When Equipment Has Gone Too Far

[Bye]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I doubt it would have an impact on the TV ratings, you can’t see that much. The tournament patrons might be more disappointed.

 

My reasons for a roll back are selfish, as I want to hit driver more often on my home course. And I am greedy, golf on TV would be more interesting if I were not so obsessed with distance.

[mahonie]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I’m not sure how many people start playing golf because they have seen it on TV but I’m guessing it must be a high proportion. If golf on TV is boring, the game will start to regress and go back to the elitist game that it was when I started playing in the early 1980s as the youth of today won’t pick the game up. The Senior section at my home club is very strong, junior section is non-existent.

 

Kids may be blown away by seeing DJ smash it 300 yards, but when they realise that they ‘need’ a £500 driver and a ball that costs nearly £5 each, the game is out of reach for most before they start. Golf used to be taught from the green back to the tee. You could start with a 9-iron and putter on a par 3 course and learn the fundamentals pretty quickly. The modern game has flipped that on it’s hèad actually making the game harder to learn. I see kids smashing the ball on the range and then walking off after 9 holes on the course because they’ve lost most of the balls they’ve spent their pocket money on. Then they give up. The obsession with distance is killing the game at grass roots level.

[Bad9]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I doubt it would have an impact on the TV ratings, you can’t see that much. The tournament patrons might be more disappointed.

 

My reasons for a roll back are selfish, as I want to hit driver more often on my home course. And I am greedy, golf on TV would be more interesting if I were not so obsessed with distance.

 

Golf for the most part is boring to watch on tv fir most people, even to avid golfers. Always has been. It really only changes when golfers who are dynamic and powerful are around-Nicklaus, Norman, Tiger, Phil, DJ. I respect a guys like Pavin and Zack Johnson for their ability but I don’t want to watch a Tour full of them. I barely watch pro golf as it is

[North Butte]

Kids may be blown away by seeing DJ smash it 300 yards, but when they realise that they ‘need’ a £500 driver and a ball that costs nearly £5 each, the game is out of reach for most before they start.

 

Give on, mate. You know DJ can bomb it with an R9 and a LETHAL PRACTICE ball.

[Nard_S]

If the my own envelope of distance goes up 20-30 yards because of the 460cc Driver why should I be blown away with Tour averages going up 30 yards ?

 

Drive, chip & putt is supposed to be for kids at Master's week, not the MO of the PGA Tour.

 

I am truly impressed with the level of play in the modern short game, the soundness of swing mechanics and depth of field.. Not pumped that shot making and strategy are in the dumpster because "oohing and ahhing" w/ pro tracer & whispered analysis of a putt are what passes for spectator drama. Notice that dude with hot putter & wedge becomes no.1, once those cool, new #1. Notice that best events now, are played on modern designs and that the "classic" majors, constantly end up being 'also rans' of excellence because their integrity is getting steam rolled by the tech.

 

Make the ball a b**** to the wind again, add a more of a spin quotient and the show will get a lot more interesting and impressive. I'll shut up now......cheers.

[Bye]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I doubt it would have an impact on the TV ratings, you can’t see that much. The tournament patrons might be more disappointed.

 

My reasons for a roll back are selfish, as I want to hit driver more often on my home course. And I am greedy, golf on TV would be more interesting if I were not so obsessed with distance.

 

Golf for the most part is boring to watch on tv fir most people, even to avid golfers. Always has been. It really only changes when golfers who are dynamic and powerful are around-Nicklaus, Norman, Tiger, Phil, DJ. I respect a guys like Pavin and Zack Johnson for their ability but I don’t want to watch a Tour full of them. I barely watch pro golf as it is

 

It’s better when there is more of a mix. Too many bombers is just as bad as to many short and straight guys.

[Pepperturbo]

For the most part, the OP posted some valid questions and I especially agree with his last thought. But would add, there are too many tours, too much individual money in the game, and too much sponsor influence.

 

Combined, its allowing people that would never get remotely close to top rankings, hang on and make exorbitant money beyond what they would ever make comparatively in corporate America.

Improved equipment is playing its part in watering down fields. It was said the game was driven by what's between the ears and natural skill. Now, we're less likely to know who the worlds best-skilled players really are. Listen to what D. Johnson has been recently saying about how new technology in his fancy new driver has changed his long game misses. Aside from SS influence, new equipment has made it easier for him to hit driver all the time. Though there's some marketing pitch to his comments, his previous driver troubles were obvious to everyone that paid attention. However, new equipment bears witness to a pivotal change of his mindset.

