No Tees

[clubchamp98]

I think there is an event like that planned for Las Vegas. Ridiculous!

That’s the one I was thinking of!

 

[Golf is fun]

That’s the one I was thinking of!

The enhanced games.

Will be somewhat interesting to see what becomes of it, but personally it's not my thing. Anti-doping generally exists to protect athletes from themselves, the type of people that are elite athletes will take things that cause serious long term harm for relatively short term success. I don't really see banning things like hormone changing drugs as being remotely similar to banning high COR driver faces, or golf balls that go too far when robot tested.

 

[sunshine]

Considering there were hundreds of Real Tennis courts at the beginning of the last century and there are only 45-50 in the whole world now and only around 10,000 players in the world then perhaps this isn’t the best example of a growing sport whereas tennis that has changed equipment dramatically has had a lot of growth in this time.

To be honest I was just making it up on the assumption that almost nobody follows real tennis, a bit like yachting. But someone with facts got in the way

 

[Robster59]

The question is.....ON to what? More distance? Less distance? Mow the grass a little longer on the fairways? Moving on doesn't necessarily mean hitting the ball longer. Plenty of sports have made rules to maintain control of results......javelin, motor racing, adding weight to horses, timing in things like basketball and baseball to keep things moving. For me...I kind of wonder why it's the length of a drive that is the interesting thing for the younger golf fan. Probably like having more explosions in movies.....that's what some people think makes a good movie. I don't mind a good explosion, but if that's all the movie is about (I'm looking at you Mission Impossible) it gets old pretty quick.

I don't watch more than a couple of minutes of golf.....too boring. I don't really care what the pro's do....I can't tell you who is on the Ryder cup teams.....they live in a different world than I do. I'm fine with the local club and what I'm using in equipment. If they were to change the rules on clubs/balls etc.....I adjust. They could make those changes, but there is too much money to lose I would think so they won't.

I have to say that I'm in agreement with this. I don't want to watch players hit the ball 300+ yards, and getting 12 under in a round. I want to see them on a course that challenges their ability, makes them think about their shots (not just how many metres they are from the pin), and see how creative they can be. I don't watch golf that much now as every player is doing pretty much the same, with very similar swings, hitting it in the same places and it almost seems now like stand, hit, repeat.
I appreciate that other people may look at it differently, but that is my viewpoint. And it is well known that some courses can't be played as the modern pros just overpower them with distance.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I have to say that I'm in agreement with this. I don't want to watch players hit the ball 300+ yards, and getting 12 under in a round. I want to see them on a course that challenges their ability, makes them think about their shots (not just how many metres they are from the pin), and see how creative they can be. I don't watch golf that much now as every player is doing pretty much the same, with very similar swings, hitting it in the same places and it almost seems now like stand, hit, repeat.
I appreciate that other people may look at it differently, but that is my viewpoint. And it is well known that some courses can't be played as the modern pros just overpower them with distance.

This thread is a timely reminder that Tiger Woods once won the Open by umteen shots mainly using irons off the tee.
Where were the big hitting drivers during that week.
In my lifetime of golf the really 'big hitting' players rarely featured on the last days play.
Many of those players from the 1950's to the 2000's I could name and very few people on here would have heard of them.
Hitting the fairway from the tee used to be rewarded, nowadays that appears not to be the case.
Former world No 1 Luke Donald was probably the last naturally truly accurate golfer.

OOPs .....sorry Brian Harman

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

This thread is a timely reminder that Tiger Woods once won the Open by umteen shots mainly using irons off the tee.
Where were the big hitting drivers during that week.
In my lifetime of golf the really 'big hitting' players rarely featured on the last days play.
Many of those players from the 1950's to the 2000's I could name and very few people on here would have heard of them.
Hitting the fairway from the tee used to be rewarded, nowadays that appears not to be the case.
Former world No 1 Luke Donald was probably the last naturally truly accurate golfer.

OOPs .....sorry Brian Harman

whilst I get your point I’m not convinced those are the best examples !

Woods could hit a stinger 2 iron back in the day as far as many could hit a big stick. Plus links golf in dry windy conditions it just makes sense to hit something that keeps the ball down. What he did there was exceptional but he wouldn’t do that on a PGA tour course that’s wide open, perfect conditions where flying it long and high wins which he did with prodigious results. Plus he was literally the reason Augusta was made longer and other courses coined the phrase “Tiger Proofing” because he could literally over power a course with his distance.

As for Luke Donald, literally one of my all time favourite players, his swing and tempo for me is one of the best I’ve ever seen and would love to have. His irons and wedge game was exceptional, his bunker player was beyond a joke and his putting is up there with the best. However, his career average for driving accuracy was 60-65%, with and average distance of 275-290yds he was far from the best or most accurate driver , it was well known he didn’t hit many fairways but had the iron and wedge game to counter that. Evidenced many times in his World No1 year.

Like I said I get your point but the examples don’t really match up.

 

[sunshine]

This thread is a timely reminder that Tiger Woods once won the Open by umteen shots mainly using irons off the tee.

Former world No 1 Luke Donald was probably the last naturally truly accurate golfer.

Tiger was an absolute legend. His strategy to use iron off the tee worked because he was playing a baked out links with miles of roll. It's surprising that nobody else copied him that week - he finished dead last on driving distance.

Luke Donald sprayed it all over the place off the tee. Short and wonky relative to the field.

 

[clubchamp98]

Tiger was an absolute legend. His strategy to use iron off the tee worked because he was playing a baked out links with miles of roll. It's surprising that nobody else copied him that week - he finished dead last on driving distance.

Luke Donald sprayed it all over the place off the tee. Short and wonky relative to the field.

I thought he played irons only to take their bunkers out of play.

Sure I heard he never went in one all week.

 

[Orikoru]

Tiger was an absolute legend. His strategy to use iron off the tee worked because he was playing a baked out links with miles of roll. It's surprising that nobody else copied him that week - he finished dead last on driving distance.

Luke Donald sprayed it all over the place off the tee. Short and wonky relative to the field.

He did have the advantage though that he was probably just as accurate into greens with a 5 iron as most of the others were with their 8 irons!

 

[D-S]

I think the strategy was to lay up short of the bunkers, thereby eliminating risk, but everyone else couldn’t hit irons in and hold the greens from that far out, but his ball height enabled him to do that. A strategy that only the best towering iron player could employ and it worked.

 

[sunshine]

I thought he played irons only to take their bunkers out of play.

Sure I heard he never went in one all week.

Yes that’s right. I think the Open where he avoided the bunkers all week was at St Andrews (lots of irons off the tee). But the Open where he ONLY hit irons off the tee was at Hoylake.

 

[sunshine]

I think the strategy was to lay up short of the bunkers, thereby eliminating risk, but everyone else couldn’t hit irons in and hold the greens from that far out, but his ball height enabled him to do that. A strategy that only the best towering iron player could employ and it worked.

That’s a really good point