Limit the golf ball? Jack thinks so.

[The Dansome]

So Mr. Nicklaus was on the Feherty this week and the topic off the golf ball came up. Jack seems to feel it is the biggest equipment advancement and to an extent harming the game. Jack brought up some really good points and arguments for limiting the ball. He pointed out that since the ball has gotten longer, so have courses, which have also added more sand, more water and where possible trees. Jack explained how this has added to inflating costs of maintenance to courses and then that's passed on to the average golfer in fee costs etc. He also made the Tiger proofing course comment and related it all to the modern ball.

 

I for one tend to agree with Jack's thought's on this topic. So with it out on the table how do you all feel about limiting the modern ball? Do you think it would truly bring back the older courses into play? Reduces course maintenance etc?

[furu]

I agree with Mr.Nicklaus. It would possibly be a good idea to limit the golf ball. But not for everyone. I think the iceberg on the horizon - called Bifurcation - is so close that they can't steer around it. I wasn't for it a few weeks ago, but it looks inevitable.

 

But one thing I don't understand is why courses must get longer because we hit the ball farther. Short holes are fun. They give you options. We like it as amateurs and it's fun to see the pros play them on tv.

[westy]

Id like to see the tour pro's limited to balls like the old tour balatas! Take some distance off them and reintroduce some of the spin - I miss the crazy backspin.

 

 

[Super Tuna]

No, no, no.

 

A: The spiteful side of me says Nickalus only wants this because he holds patents in that arena

 

B: I don't care what Tour Pro's are shooting. There are many ways to lengthen a course for even the Pro's without actually lengthening the course. How about actually having rough in an event for once. Until PGA courses are set up properly, bomb and gouge is the order of the day. If that way of play doesn't work, the ball doesn't do as much. The ball is catered to the events they play. Fix the events sorts out the ball

 

C: Most people who complain about the ball being too long has forgotten the actual average golfer out there. The one that drives the ball 220 yards are best even with all the tech they've got. The one where their 150 is a 6 iron and a hard one at that. Changing the ball for top level amateurs and pro's is unimpressive. Same as the idiot COR/CT ruling.

 

D: Hey course designers: Stop making courses so spread out! You want to use less land/resources? DO IT. It really isn't that hard. It's appalling to me when I see that idiot blimp flying over courses on TV showing the layout. Far too many of those courses take up the space where 2 or 3 courses could be fit. Some of them were built way back when and that's one thing. Some of the newer ones though, it's just sickening. It's spread out so far it's akin to a hurricane picking up a pile of lego's and strewing them about the ground.

[Tyk]

The biggest reason many courses are so spread out is so they can put houses around them, not because of the length. I don't much care for Jack's reasoning, I find it to be a bit self serving. There are many other ways to reign in the pros without messing with equipment; like Tuna said, put some rough out there for tournaments other than the US Open! Slow the courses down a bit, make these guys play some REAL golf instead of playing in what is essentially a golf stadium every week. How many of us play on greens that are pretty much consistent from week to week? Hell, on my own course the greens are different every day depending on when the mowers were out last! Give them some slow greens then some fast ones, let's see who can putt!

 

I know it's a big money game and there's alot at stake for the PGA Tour and the players, but it irritates me that they; this vast minority of the golfing population; are the ones that are considered when discussing game changes. I don't think Jack thinks that is what he is doing, but the ball is not a problem for most amateurs. 50 year old courses contain most of us just fine!

[RoverRick]

The Euro Tour just played the longest course in its history this past weekend in South Africa.I think it was 7800 yards, all the par 5 s 600+ yards. The winner shot 21 under par and eagled the par 5 at 687 yards. So is this a reason to argue in favor of the limited golf ball. Hell, no. A few weeks ago at Riviera the winning score was -11 and the hardest hole on the course was 308 yards long.

 

They play on courses where the greens are the size of the parking lot at my course. Hell, bomb the driver all you want if you have a greens that size. Even if you short side yourself you are just going to have a long putt. Play harder courses not longer courses. Longer rough and course set up can effect the game much more than longer holes.

 

I have had people complain because our course forces you to use other clubs besides the driver off the tee. Make these guys hit to certain spot not just bomb it and wedge it close.

[JSHIBONE]

Maybe on PGA and European PGA tournaments, but even that is pushing it. Advancement of golf equipment is inevitable. Otherwise none of golf equipment companies will survive. It would not make sense to limit the use of "technologically advance golf balls" or "number of balls used" or etc for amateurs or leisure golfers. PROS not using "pro tour" type golf balls can definitely work if USGA pushes their envelope again like belly-putter ban. But why would they? They should rather limit the length of shafts or angles of irons/drivers. In order to address this issue, they have already limited grooves on wedges and belly putter. Longer courses is less significant since for regular golfers, advanced technology only means 20-30 yards per hole. How many trees or ponds or sands will they need to replace those gaps with hazards?

 

Sorry for the mumble but I just don't agree with Jack on this. PROS might need to be regulated but even that is not really necessary. What audience and spectators expect from PROS is that of BETTER and AMAZING SHOTS and PLAYS. If we all can do what pros do, why should they make millions?

 

Salute~

[Blade]

Yea, "Tee it forward. Courses are too long. Pick up the pace of play." and at the same time, "Limit how far the ball goes. Limit drivers. Limit the ball." Please. As if the majority of golfers hit it too far! As far as new courses being longer and taking more resources to maintain; that's an issue, but not one caused by the ball or how far the vast majority of golfers hit it. What percentage of courses are used for Tour events out of the total number in the country? Does what happens on Tour really affect "everyone"? They make these tightly mowed fairways for tournaments just to get tons of roll and really long drives on purpose. Like was already mentioned, you can "lengthen" the course without making it longer for the events where a long ball is a factor. No need to limit the ball for everyone.

[whiskey golf]

Limiting the golf ball is stupid because why should we care what pros shoot. It's their job to play as best as they can and it's not like it's doing anything to the course. Does the Masters and Augusta lose its history and heritage because someone shoots 20 under? I don't think so. They need to keep the way things are but when it comes to courses, I agree that there is no need to make really long courses because short courses can be challenging as well. Plus what Super Tuna said, don't spread out the holes so far.

[Kor.A.Door]

They have done this very thing in Softball over the last few years, and frankly it doesn't work, in softball they limit the ball, but the bat manufacturers make a new bat every year that pretty much defeats the purpose, causing even more harm, because in order to compete at the high levels in the sport you must shell out 3 to four hundred bucks every year per bat, I believe that will be the same thing that happens with golf, you limit the ball, but the club manufacturers will find ways to defeat the ball changes, they could of course change both the ball and the equipment to get the desired changes, but golf is a multi billion dollar industry, so that will never happen.

 

Personally I think that if youre not going to change both the clubs and the balls, don't change anything, because if you change one without the other, it will create a much different more expensive problem in golf.