[A.Princey]

Dimples did rule the golf marketing world even back in the 70's. Do a little research

Was this directed at me? I just meant its hard to market ProV1 vs generic when a limit has been set and seeing as there's not much to differentiate golf balls to begin with. Wait a minute, add some SLDR weights to the inside of the ball, perhaps a Jailbreak rod through the core?? Golf club design is at least unique and has a ton of variance, golf balls not so much...

[pinestreetgolf]

For the most part, the OP posted some valid questions and I especially agree with his last thought. But would add, there are too many tours, too much individual money in the game, and too much sponsor influence.

 

Combined, its allowing people that would never get remotely close to top rankings, hang on and make exorbitant money beyond what they would ever make comparatively in corporate America.

Improved equipment is playing its part in watering down fields. It was said the game was driven by what's between the ears and natural skill. Now, we're less likely to know who the worlds best-skilled players really are. Listen to what D. Johnson has been recently saying about how new technology in his fancy new driver has changed his long game misses. Aside from SS influence, new equipment has made it easier for him to hit driver all the time. Though there's some marketing pitch to his comments, his previous driver troubles were obvious to everyone that paid attention. However, new equipment bears witness to a pivotal change of his mindset.

 

Do you watch a lot of the lower tour players/top ams or play against them?

 

I would never characterize them as "hanging on and making exorbitant money" because equipment is making up for their poor skill.

 

They're incredible.

[Sean2]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

Many venues cut and roll their fairways because they want those guys to hit those long drives...it's good for TV.

[Bruin Bear]

You would think the R&A and USGA would've stepped in and said something if the equipment has truly gone too far. Distances haven't really gone up at all as far as averages but a lot of these guys on tour aren't exactly smashing 320+ on average. I will say back in the day before the Pro V1 you were looking at 300 yards being a monster drive. But now I'm seeing more of a leveling out trend as far as "innovation" goes. Because we've caught most of these companies lies saying their new driver is 17+ yards longer than last years driver. Things like flex face are just an answer to what the people are asking for and that can only help. I personally would love to see how innovation becomes more of a variety and less of a one-size-fits-all. Innovate on how we can help fit different real people and not make just one driver that fits only Adam Scott's swing. The biggest reason why more people don't play golf is still because it's too hard! Let these companies innovate and trust the governing bodies to know what's compliant to the rules of the game.

[grm24]

Because we've caught most of these companies lies saying their new driver is 17+ yards longer than last years driver.

No. No OEM claimed that with their driver regardless of what people want to actually believe versus fact. TM did claim their RBZ fairway wood was 17 yards longer than an R11 fairway wood with robot testing at 150 mph ball speed. Then TM claimed another 10 yards with the RBZ2 fairways.

 

BTW Callaway absurdly claimed their X-Hot fairway wood was 32 yards longer. A number here most missed/ignored. Of course the 32 yard increase was in comparison to one of their own products. :glare:

 

http://taylormadegol..._Catalog_11.pdf

http://taylormadegol...BZStage2Fwy.pdf

 

https://www.tgw.com/...rways-p46548--1

http://www.discountg...ials/xhot-16off

[Uhit]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I’m not sure how many people start playing golf because they have seen it on TV but I’m guessing it must be a high proportion. If golf on TV is boring, the game will start to regress and go back to the elitist game that it was when I started playing in the early 1980s as the youth of today won’t pick the game up. The Senior section at my home club is very strong, junior section is non-existent.

 

Kids may be blown away by seeing DJ smash it 300 yards, but when they realise that they ‘need’ a £500 driver and a ball that costs nearly £5 each, the game is out of reach for most before they start. Golf used to be taught from the green back to the tee. You could start with a 9-iron and putter on a par 3 course and learn the fundamentals pretty quickly. The modern game has flipped that on it’s hèad actually making the game harder to learn. I see kids smashing the ball on the range and then walking off after 9 holes on the course because they’ve lost most of the balls they’ve spent their pocket money on. Then they give up. The obsession with distance is killing the game at grass roots level.

 

Interesting how you could observe what kids in general do in the non-existent junior section of your club...

 

In our club, the junior section is very strong, and the men's and the women's club champions are below 20 years of age.

