What's The Big Thing In Golf

[HomerJSimpson]

I've been playing this daft game for nearly 40 years on and off and it has changed beyond recognition. I can remember a number of major changes that have come in to change it (for the better) and in my opinion the game changes have been

Metal woods
Cavity back irons
Golf ball quality (and choice)
The availability of decent custom fitting

What have been the biggest changes you've seen and what is the next big thing? Is it simply up to golf manufacturers to keep coming up with revolutionary gear (and what will that be) or do you think golf evolve in a different way and if so is up to the PGA, and clubs to be the driving force. As life become more technologically based will the younger generations get put off playing this game which takes too long, isn't "funky" or downloadable.

 

[Papas1982]

I've been playing this daft game for nearly 40 years on and off and it has changed beyond recognition. I can remember a number of major changes that have come in to change it (for the better) and in my opinion the game changes have been

Metal woods
Cavity back irons
Golf ball quality (and choice)
The availability of decent custom fitting

What have been the biggest changes you've seen and what is the next big thing? Is it simply up to golf manufacturers to keep coming up with revolutionary gear (and what will that be) or do you think golf evolve in a different way and if so is up to the PGA, and clubs to be the driving force. As life become more technologically based will the younger generations get put off playing this game which takes too long, isn't "funky" or downloadable.

The biggest change for me, is the people playing.

On my estate, none of us would have dreamed of playing golf due to the image it portrayed. Now there are stil instances of this, but it is imo a lot more accessible than it used to be.

I think things could could be done to get more minorities (women and youngsters) into the game, but at the same time it’s a tough call as giving great offers to them could alienate the core business.

 

[Backsticks]

Looking back at the changes I have seen, you pretty much have them :
- metal woods : BIG change over 25 years
- the longer ball : BIG change over the last 20
- cavity back irons have been around 40-50 years and a smaller change
- custom fitting : a scam I dont think makes a bit of difference one way or the other
- the spread of golf and participation both at hacker and elite level on more areas of the world beyond the US and UK and a handful of former empire countries.

I would add :
- hybrids : more play one than dont, and just wasnt there 20 years ago
- the fitness/athlete level of the professional world level players. Before that, 'athlete' was a very long stretch for them as a description
- the average level of golf course maintenance standard. There were always top quality tracks. But many 40 years ago were of a standard that people would walk off from today and demand their money back.



If I were to answer what are the BIG topic in golf right now :
- The golf ball : its distance has to be reduced by about 15%. Former great courses, despite their hallowed status, are no longer really great as deciders for the majors or elite championships. It must be reigned in.
- Participation in the US and UK is falling and become an unattractive 'old mans' game even more so than in the past. Worrying for its longer term grass roots participation and development.

 

[Bigfoot]

Looking back at the changes I have seen, you pretty much have them :
- metal woods : BIG change over 25 years
- the longer ball : BIG change over the last 20
- cavity back irons have been around 40-50 years and a smaller change
- custom fitting : a scam I dont think makes a bit of difference one way or the other
- the spread of golf and participation both at hacker and elite level on more areas of the world beyond the US and UK and a handful of former empire countries.

I would add :
- hybrids : more play one than dont, and just wasnt there 20 years ago
- the fitness/athlete level of the professional world level players. Before that, 'athlete' was a very long stretch for them as a description
- the average level of golf course maintenance standard. There were always top quality tracks. But many 40 years ago were of a standard that people would walk off from today and demand their money back.



If I were to answer what are the BIG topic in golf right now :
- The golf ball : its distance has to be reduced by about 15%. Former great courses, despite their hallowed status, are no longer really great as deciders for the majors or elite championships. It must be reigned in.
- Participation in the US and UK is falling and become an unattractive 'old mans' game even more so than in the past. Worrying for its longer term grass roots participation and development.

Accessibility has improved but the last 10 years it has gone backwards due to wages becoming static but costs going up. That is why the average club has more senior players and are trying to encourage youth . This won't change as most with jobs and young children have no time.

 

[shortgame]

Lots of good replies above

Only thing I'd add is leccy trolleys, when I started there were very few about wheras you're now in the minority if you don't have or use one

 

[CliveW]

The biggest improvement in my opinion is the quality of the actual courses. When I first started playing as a kid in the 60s, fairways were full of weeds, greens were worse than today's fairways and the rough was never cut. Greenkeeping equipment is far better than the tow behind gang mowers of days gone by and although we complain like mad about hollow tining of greens etc., the improvement is fantastic.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Some brilliant answers. Will there be another game changer in the way metal woods were. I totally agree that course conditioning has improved immensely. Is there something out there though that will move the game forward again?

 

[MendieGK]

Looking back at the changes I have seen, you pretty much have them :
- metal woods : BIG change over 25 years
- the longer ball : BIG change over the last 20
- cavity back irons have been around 40-50 years and a smaller change
- custom fitting : a scam I dont think makes a bit of difference one way or the other
- the spread of golf and participation both at hacker and elite level on more areas of the world beyond the US and UK and a handful of former empire countries.

I would add :
- hybrids : more play one than dont, and just wasnt there 20 years ago
- the fitness/athlete level of the professional world level players. Before that, 'athlete' was a very long stretch for them as a description
- the average level of golf course maintenance standard. There were always top quality tracks. But many 40 years ago were of a standard that people would walk off from today and demand their money back.



