Why are we so quick to penalize distance?

Golf has a curious tendency, IMO. When someone excels at a part of the game, we are accepting and complimentary--except for when someone hits the ball very far and straight. If a player is an extraordinary putter, people are complimentary. If someone is a great sand player, he gets a tip of the hat. Having a great short game gets you a ton of accolades. However if you hit the ball a loooooong way, well then we need to find a way to make things harder for you. We don't try to change the greens to trip up great putters. We don't make the fairway grass longer to challenge the great iron player. But a long hitter--well they are a pox on the game. Personally, I think being able to hit the ball far is a skill just like any other part of the game, and it shouldn't be singled out as something we should try to punish. Now I totally get the whole "distance is killing the game and making courses obsolete" thing, and also happen to agree with it. But on tour, IMO we should acknowledge that hitting it far is a skill the should give you an advantage, and it singled out as something we should battle with specific course setup strategies. JMHO.

seriously? ... length is driven to a large degree by the equipment, not the player ... the advantage is, again, to a large degree, with two specific pieces of equipment ... great putters aren't great because of the advances made with putters ...

Changes in equipment has helped already great athletes hit the ball farther. There are outliers, but as a rule a larger, stronger man with equal hand/eye coordination will hit the ball farther than a smaller opponent. Sometimes genetics (think 6'10" basketball player) plays a role as well. Life's not fair. But like the original poster, I'm not sure the long hitter should be penalized more than usual (like the US Open...narrower fairways and deeper rough).

One word....jealousy.

If I can't hit it that far then you shouldn't be allowed either. Every other sport rewards athletes that are bigger, faster, stronger. Maybe golf isn't a sport after all.

Lol

Here’s an idea - since it’s all equipment - let’s get the short hitters the same driver kit that BD and Tony are using. Don’t all of you see how simple that is? Level playing field. Your welcome.

Same in tennis, guys with huge serves are disrespected and labelled "servebots". The exception is Federer who is a servebot who can actually play. What makes him acceptable is that his serve effectiveness is based on ridiculous accuracy combined with decent speed rather than overwhelming speed with decent accuracy.

Lol equipment no it’s athleticism. Bryson has proven it.

All tour pros have access to the same equipment. So if the equipment made the difference they’d all hit the same distance with the same accuracy.

Whatcha mean?

People love big drives since Arnie drove par 4s, Jack tore up courses

And Tiger destroyed the course and field at Augusta.

Rory, DJ, BK, all big hitters and big fan favorites. And if BD can actually take things to the next level and win some Majors and important events, good for him.

I think as soon as he blows up a few bad drives swinging out of his shoes, that cost him big, he will get scared off and tone it down.

But, if he can keep up this pace, most everyone is excited to see what he can do.

"People love big drives since Arnie drove par 4s, Jack tore up courses"

Chicks dig the long ball...

Am I showing my age? : )

BDC (maybe) built a better mouse trap. I'm not convinced he's Einstein, and the smart-guy routine wears pretty thin, but he's smart enough to have a great team around him and look for an edge.

Did he find it? Time will tell...

DLiver you are a greaaaaaaaaaaaat driver of the golf ball - with fantastically earned length and accuracy - and put all those good putters and bunker players to shame.

xoxo

Better now?

FWIW, if I really smoke the ball, it goes 240-250.

I just think we tend to want to throttle back guys who excel at distance way more readily than guys who excel at other parts of the game, and I find that odd.

You admitted that you understand what that type of play does to golf courses. The economics of maintaining 8,000y monsters means we face huge increase in costs of play, thus lowering supply of great golfing experiences. I don't want to see our current courses obsolete .

Could we not make the fairways narrower and softer at the same time? Genuinely might that not be at least something to consider?

Fast/firm fairways are great to get a tee ball that lands in the fairway to chase into the rough but the tee balls that land in the proper spot and at the proper angle turn into 350+ yard drives.

So, I’m just wondering can the Tour implement more short/drivable/risk reward par 4s along with making fairways tighter and softer?

All of this has to be done eventually since we're bringing 350 yard drives to 6600 yard courses. Something has to give and the courses are not made of rubber. Plus even if they were the additional costs of maintaining the courses are going to be killer.

Golf as an industry and as a hobby is already unpopular. Just check out how often golfing is used to attack and stigmatize people (including current and former presidents). Add to that potentially huge energy and water consumption footprints and you have a politically toxic situation that inevitably would lead to golf's availability to dwindle.

We needs hazards and long rough in the 300-350 yard window. Force them to keep it in the short grass or lose strokes.

What do you propose we do to jack with the guys who are skilled besides a distance?

As long as golf is a game that fathers play with sons, it will be niche but healthy.

If that dynamic ceases, it will fall away to the extent that that tradition does.

Some of the fairways do seem to resemble airpot runways.

Nothing,

You're absolutely correct....a few guys hit a few drives 320 off a couple of holes in a tournament and the public want to change the ball, change the clubs and buy up new lots to make new tees. Total over reaction... Most of the long hitters don't have five wins in their careers.

Okay, then let’s give the short knockers the same driver BD uses and call it a day

If you were to write that on Twitter/Reddit you'd be torn to shreds.

The rulers of the internet, yes.

No golf course will ever be obsolete....the object of the game is to get it in the hole in the fewest strokes....everybody plays the same course and a champion is crowned at the end. just that simple.

Let's not.

Let’s not indeed. Good answer.

If it was such and advantage to hit the ball long why don't the long hitters win every week.

Also why don't all the long drive guys come over and take over the sport if distance is such a advantage.

Jaime Sadlowski tried that how is that working out for him.

Long driving is not a crime. It is a virtue and is more frequently by skill and grace of motion than by mere force. Long drivers shouldbe rewarded, and as a general rule they should have greater latitude, and not less, than short drivers. - Alister Mackenzie

A quote from the book The Spirit Of St. Andrews