 

I'm glad, that I observed different things in regard of the youth, than you did.

 

Maybe it is because the kids in our club know, that they can start playing with borrowed, or used clubs, and lake balls with next to no cost.

And we have in addition a sponsorship facility for promoting the youth.

 

-

 

Have you already thought about this one:

 

Maybe the youth is rather fed up with narrow minded opinions from the past?

 

-

 

Disclaimer:

 

I'm older than Tiger Woods...

[Golfjack]

Low scoring is not a new phenomenon. Guys like Norman and John Cook etc posted some scary low numbers in the 90's. It was great to see. But they played the holes how they were designed to be play, how boring!

 

Greg Norman was second on tour in driving distance during his hayday, around 284 off the tee, only about 10 yards behind today's biggest hitters (top 30).

 

I'm sure he only played courses as they were designed. He didn't bomb any doglegs. That was 17 years ago he posted those numbers.

 

We can slice and dice it up anyway anyone wants, but golf always has been and always will be a game of speed and distance. Positional players win sometimes, but the dominant players of every single era are dominant because they are long. The idea that Greg Norman was playing positional golf and not bombing his way to titles is silly.

 

Ironically, the shortest guy (Relative to the field) who has had huge success is Spieth, who according to this thread should have no chance.

When he played the courses were set up shorter. Why wouldn't he take shortcuts? Of course he took advantage of his length. Otherwise his driving distance wouldn't be any longer than the average. 285 is still pretty long today's average is only 292 and the courses are much longer now than before. So relatively he was probably taking more advantage than even the players today.

 

Overall pro players are longer but relative to course length I would argue they are not. Amateurs on the other hand are still mostly out of shape hackers who make the game harder for themselves not matter what clubs they play.

[cliche]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

Many venues cut and roll their fairways because they want those guys to hit those long drives...it's good for TV.

 

lets be honest here.

we are all fans of the game, but for an outsider, golf is boring to watch. watching some middle aged men hitting a ball over 5 hours during 4 days is hard to take.

i would really like to see something like a sudden death matchplay game. you loose the first hole, you're out. halve it, up to the next hole. tournament sure wouldn't take 4 days.

[mahonie]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I’m not sure how many people start playing golf because they have seen it on TV but I’m guessing it must be a high proportion. If golf on TV is boring, the game will start to regress and go back to the elitist game that it was when I started playing in the early 1980s as the youth of today won’t pick the game up. The Senior section at my home club is very strong, junior section is non-existent.

 

Kids may be blown away by seeing DJ smash it 300 yards, but when they realise that they ‘need’ a £500 driver and a ball that costs nearly £5 each, the game is out of reach for most before they start. Golf used to be taught from the green back to the tee. You could start with a 9-iron and putter on a par 3 course and learn the fundamentals pretty quickly. The modern game has flipped that on it’s hèad actually making the game harder to learn. I see kids smashing the ball on the range and then walking off after 9 holes on the course because they’ve lost most of the balls they’ve spent their pocket money on. Then they give up. The obsession with distance is killing the game at grass roots level.

 

Interesting how you could observe what kids in general do in the non-existent junior section of your club...

 

In our club, the junior section is very strong, and the men's and the women's club champions are below 20 years of age.

 

I'm glad, that I observed different things in regard of the youth, than you did.

 

Maybe it is because the kids in our club know, that they can start playing with borrowed, or used clubs, and lake balls with next to no cost.

And we have in addition a sponsorship facility for promoting the youth.

 

-

 

Have you already thought about this one:

 

Maybe the youth is rather fed up with narrow minded opinions from the past?

 

-

 

Disclaimer:

 

I'm older than Tiger Woods...

 

It would be interesting to see what got your juniors into the game...perhaps we can learn something over here. I’m not aware of any sponsorship deals promoting grass roots golf over here. Perhaps it’s time for the OEMs to start contributing to the growth of the game rather than squeezing the life out of it?

 

For me, the game has always been multi-faceted and every part of the game has had equal bearing on scoring well. Nowadays distance is king because it is easier to sell a driver at £500 and make huge profits - particularly when it only costs £20-£50 to make one (2008 data).

 

This is where golf is narrow-minded - everything is predicated around distance to the detriment of the rest of the game.

