USGA ball roll-back testing

[Socrates]

I am all for playing smart, sorry if i was a little unclear. I am certainly not a bomb and gouger, in fact on my home course i usually play 3 iron off the tee on a 385yd par 4 aswell as a 510yd par 5. It just makes sense given the trouble i can get into playing driver. But that's the thing, so many courses these days are being revamped and redesigned, and what do we keep seeing? Holes lengthened, that's pretty much it. With the millions they spend bringing in unoriginal re-designers to add 500yds to the layout (and of course the token water on the 18th), they could add cross hazards, they could narrow fairways after 280, they could plant trees to make you consider angles. These are things that so many courses in america have, yet the PGA tour completely ignores in favor of brute distance.

 

i wish they would just consider things like this before altering the ball and making it harder for the millions of people who already struggle with the game. Nothing wrong with some of them having the ability to drive the ball 320yds in the air, it makes short par 4's very strategic and fun to watch. Just make them at least think about pulling fairway wood on at least half the holes and you see guys like Tim Clark win a lot more, which is good for everyone

 

but it's the USGA, so expect the worst. Especially if the same "legends" keep whispering in their ear

 

edit** sorry i didn't answer your other question. I would have no problem with them limiting the ball where it is. Just don't move backwards, isn't that un-american! :rolleyes:

 

 

Some good thoughts and good on you for being able to play a smart game. What makes good players better is the ability to really think your way around a tough course. That being said, if you have the length to hit farther than most, you should have an advantage over most since you can lay up and still be able to have an iron in that puts you at an advantage over most.

 

That being said... where are my new test ProV's so that I can get more out of my bombing.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='HeadonaStick' timestamp='1283797713' post='2681719']
[quote name='Cornbread' timestamp='1283295020' post='2672214']
[quote name='DevilGolfer' timestamp='1283261762' post='2671026']
[quote name='Cornbread' timestamp='1283249974' post='2670857']
We in the US appear to have become so bored with life that we must have constant hype, drama or change to remain entertained. To me that's a form of selfishness. [b]Golf was not inventer, nor is it played for other peoples entertainment.[/b] Again, it is a sport was a very strick set of rules. Its a gentlemans game, of course therein lies the problem.... we in the US have lost much of the art of being gentlemen. Now we want fist pumps, cursing, amazement and drama.
Again, reducing the flight distance of the Golf Ball will only minutely affect the game, especially since 1/2 of our strokes are putts or chips.
I suppose these same folks that are against reducing ball distance would like to see every swing at a baseball game be an out of the park homerun. How boring that would become.
The creators of games establish rules for a reason, that being the good and fairness of their game.
[/quote]

That's great. If you don't watch the PGA for the excitement then you can just as easily turn off the TV and never watch a PGA event ever again [/quote]

It appears that you don't get it.
It's about Golf, its about the Game, its about competition, its about watching talent or enjoying the match or course views.
I don't watch Pro Golf to hear those idiots in the crowd holler "YOU DA MAN" every time someone tee's off.
[/quote]
So why not just head out to the local muni to watch some random foursome? Because there is entertainment value in watching professionals.

[b]That said, the USGA is supposed to shepherd the game for ALL golfers, not just the 0.001% of freakishly good golfers (who also happen to be entertaining to watch [i]because[/i] of their freakish ability). [/b] Very few golfers sniff par from the forward tees let alone the tips. Groove rollbacks, ball rollbacks etc. hurt the average golfer and have little effect on freakishly good golfers.

By the way, rolling the ball back will not silence the "IN THE HOLE" doofus, prevent fist pumps swearing. It may limit the amazement and drama which will hurt the PGA Tour and ultimately the health of golf in general.

And just so you know, you contradicted yourself when you said "its about competition, its about watching talent or enjoying the match." Those things are specifically about drama and amazement and to some extent fist pumping and even cursing. They get your heart pumping and emotionally involve you. In short, they entertain you, unless you are some emotionless automaton.
[/quote]

When I hear people refer to "[b]all[/b]" golfers what comes to mind in the golf world is casual golfers that maybe don't post, don't play by the rules, maybe play a few times over a few months, cope with seasonal limitations or generally not big financial supporters of the game compared to those of us that live golf lifestyles and have freakishly good games. It's for those reasons, and that the AVERAGE GOLFER doesn't support the game [b]enough [/b]his voice regarding changes like grooves, the ball or rule modifications shouldn't be considered much.

