the Distance Debate - should the authorities act

[Grant85]

To pro golfers Par means nothing, all that matters is the total number of shots taken.
Par is only important to us handicappers, and the tv audience. As it gives both a yardstick for measuring; ourselves against our own ability, and one players score against another (it’s easier to say someone’s 3 under after 16 holes than they’ve had 69 shots so far).

So par 4 or 5 doesn’t matter, they just want to take as few shots as possible.

Of course par is just a number, and is pretty much essential for televised golf where everyone is on a different hole. I guess you could have average shots per hole... which might encourage some more diversity in length of holes that are laid out. But clearly things are not going to change now.

However the bombers are still going to dominate the score board whether a 7,000 yard course is par is 71 or 66.

 

[Orikoru]

So you will be packing it in before you qualify for the seniors.

It must be possible to manufacture a ball that is the same distance at 90 mph but is slightly curtailed when hit at 130mph.
I don’t think it should be , but possible nonetheless.

Nah the golf balls will have got longer by then to compensate! Haha.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

What do you mean by across the board?? If you mean literally all of golf, then I can tell you if I had to start using a distance limited ball then I'd just give up golf altogether. The idea of hitting driver, fairway wood for every single hole doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

Haha! Yes, I mean if the rules of golf are changing, the rules of golf should change, not one rule for pros and one rule for everyone else.

 

[Grant85]

So you will be packing it in before you qualify for the seniors.

It must be possible to manufacture a ball that is the same distance at 90 mph but is slightly curtailed when hit at 130mph.
I don’t think it should be , but possible nonetheless.

This is definitely possible and almost certainly what is going to come in or be regulated for.

 

[Orikoru]

Athletes in general are getting much stronger and bigger. Look at the size of rugby players today compared to 20 years ago. Golf is following the trend, players like Koepka and McIlroy spend a lot of time lifting weights. BDC has just taken it to the next level.

I actually believe DJ and Rory could easily drive the same distance as Bryson. They often talk about how they only hit at around 85-90% on their drives because they want a degree of safety, the difference is Bryson has worked out how to hit it all out at 100% and still hit a good numbers of fairways. Should he be reigned in for that? I don't think so.

 

[Grant85]

and if it does come in for all golfers and people are losing 10 yards off the tee, then just petition your club to shorten the course a bit.

It will take less time to play and almost certainly be more enjoyable.

 

[sunshine]

As I've said, the bombers have benefited disproportionately with equipment advances and the equipment is already very heavily regulated.

Surely everyone has benefited? Arguably the weaker ball strikers have benefitted more, as they are able to reach par 5's in two shots which previously was only in range for the bombers. I've heard several older players who are now on the Champions Tour comment that they are able to drive the ball as far (or further) than when they were in their prime, and can still compete with the youngsters due to technology.

 

[clubchamp98]

Nah the golf balls will have got longer by then to compensate! Haha.

Longer golf balls only avaliable to seniors , that’s a great shout!
All the young guys would be playing them with another name on

 

[Deleted member 1147]

and if it does come in for all golfers and people are losing 10 yards off the tee, then just petition your club to shorten the course a bit.

It will take less time to play and almost certainly be more enjoyable.

??

 

[Orikoru]

Haha! Yes, I mean if the rules of golf are changing, the rules of golf should change, not one rule for pros and one rule for everyone else.

They play a totally different game to us mortals as it is, I don't see the problem myself.

 

[Grant85]

Surely everyone has benefited? Arguably the weaker ball strikers have benefitted more, as they are able to reach par 5's in two shots which previously was only in range for the bombers. I've heard several older players who are now on the Champions Tour comment that they are able to drive the ball as far (or further) than when they were in their prime, and can still compete with the youngsters due to technology.

Not really, it's relative to the field.

John Daly was averaging 261 in 1990 (and was a bomber)... now someone averaging 300 is seen as short. So while the shorter hitters (including you or me) can hit it further and might feel good about that, given the bombers are now 50 or 60 yards past, rather than 10 or 20 is a huge disadvantage in a competitive arena.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I wonder what the golf population at large think on this matter? I suspect this forum attracts a disproportionate number of golfing purists who are more likely to harbour the view that distance should be limited.

