Sweep
Journeyman Pro
I enjoyed a re-run of the 1985 Open at Royal St George's on Sky this morning. One thing did stand out though. The par 5 14th was playing 503 yards. Often forgotten two time major champion David Graham was in contention and played the 14th (admittedly into the wind) with driver and 3 iron to 140 yards out and then 6 iron.
I started playing 3 or 4 years after this Championship and 503 yards would have taken me 3 mighty and straight blows to hit the green and it would have been a rare event to hit the green in regulation. It struck me that today, at nearly 30 years older, I would probably need driver, 4 hybrid and half a wedge (wind depending) at the most and I would be licking my chops at a 503 yard par 5.
All this just proves:
1. How much equipment has improved over what seems like a long time, but is actually only 31 years.
2. That distance isn't everything. My scores are not much better now than they were back then.
3. That distance and better equipment don't make you that much better, pro rata. If they did I would be going round Royal St George's in the same or better scores than David Graham did in 1985 and I am most certainly not.
4. Considering that those guys thought they had amazing equipment, what are golfers in 31 years going to be using?
I started playing 3 or 4 years after this Championship and 503 yards would have taken me 3 mighty and straight blows to hit the green and it would have been a rare event to hit the green in regulation. It struck me that today, at nearly 30 years older, I would probably need driver, 4 hybrid and half a wedge (wind depending) at the most and I would be licking my chops at a 503 yard par 5.
All this just proves:
1. How much equipment has improved over what seems like a long time, but is actually only 31 years.
2. That distance isn't everything. My scores are not much better now than they were back then.
3. That distance and better equipment don't make you that much better, pro rata. If they did I would be going round Royal St George's in the same or better scores than David Graham did in 1985 and I am most certainly not.
4. Considering that those guys thought they had amazing equipment, what are golfers in 31 years going to be using?