I, for one play golf 2-3 times per week, and my wife plays 1-2 times per week; every business trip (multiples yearly) or vacation trips (2-4 per yr) we play golf darn near every day. We have many friends that have similar lifestyles as well. Don't need to go into actual spending habits;, suffice to say what guys like me spend on golf covers what many causal golfers spend, and then some. I am not saying that to put anyone down or better myself, just to support my belief that serious amateurs like my wife and me typically evolve our lives around golf, that includes various types of tournaments and weekly team play. What the USGA and R&A do regarding the rules isn't meant for the average golfer because of the aforementioned reasons.

Changing grooves and rolling the ball back isn't meant to harm or silence anyone, it's to maintain the integrity of the game as SOA GOLF technology influences. Those golfers that take the game seriously willingly adjust; those that don't are not expected to adjust, it's OK. During this day and age there will always be equipment that doesn't meet the requirements for those that don't live and breath golf. To expect the rules to be defined by those that don't drive and support the the game seriously is IMO darn near socialistic thinking. Sorry, the guy or gal that takes the game casually, is not the bread and butter behind the game; it's serious golfers that what to keep the game somewhat close to it's origin.

[Cornbread]

[quote name='sergizmo' timestamp='1283796912' post='2681702']

The driving distance for the average male golfer is something like 210 yards. Average as in the majority of golf equipment purchases. Average as in the majority of greens fees. Average as in keeping the golf industry in general alive. If the game is made harder for this group (myself being among them - I hit the ball no-where) there will be a lot of golfers quitting the game to find another hobby. Some will tough it out but some will just leave.

For the [b]VAST[/b] majority of people golf is a very hard game. Let's be honest here, the percentage of golfers who can reach every par 5 in 2 and have 9 or wedge into par 4's on even the white tees is very, very small. Most of them seem to hang out on WRX, which skews people's perceptions IMO.

The USGA is catering to the Tour. This is a mistake. They need to cater to golfers and the golf industry in general. Ask yourselves this: Would you rather watch golf on TV or play? If the PGA tour disappeared tomorrow I would still play.

If the USGA wants to roll back distance on the Tour there is a very simple solution, raise the mower blades. Driving averages would drop a good 15 yards.

Serge
[/quote]

So it appears you seek the easy way out. Using your phylosophy we should change College rules and corriculum so that it only takes 1 year to get a Degree, or shorten the bowling lanes to 10ft so that strikes are easier made.
The Tour pros earned their Golf abilities, we should seek to do the same if we wish to play better.

[sfagolfjp]

The groove rule was a bust, look at the pga tour scoring average and how many 59's and 60's were shot this year. They made the game easier for the pro's by creating less guesswork from bad lies. the only thing that needs to be done for the pros is a softer cover requirement made for the ball... if the cover is softer, it creates more spin, more spin means less distance. no changes need to be made to the ball's core itself. this would not affect the average golfer at all because most people play a rock anyway.

[sergizmo]

[quote name='Cornbread' timestamp='1284125888' post='2689131']
So it appears you seek the easy way out. Using your phylosophy we should change College rules and corriculum so that it only takes 1 year to get a Degree, or shorten the bowling lanes to 10ft so that strikes are easier made.
The Tour pros earned their Golf abilities, we should seek to do the same if we wish to play better.
[/quote]

Not at all. I don't want the USGA to let technology reign but don't want to see a rollback. The ball is fine as it is IMO. Nothing about making the game easier, just don't make it harder for no reason.

[Dexterrocks]

[color=#040000][size=2]USGA might be conducting tests in Ontario.The field of lucky rollback-ball testers played 18-holes with a small competition.[/size][/color][color=#040000][size=2]The unmarked ball, described by both sources as having a shallow, typically went about 20 yards shorter with the best hit drives.[/size][/color]