Is it something that the majority of golf fans actually want? I don’t know but I suspect it isn’t, but if it is, then surely the pga tour would start to think about doing something to combat it, whereas right now they seem to be encouraging it.

 

[clubchamp98]

I actually believe DJ and Rory could easily drive the same distance as Bryson. They often talk about how they only hit at around 85-90% on their drives because they want a degree of safety, the difference is Bryson has worked out how to hit it all out at 100% and still hit a good numbers of fairways. Should he be reigned in for that? I don't think so.

Totally agree this.
My only worry with BdC is he has learned nothing from Tigers problems .
What’s his back and body going to be like in ten years time.
His joints are not made to carry this sort of weight with the amount of force in that 100% balls out swing.
Scientists are not always correct.!

 

[Orikoru]

I wonder what the golf population at large think on this matter? I suspect this forum attracts a disproportionate number of golfing purists who are more likely to harbour the view that distance should be limited.

Is it something that the majority of golf fans actually want? I don’t know but I suspect it isn’t, but if it is, then surely the pga tour would start to think about doing something to combat it, whereas right now they seem to be encouraging it.

I would suspect you've hit the nail on the head in a roundabout way - more of the older generations probably want the distance curtailed, whereas more of the younger generations wouldn't.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Totally agree this.
My only worry with BdC is he has learned nothing from Tigers problems .
What’s his back and body going to be like in ten years time.
His joints are not made to carry this sort of weight with the amount of force in that 100% balls out swing.
Scientists are not always correct.!

I would think his view on that is that it’s better to have 10 years of winning tournaments than 20 years of not winning.

The more athletic the game is, the shorter the career at the top level will be.

Golf is unusual in that players can compete at the highest level for so long.

 

[clubchamp98]

I would suspect you've hit the nail on the head in a roundabout way - more of the older generations probably want the distance curtailed, whereas more of the younger generations wouldn't.

Given the average age at my club it will be banned.
I think in the am game the technology in drivers has helped the higher caps more.
I play all the time with high cappers that outdrive me.
They lose that around the greens but they don’t practice this.
They go the range and smash driver all the time
So they do like watching the pros hit long distances.

 

[pendodave]

What do you mean by across the board?? If you mean literally all of golf, then I can tell you if I had to start using a distance limited ball then I'd just give up golf altogether. The idea of hitting driver, fairway wood for every single hole doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

That's what they invented the red tees for...

 

[sunshine]

Totally agree this.
My only worry with BdC is he has learned nothing from Tigers problems .
What’s his back and body going to be like in ten years time.
His joints are not made to carry this sort of weight with the amount of force in that 100% balls out swing.
Scientists are not always correct.!

I think everyone is expecting BdC to get injured sooner or later. He is probably expecting to get injured. The question is how many wins (and majors?) he can capture before his body breaks.

Tiger is an interesting case study. Arguably he could have kept going in 2009, battled through the injuries for a few years, won some more majors while he was still invincible, but that would have killed his longevity and he would be history today.

 

[clubchamp98]

I would think his view on that is that it’s better to have 10 years of winning tournaments than 20 years of not winning.

The more athletic the game is, the shorter the career at the top level will be.

Golf is unusual in that players can compete at the highest level for so long.

Yes but I think his first real injury is going to be interesting.
Think it was Faldo commented most injury’s to golfers happen in the gym not because of golf.

 

[pendodave]

Athletes in general are getting much stronger and bigger. Look at the size of rugby players today compared to 20 years ago. Golf is following the trend, players like Koepka and McIlroy spend a lot of time lifting weights. BDC has just taken it to the next level.

This is true. But does anyone think that this has been a good thing??
Its incredibly damaging for the players and a monotonous watching experience.
Tennis was also going down this route. They changed the balls and literally no-one complained.