[tannyhoban]

Todays pros grew up playing tournament golf. This rarely gets mentioned. Reps at a high level on top courses. The game is played mostly between the ears, and DJ just won by a bunch. Ponder that.

[Bye]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I’m not sure how many people start playing golf because they have seen it on TV but I’m guessing it must be a high proportion. If golf on TV is boring, the game will start to regress and go back to the elitist game that it was when I started playing in the early 1980s as the youth of today won’t pick the game up. The Senior section at my home club is very strong, junior section is non-existent.

 

Kids may be blown away by seeing DJ smash it 300 yards, but when they realise that they ‘need’ a £500 driver and a ball that costs nearly £5 each, the game is out of reach for most before they start. Golf used to be taught from the green back to the tee. You could start with a 9-iron and putter on a par 3 course and learn the fundamentals pretty quickly. The modern game has flipped that on it’s hèad actually making the game harder to learn. I see kids smashing the ball on the range and then walking off after 9 holes on the course because they’ve lost most of the balls they’ve spent their pocket money on. Then they give up. The obsession with distance is killing the game at grass roots level.

 

Interesting how you could observe what kids in general do in the non-existent junior section of your club...

 

In our club, the junior section is very strong, and the men's and the women's club champions are below 20 years of age.

 

I'm glad, that I observed different things in regard of the youth, than you did.

 

Maybe it is because the kids in our club know, that they can start playing with borrowed, or used clubs, and lake balls with next to no cost.

And we have in addition a sponsorship facility for promoting the youth.

 

-

 

Have you already thought about this one:

 

Maybe the youth is rather fed up with narrow minded opinions from the past?

 

-

 

Disclaimer:

 

I'm older than Tiger Woods...

 

It would be interesting to see what got your juniors into the game...perhaps we can learn something over here. I’m not aware of any sponsorship deals promoting grass roots golf over here. Perhaps it’s time for the OEMs to start contributing to the growth of the game rather than squeezing the life out of it?

 

For me, the game has always been multi-faceted and every part of the game has had equal bearing on scoring well. Nowadays distance is king because it is easier to sell a driver at £500 and make huge profits - particularly when it only costs £20-£50 to make one (2008 data).

 

This is where golf is narrow-minded - everything is predicated around distance to the detriment of the rest of the game.

 

We are not allowed to be sponsored in the UK unless you are an Elite golfer, then you can get a bursary from the EGU. So if you are good and have rich parents then you have a massive advantage at the top level.

 

Our junior systems seem to be a bit hit a miss. Our county has had some really good spells were lots of good players have been produced and others where the have only been a few. Time and money at the moment is not in great abundance.

 

I like the idea of lending juniors clubs and balls etc.

[bladehunter]

There are two options and only 2 options.

1. limit distance the ball can go

2. keep expanding courses to longer and longer lengths

 

I vote for 1, but if you don't vote for 1 you vote for 2. That's the nature of the issue.

 

Nonsense. There is another option.

 

3. Have the winning scores get lower and lower.

 

Every single other sport has chosen this option (football average points, basketball average points, etc...). There is a small group of people who care that courses like St. Andrews are won at -15 now. I don't understand their beef, but they exist, and for some reason have this idea that a course shouldn't yield a score that is X below par. Everyone else just appreciates that St. Andrews is an awesome historic course and isn't "obsolete" because the winning score is low, just like football isn't "obsolete" because teams now average 20-ish points a game instead of 11-ish.

 

EDIT

You should be blaming tournament organizers, not the ball or equipment. Merion (which isn't long) was won at what, -1 by Rose? They added 600 yards to Erin Hills and Koepka killed it. If somebody (*cough* Mike Davis *cough*) is out of ideas, maybe he should be replaced and not the ball.

 

A wall will be hit where score doesn’t go lower. It wil just be 100% drive pitch putt. Which equals boring. See nascar now. They have regulated out 200 mph plus on any tracks save talladega. Fuel injection now so they get every ounce of fuel mileage. Sponsor dollars dictate who what when where 100%. And drivers are fined or banned for fights , purposeful wrecks etc. so it’s just a bunch of numb nuts driving around in identical cars seeing who can pitch and putt there way to a win. By that I mean fuel mileage and hanging back on big tracks to stay out of wrecks. In other words it’s all too sanitary and safe. Golf is headed the same direction. Might take 20 years. But it willl die a slow death as the long ball looses its novelty.

