.

 

[williamalex1]

Survey done.
I would like to see different equipment rules for professionals and amateur golfers , especially older golfers, we need all the help and distance we can get.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I’d like to know if there are any stats for swing speed and smash factor from says gone by?

 

[dankiz]

Hi all

as several threads on here have proved, the distance golfers, especially the pros, are hitting it these days, is a hot topic in the game.

In a bid to capture as many views as possible on the subject The R&A and the USGA have launched the “Distance Insights in golf: Share Your Opinions” survey, which is being administered by SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC.

The USGA and The R&A embarked on the broader Distance Insights project in May with a vision to build the most comprehensive study of distance (i.e., how far shots travel) in golf to date. This survey forms the next phase of the project and enables people from around the world to share their opinions on this topic.

We are keen to help gather your perspectives - as a group of particularly passionate and active golfers - as part of the research project, and invite you to complete the survey here at any time prior to October 31, 2018: http://www.smsinc.co.uk/distanceinsights

Survey takes less than 10 mins to complete

Please visit the dedicated web pages of http://usga.org/distanceinsights or http://randa.org/distanceinsights to find out more about the Distance Insights project.

thanks in advance for taking the time to share your views

Mike

all done! Very interesting survey

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Done - surely it would be better for the pros to use a slugged ball to reduce the driving distances.

 

[*TQ*]

The ideal answer to me (if technically possible) is to create a ball which acts exactly the same way it does now up to a certain swing speed, once above this speed the distance plateaus. Introducing such a restriction on the ball into the rules of golf means there's no need to get the pros to use different equipment to amateurs but limits the effect of super high swing speeds and hopefully lowers the massive distance certain players can hit a drive without adversely affecting the shorter hitters too much.