If I were to answer what are the BIG topic in golf right now :
- The golf ball : its distance has to be reduced by about 15%. Former great courses, despite their hallowed status, are no longer really great as deciders for the majors or elite championships. It must be reigned in.
- Participation in the US and UK is falling and become an unattractive 'old mans' game even more so than in the past. Worrying for its longer term grass roots participation and development.

Lost interest as soon as you said ‘custom fitting is a scam’

 

[HankMarvin]

Speed of play is killing the game and until this gets addressed golf will continue to decline.

What's the answer to combat slow play ?

 

[tsped83]

I've been playing this daft game for nearly 40 years on and off and it has changed beyond recognition. I can remember a number of major changes that have come in to change it (for the better) and in my opinion the game changes have been

Metal woods
Cavity back irons
Golf ball quality (and choice)
The availability of decent custom fitting

What have been the biggest changes you've seen and what is the next big thing? Is it simply up to golf manufacturers to keep coming up with revolutionary gear (and what will that be) or do you think golf evolve in a different way and if so is up to the PGA, and clubs to be the driving force. As life become more technologically based will the younger generations get put off playing this game which takes too long, isn't "funky" or downloadable.

Me thinks you’ve been watching Fried Eggs golf on YouTube...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Me thinks you’ve been watching Fried Eggs golf on YouTube...

Possibly but I think it raises some valid points. Of course we are normally driven by what happens in the US and of course there was the Woods factor. I am wondering personally if the next revolution in the top players in the mens game and in terms of new equipment sources is going to come from China and the Far East

 

[garyinderry]

The way people learn the game has seen the biggest change in the last few years. From online lessons to launch monitor numbers and sam putting etc.

So easy for complete beginners to find tons of free info on how to swing a club. So much depth for seasoned professionals to look at their game.

 

[MadAdey]

I still think the biggest shocker in golf is how technology has changed over the last 30 years, but the average club golfer still hasn't gotten much better. The only people I see that have benefited from the advances has been the elite amateurs and the pros.

I can still remember when the Cally GBB first came out and someone at my club had one. I put it against my Tileist Pro Trajectory driver and it dwarfed it.

One category of golfer I think that has been helped by the advances is the elderly golfer. I remember 20 or so years ago how it could be difficult for them due to the lack of distance and height they could hit the ball, but with the advances they are definitely getting some help. From the technology in the senior shafts to high launching easier to hit golf clubs, it has IMO helped that category of golfer to play better golf, even when the body is not what it used to be.

 

[Hobbit]

The biggest improvement in my opinion is the quality of the actual courses. When I first started playing as a kid in the 60s, fairways were full of weeds, greens were worse than today's fairways and the rough was never cut. Greenkeeping equipment is far better than the tow behind gang mowers of days gone by and although we complain like mad about hollow tining of greens etc., the improvement is fantastic.

This one for me.^^^

Yes, clubs have made the game easier. And the ball doesn't get knocked out of shape, no more 3 balata's for a round and no more rocks.

But the quality of greens and fairways - wow! Who'd ever heard of a greens iron 30 years ago, and you've only got to go ut on the course immediately after its been used to realise the difference. Its not just the machinery...once upon a time if the g'keeper was struggling with the greens you could almost write them off for a season. Now, with the use of chemicals and technology you've saved them within a month or so.

 

[guest100718]

Lost interest as soon as you said ‘custom fitting is a scam’

its cetainly not the be all and end all that some make it out to be.

 

[Dasit]

How cheap golf is to play these days is a big change.


Can pick up some a range of great clubs second hand for peanuts

Can go to lots of courses in great condition for £10 on teeofftimes


No reason for golf to be expensive if you don't want it to be. In the past from what I hear it was very different.

 

[MadAdey]

How cheap golf is to play these days is a big change.


Can pick up some a range of great clubs second hand for peanuts

Can go to lots of courses in great condition for £10 on teeofftimes


No reason for golf to be expensive if you don't want it to be. In the past from what I hear it was very different.

When I started playing it was very much different in the early 90s. You couldn't get a game anywhere at the weekend for less than 30 pound and you didn't have access to Ebay or other discount online retailers. If you wanted 2nd hand clubs you had to look at what people had traded in at the pro shop, but you didn't get the cheap bargains like Ebay give you.

Joining a club in the East Midlands where I'm from would cost around 500 a year plus another 500 joining fee and they didn't have monthly payment options either, you had to cough it up in one go.

 

[Capella]

At least in Germany, the biggest change is definitely affordability. Twenty years ago I would not have been able to play golf. While public courses and driving ranges are still very scarce, at least most clubs don't expect you to buy a share of the club any more when you join. It is still not a cheap hobby, but it is now something that members of the middle class can get into. Club culture is still struggling with this transition in some places, though.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Have to go with affordability too. When I was a kid, had no chance of playing, just wasn't available. Was completely surprised when I found I was able to afford joining a club, let alone mrs Wedge and Wedge junior joining as well.....

 

[jusme]

Great thread and some great responses. Hard to disagree with any of them.