Golf technology.

[donutwheels]

I've recently gotten back into the game after a 10 year absence . I did'nt know what a 'hybrid' was until a few days ago and I did not realise you can get drivers the size of a pizza box.

Has golf technology gotten so far that golfers would rather spend money on oversized customised superforgiving clubs than bother working on their swings to improve their game?

Discuss

 

[USER1999]

No. All these advances make the game more fun for the average joe.

What the pros need is longer fairway grass, v grooves, and deeper rough, which would stop them getting so much control on the ball, and put a premium on hitting fairways. Longer fairway grass would limit the roll, hence the overall distance, and also reduce control on approach shots.

I can't see changeing the ball, going back to small heads, banning utilities, graphite shafts etc working at all.

 

[Greenkeeper]

This technology is also sadly transferred to the course set up.

I am probably going to get slammed now but it’s a fact, and a very concerning fact. The golfer of today want to protect their handicap, purchasing the latest equipment is not enough. They also want the course to be set up to perfection and without much hindrance.

As a keen golfer with a handicap of 11, should we be striving for perfection? I think not. I whant to be challenged and that challenge should be the course.
Bunkers, so many new builds produce bunkers that no longer produce the hazard they were intended to be, they have almost become a visually pleasing feature not a hazard. Playing out of some bunkers is almost trouble free. I believe a bunker should cost us shots and we have no right to expect a perfect lie in any hazard!

Rough, throughout the UK greenkeepers have been instructed (by amateur hackers) to cut down ecologically beneficial and strategically brilliant rough grasslands. This is purely down to our lack of ability to hit the ball as we intended, the aim of golf is to hit the target, that target is the fairway. The further away from that target the further your punishment should be, semi rough... cut rough..... then jungle. If I hit that far wide and land in the jungle I only have myself to blame. But alas we don’t like to blame ourselves, so we complain to the greens committee and hay presto the rough is cut down destroying all natural habitats, destroying superb definition / character, but more importantly destroying the whole intention of golf. This then allows us to smash the ball (with our new pizza boxed driver) as far and wide as we like with little problems.

Greens, target golf is a pet hate of mine. Getting the ball on to the dance floor as close to the pin is the aim. But not necessarily in the air, what happened to the bump and run shot? We now throw the ball in the air and expect it to stop, when is doesn’t we demand overwatering to produce softer greens so that our ball sinks into the surface. It’s not darts we play its golf.

I shall stop there, rant over sorry!

 

[birdieman]

Time to take a stand greenkeeper, I agree with you completely, it's old-man committees to blame trying to make themselves feel like they're better players than they actually are. Also they want loads of tourists and corporate groups who will not come to a 'difficult' golf course.
A premium on accuracy and not distance is what golf should be about.
Shall we start a petition?

 

[TWM]

I came back after a 25 year absence and my main gripe is that along with the new technology, the courses courses are being lengthened to maintain the challenge for the big hitters. Poor little weaklings such as me have to look for shorter courses in order to survive.

 

[TonyN]

I'm with you greenkeeper!

Most people I play with moan about pin placement, length of rough and the speed of the greens. To me, this is the beauty of golf. A good golfer, is a golfer who can adapt well to different conditions regualy.

We get the equipment that best suits our game and eliminates as many possible errors before we go out. That then leaves us to play the game as we should.

*Conditions
*Club Selection
*Shot type
*Set up
*swing

These are just a few things we have to think about before each shot, nevermind all the other thoughts during our round.

These thoughts alone are enough to challenge us day in, day out. If we had to use space age equipment, most of us would struggle to put 5 good shots together and would swiftly loose interest in the game.

Lets keep the upto date equipment, AND learn how to swing a club at the same time. That way we can tackle the jungles and the super solid greens.

And with reference to the bump and run, I love it, i play it as often as possible. Same with the pitch shot from 50 yards in. I used to go for the 60* lob and try stop the ball on a sixpence. Not gonna happen 9 times out of 10.

 

[birdieman]

TWM, why not accept that if you play off 15 or 20 that you aren't expected to hit every par 4 in two shots, that's why you have a higher handicap! If a course is long that doesn't make it unplayable for a weaker hitter it just means he will often take 3 blows rather than 2 to get home.
Example- watching the 4th round of the John Deere last night the 18th was a 476 yard par 4, the pros were going in with 7,8 and 9 irons! I wouldn't expect to do that with my ability, I'd be hitting a driver and 3 wood or 2 hybrid if I could hit the fairway off the tee. I accept that but would still love to play the course regardless. Back in the day of wooden woods etc a short hitter always found courses long, that hasn't changed with technology as new courses as you say are now longer to compensate for the fact everyone is hitting further than 20 years ago. I wouldn't let the fact a course is long put you off playing it.

 

[z_shakir]

You need some instructions from experts that could help you
in your game check this site
http://www.golfersmd.com/?getit=216615944

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Well this thread was going so well until a silly little spammer spoilt it. Never mind we'll send him to the naughty step and ignore his blatant advertising.

I agree with greenkeeper all the waydown theline and the comments made GM members. It is becoming a trend that you can stand on a tee box and put the ball in the adjacent postcode and still have a ball sitting up enough to get a 5 wood onto or near the green.

We have 400+ yard par 4's and even in the summer if I hit a good drive I am still left with 4 (maybe 5) iron in and know that off my handicap the odds are with a longish iron I'll miss the target. I accept that but also relish and savour the times I do get on in two
My course was set up a treat yesterday with nice fairways (criss cross cut - purely for captains day but looked beautiful), a cut of semi rough that mostly gave an ok lie but occasionally sat down in a moist patch and then jungle where if you found it the best option was to a) Pray and b) look for a place to drop

Greens were 8.5 on the stimpmeter and true and fast and flags were put in strategic places. Not nasty (i.e on sides of hills) but around the contours of the greens meaning you had to think about chips etc to leave a good putt. I hacked yesterday but still had a great time and couldn't blame the course for my shortcomings

 

[TonyN]

Z_shakir I think its becoming clear that you aint really interested in any discussion on this site and you are just plugging away and littering our posts. Please, if thats the only reason you are here, stop now, as everyone on this site will probably never give it a visit out of protest for your behaviour.

If however you are genuinly interested in becoming an active forum member then I would suggest leaving your plugs out for the time being!

 

[GB72]

My course seems ot be a bit of an exception in that the rough is kept deliberately punitive. The course is not overly long, has very few bunkers and not much water and so the rough and the greens and the pin positions are the main lines of defence. Furthermore, many of the fairways are undulating or on a slant so you have to think about ball position to ensure a decent lie. It remains a very challenging course and an exceptional test of golf.

 

[viscount17]

As one of the higher handicappers and more frequent visitors to the jungle I completely agree with the trend of this thread. If I don't like or can't play out of the rough stuff I shouldn't have gone there.
Though my attempts are frequently bizarre to say the least I like trying bump and runs, tbh I prefer that to blind bombing (though after a few more successful attempts yesterday I may change my mind).
Though we have few bunkers on my course if you're in a hazard you will get punished - you'll lose your ball or get wet.

 

[RGuk]

Has golf technology gotten so far that golfers would rather spend money on oversized customised superforgiving clubs than bother working on their swings to improve their game?

Discuss

Yes......but not here!

I came back after a long lay-off and have replaced all my gear. I'm not playing better but at least I get away with the odd shot a little better than before!!