[Nard_S]

Kids are flipping off of buildings, free climbing the Igor & sailing like a bat off a mountain.

 

And we think making the game easier or the next leap in distance is appealing and will grow the game. Okay.

[bladehunter]

pecuniary....thats all its about... the game growers do not care about the game...only their pockets

[North Butte]

Are you guys sure the ProV1 wasn’t involved in the Kennedy assassination? Lord knows you’re dragging in everything else except the kitchen sink.

[mukster]

" The new Haskells are terrible for the game. Bring back the gutty. These new balls are giving everyone 20 yards extra off the tee.. We should be relying on skill, not technology." - Old Tom Morris, 1902.

[pinestreetgolf]

pecuniary....thats all its about... the game growers do not care about the game...only their pockets

 

What a silly thing to say. They're not mutually exclusive. The OEMs make money off growing the game.

 

Nothing grew basketball worldwide like "Be Like Mike", and there was a swoosh underneath every time the ad ran. It was basically an ad for the NBA with a Nike logo on it. OEM's in golf are similar.

 

Your portrayal of equipment companies having to make some sort of dystopian Sophie's choice between a parasite who destroys their host on the one hand and sacrificing profit so more 10 year olds play on the other is ridiculous.

 

EDIT

I'm not sure if others have seen this but at my club they had a "juniors day" sponsored by Bridgestone where a ton of kids came out for free, played, and left with a box of balls, a Snedecker (sp) hat and tons of random swag. Of course, their parents left with a "Bridgestone Gift Guide" which was what the launch monitors said their kids should get (Balls, clubs, etc...) for xmas. I'm sure OEM's do that from time to time. They had a computer set up with a few techs working. It was mostly middle and high schoolers.

 

So, I think you are way off here. The OEM's role in growing the game is - and will be - crucial, and I don't see them doing anything to alienate kids. If anything their targeting juniors for the first time in the history of the industry (nothing like Fowler's gear in the 80s targeted specifically at kids, and all the high school girls team that practices at the club has the same hat. Its Cobra, but I'm not sure who its mimicking, but its an LPGA player).

 

SECOND EDIT

 

After some googling, its Lexi. The Puma patch is on the side. Its a kinda visor-hat thing. They all have them, in white pink or purple.

[North Butte]

And again I ask, do even the Grandpa Simpson types think if USGA rolled back to the ball 30 yards tomorrow that people (or "kids") would come flocking to the game? It's ludicrous. I'm just trying to imagine someone who tried golf a couple times and said, "Man, that ball just flies way too far. I sure wish they'd make it go shorter, then the game would actually be fun".

[new2g0lf]

So this really is all about what you guys want to see on TV. It’s not a “problem” for golf per se but for the televised entertainment product.

 

That said, do you really think if every Tour golfer started hitting it 30 yards shorter overnight then TV golf ratings would actually improve? Seems a long shot, so to speak.

 

I’m not sure how many people start playing golf because they have seen it on TV but I’m guessing it must be a high proportion. If golf on TV is boring, the game will start to regress and go back to the elitist game that it was when I started playing in the early 1980s as the youth of today won’t pick the game up. The Senior section at my home club is very strong, junior section is non-existent.

 

Kids may be blown away by seeing DJ smash it 300 yards, but when they realise that they ‘need’ a £500 driver and a ball that costs nearly £5 each, the game is out of reach for most before they start. Golf used to be taught from the green back to the tee. You could start with a 9-iron and putter on a par 3 course and learn the fundamentals pretty quickly. The modern game has flipped that on it’s hèad actually making the game harder to learn. I see kids smashing the ball on the range and then walking off after 9 holes on the course because they’ve lost most of the balls they’ve spent their pocket money on. Then they give up. The obsession with distance is killing the game at grass roots level.

 

Interesting how you could observe what kids in general do in the non-existent junior section of your club...

 

In our club, the junior section is very strong, and the men's and the women's club champions are below 20 years of age.

 

I'm glad, that I observed different things in regard of the youth, than you did.

 

Maybe it is because the kids in our club know, that they can start playing with borrowed, or used clubs, and lake balls with next to no cost.

And we have in addition a sponsorship facility for promoting the youth.

 

-

 

Have you already thought about this one:

 

Maybe the youth is rather fed up with narrow minded opinions from the past?

 

-

 

Disclaimer:

 

I'm older than Tiger Woods...

