Is it time to change the golf ball?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Would like to see something done - but see fuss over making F1 engines quieter

Limit the distance the ball goes and there will be fewer birdies and eagles; and so less for the non-golfer to get excited about; and so not such a draw to watch; and so less attractive to TV, sponsors and advertisers. So less money in the sport and players then say that the rule changes are impacting their earnings. And so it goes.

 

[fundy]

Which is the problem with modern golf. It's a brainless birdie-fest designed to appeal to the ADHD X-Factor audience.

Why does it have to be the other extreme? Like any sport I like to see balance, in golfs case a balance between the player and course. -20+ winning scores dont do it for me either but as many courses have proved a winning scores in the high 270s/low 280s usually the best spectacle and tends to bring out the best winners too (imho)

 

[ColchesterFC]

Why can't they put in some well placed bunkers at or around driving distance? If the average total drive is 320 yards then stick in some bunkers from 270 to 300 yards and then let them decide whether to hit driver and try to clear them or play safe and lay up short of them.

 

[fundy]

Why can't they put in some well placed bunkers at or around driving distance? If the average total drive is 320 yards then stick in some bunkers from 270 to 300 yards and then let them decide whether to hit driver and try to clear them or play safe and lay up short of them.

So every few years every golf course should move their bunkers another 5 or 10 yards to keep up?

 

[ColchesterFC]

So every few years every golf course should move their bunkers another 5 or 10 yards to keep up?

Either that or move the tee back 5 or 10 yards. And to be fair it wouldn't be every golf course, only the championship courses that host the pros. And it would only be the back tees. Not all of them.

 

[fundy]

Either that or move the tee back 5 or 10 yards. And to be fair it wouldn't be every golf course, only the championship courses that host the pros. And it would only be the back tees. Not all of them.

Why only pro courses, amateurs are getting longer too. I play plenty of courses with good golfers who just bomb it over every bit of trouble from the tee that were put in place many years ago when the course was designed. Lots of courses already been extended to within an inch of their life and no more land to do more so.

Nothing more boring than playing a golf course that all the trouble off the tee is at 220-240 off the backs and just not in play to the better golfers anymore

 

[guest100718]

its all relative. Nicklaus whines about how for the ball goes, yet he was bombing it way past everyone else back in the 60s and 70s.

 

[Deano23]

Why does it have to be the other extreme? Like any sport I like to see balance, in golfs case a balance between the player and course. -20+ winning scores dont do it for me either but as many courses have proved a winning scores in the high 270s/low 280s usually the best spectacle and tends to bring out the best winners too (imho)

I just want to see courses relevant. Every par 5 is a drive and mid/short iron and most par fours are a drive and a flick. I like the idea of real rough so they have to think about the shots they hit. hogan plotted his way around a course hitting fairways and greens. Look at the way Tom Watson plays - great ball striking and shot making. The shot makers are being replaced with brainless golfers.

I'm not saying every week we should have it like that, but we need some balance.

 

[Coatsy79]

Good point. They did this at the Canadian Open a couple of years back

[video=youtube;2PoAOegUv2s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PoAOegUv2s[/video]

That looks like the rough at our place!!!

 

[Snelly]

I would prefer to see the Open won by a score of around par or 1 or 2 better. I am sure that would have been the case if the wind had blown every day at Hoylake but it didn't.

I get more enjoyment from watching the world's best be really tested against the elements in a strong wind on a links course than I ever do from watching the Masters.

 

[richy]

I would prefer to see the Open won by a score of around par or 1 or 2 better. I am sure that would have been the case if the wind had blown every day at Hoylake but it didn't.

I get more enjoyment from watching the world's best be really tested against the elements in a strong wind on a links course than I ever do from watching the Masters.

I totally agree

 

[User62651]

Dont see the issue, the Open I just watched was every bit as entertaining and competitive as when big Sandy won at Sandwich back in 85 or Faldo at Muirfield in 1987 and that for me is key. Yes they hit it further now and new courses being built reflect this but we choose to host The Open on 100 yr old links courses where space is a premium and then people moan about technology. They set COR limits some years ago. All they need to so is grown some rough/add bunkers in front of the par 5 greens to stop low chasers so if players want to go for par 5s in two they really have to hit an amazing shot. Players were all over the shop on Sunday at Hoylake even with good weather, these are the best players in the world yet some on here hate to see them go -4 and want to see them hacking about like amateurs. Joe public wants to see long drives and iron shots hit close. Its fine as it is.