 

It would be interesting to see what got your juniors into the game...perhaps we can learn something over here. I’m not aware of any sponsorship deals promoting grass roots golf over here. Perhaps it’s time for the OEMs to start contributing to the growth of the game rather than squeezing the life out of it?

 

For me, the game has always been multi-faceted and every part of the game has had equal bearing on scoring well. Nowadays distance is king because it is easier to sell a driver at £500 and make huge profits - particularly when it only costs £20-£50 to make one (2008 data).

 

This is where golf is narrow-minded - everything is predicated around distance to the detriment of the rest of the game.

 

I disagree, there is a ton of money being spent on wedges and putters, they just don't cost as much as drivers.

 

Distance is the key to lower scores in golf, especially competitive golf. If you took two guys who were identical in skills except off the tee where one guy hit the fairway and was longer by 50 yards, who do you think is going to win head to head?

[pinestreetgolf]

And again I ask, do even the Grandpa Simpson types think if USGA rolled back to the ball 30 yards tomorrow that people (or "kids") would come flocking to the game? It's ludicrous. I'm just trying to imagine someone who tried golf a couple times and said, "Man, that ball just flies way too far. I sure wish they'd make it go shorter, then the game would actually be fun".

 

I don't totally remember when it was, but I've heard those kids be really abuzz twice on the range about pro golf happenings. Once was when the LPGA player missed the tap in to lose the US Open. The other was when Lexi hit her 350 yard drive or whatever it was at then made eagle with 9 iron. I think it was last year, they were going nuts and taking turns trying to crush it with her trademark windup. They were laughing the whole time. They weren't making great contact, but they were having fun.

 

They all love Lexi and have all Lexi stuff. Stacey Lewis has had a better career, but why arn't they mimicking / talking about her? I think we all know the answer. The big stick.

 

I've never, ever heard them abuzz about four days of solid, positional golf that maximizes scoring and minimizes risk. These people who think removing distance will help grow the game - i just don't get it. At all. It'd be like putting a weight vest on MJ. Insane.

[Nard_S]

The asset of golf is that it is difficult, sell that, sell a ladder of tech to obtain conquer over it. But foremost sell the skill set required to play it.

 

Display & embrace it's difficulty by making Tour play harder, not easier. Shrink drivers 25%, add more spin and raise aerodynamic drag of ball.

 

DJ will still hit 375 but finding fairway will be harder, make hitting greens harder for all of them.

 

Allow duffers more tech if they desire, if they want to mirror tournament gear, they are free to own it. Keep it all transparent, but say"this crap will only do so much", "the swing is the thing":.

 

But stop the bait & switch of 'wow, DJ hit it 419, if I get an M3, I could too.".

 

The reliance on tech and equipment to define the game itself & "fun" is what has gone too far. Sells clubs, but does not sell the game.

[North Butte]

How long have Tour players been paid to endorse golf clubs? Longer than I've been alive. Are you going to blame a "decline" in the game during the 70's, 80's and 90's on Tour endorsements?

 

Back when I started golf, wanna-be good players chose those horrible Balata balls at four bucks a pop and threw them away ever 5-6 holes just like the Tour players.

[pinestreetgolf]

But stop the bait & switch of 'wow, DJ hit it 419, if I get an M3, I could too.".

 

There is literally nobody who actually thinks this, just like there is nobody who thinks they can average 24 points in the NBA and make threes consistently from 32 feet in the NBA finals if they buy the Nike Kyrie Version 4.

 

I think (without coming across as offensive, hopefully) virtually everyone arguing the tour is too "easy" isn't a tournament player at a significant level. Its hard as h*ll and I only play the usual middle age decent am tournaments (regional, zurich monday when its in town, mid am, state am, etc...). The guys are supremely, incredibly talented. You guys are way off in your evaluation of how much the equipment makes the player. These guys are f*ing good, period. I was paired with a guy in the State am who didn't even sniff the tour after trying for four years (D1 player) and he was insanely good, shooting 69 in a cyclone on a 7300 yard course. I guess it was just his M2 though. *eye roll* The event was played in tough conditions, so straight was bad on almost every hole. With wind, drivers that force straight can actually be a handicap to you.

 

It just seems that we are in a basic disagreement about reality. The idea that PGA Tour players are marginal golfers who can hit it far because of today's equipment and the game has become somehow not challenging is just insane to me.