 

[duncan mackie]

I don't think the scoring has changed much.
I remember an Italian guy scoring 63 at Muirfield in 1966.
Norman holds the lowest 72 hole Open total from about 25 years ago.

Seems to me they have it about right.

indeed

the good courses, and I include Hoylake, require a line and length equation when teeing off; the bad ones don't!

some courses take things to the extreme and simply reduce the fairways to a path's width at about 270 (Rye springs to mind)
the balls now limited, as are clubs, any big damage is done.

 

[el marko]

Has no one thought about making the par 5s into par 4s?

 

[Deano23]

Dont see the issue, the Open I just watched was every bit as entertaining and competitive as when big Sandy won at Sandwich back in 85 or Faldo at Muirfield in 1987 and that for me is key. Yes they hit it further now and new courses being built reflect this but we choose to host The Open on 100 yr old links courses where space is a premium and then people moan about technology. They set COR limits some years ago. All they need to so is grown some rough/add bunkers in front of the par 5 greens to stop low chasers so if players want to go for par 5s in two they really have to hit an amazing shot. Players were all over the shop on Sunday at Hoylake even with good weather, these are the best players in the world yet some on here hate to see them go -4 and want to see them hacking about like amateurs. Joe public wants to see long drives and iron shots hit close. Its fine as it is.

I don't want to see them hacking - I want to see their all round games tested properly. At the moment hitting the fairway isn't that important as shown by the driving stats. Distance is king, accuracy means nothing.

 

[gdunc79]

Distance is king, accuracy means nothing.

Accuracy means nothing? Just nonsense talk I am afraid!! Why did the majority of players hit an iron off the first at Hoylake then? No good just bombing it if it lands in a bunker or puts you out of position.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't want to see them hacking - I want to see their all round games tested properly. At the moment hitting the fairway isn't that important as shown by the driving stats. Distance is king, accuracy means nothing.

Surely a major should be won having tested all facets of the game and that includes accuracy. It was good to see players missing the fairway at the Open and sometimes getting a shot and sometimes having to chop out. It should be a lottery and impose more rewards on accuracy. No good moving tees back every few years. It's expensive and many clubs don't have the land to do it much more

 

[Simbo]

The R&A were looking at it about 3 years ago. One of the guys in our roll up is on the R&A Rules committee and we tested a ball, that was designed to lose a greater % depending on swing speed. We have a couple of guys in the group that have pro clubhead speed and they were the only ones that noticed any diff in distance.

not heard anything since though, next time i see him i'll ask

Very unfair as this only affects the longer hitters, it's trying to bring dustin Johnson back into the same range as Luke Donald for example. But Donald has been world number one and has a better short game than Johnson. Which is basically punishing Johnson for being a big hitter, yet Donald gets off scot free. Very unfair IMO. johnsons strength in his game is his big hitting Donald's is his putting. For all he hits it a mile he's never really won anything of any great significance has he?. Compared to what a shorter hitter like Donald has won/done. So it's horses for courses if you ask me
So I don't think the ball should be changed, wouldn't like to see happening in golf what happened in formula 1. Which is now boring as hell and very seldom anything more than a high speed parade. Whereas 5/6 years ago we actually watched a race!! People want to turn on the golf and see the likes of Johnson and bubba smashing it 380 yards over trees. Then having to play their next out of the bushes or something. Bring the likes of that back into range and have everyone hitting it 290 of the tee and golf will become very very boring to watch.

 

[gdc]

Some interesting and valid points on both sides of the argument.
I would like to see the players have to hit 3 and 4 irons into a few par 4s per round.
I think only the very longest hitters should be able to reach some of the par 5s - remember how much fun the masters was on 13th when it was a real risk reward shot going for the green and you had to hit a perfect drive down the left to even contemplate going for it. Now everyone can hit it, where's the fun in watching that?

 

[DaveM]

Dont see the issue, the Open I just watched was every bit as entertaining and competitive as when big Sandy won at Sandwich back in 85 or Faldo at Muirfield in 1987 and that for me is key. Yes they hit it further now and new courses being built reflect this but we choose to host The Open on 100 yr old links courses where space is a premium and then people moan about technology. They set COR limits some years ago. All they need to so is grown some rough/add bunkers in front of the par 5 greens to stop low chasers so if players want to go for par 5s in two they really have to hit an amazing shot. Players were all over the shop on Sunday at Hoylake even with good weather, these are the best players in the world yet some on here hate to see them go -4 and want to see them hacking about like amateurs. Joe public wants to see long drives and iron shots hit close. Its fine as it is.

This.that's pretty much what Tom Watson said when they asked him the same question after the open.