Rolling the Ball Back For Good?

[tahoebum]

The USGA is so clueless and full of themselves. It would be so easy to roll back the mowers on tour and/or soften landing areas for PGA Tour events.

Truly a solution in search of a problem.

Here is PGA Tour scoring average, Vardon Trophy winner, and average driving distance(all drives, not just two measured drives per round). 10 yards gained in two decades with all the improvements in agronomy, clubhead tech, shaft tech, fitness, mental coaching, nutrition, agronomy, Trackman data, putter fittings, etc. The average score for the last five years is 70.8; the five years after the advent of the modern ball in 2000, it was 71.36. A whopping .56 stroke improvement and the Vardon Trophy scoring average hasn't moved.

Maybe bombing it doesn't correlate to lower scoring, or maybe the adjustments in course length(Augusta National is 490 yards longer than 23 years ago) for those courses that host PGA Tour events are enough. The USGA will never see these obvious facts.

Most of us would have guessed Tiger had the lowest scoring average of the last 25 years but to my surprise it was Webb Simpson in 2019/20. I guess his long game is scary to the USGA decision makers, no doubt the stuff of nightmares for them, lol.

 

[ger21]

But would each course have that big of gap between tees?

I’d argue that’s a course design problem. What happens when someone’s speed is changing such as the example you gave? A kid growing into the game will have such a challenge jumping from 4500 to 6300 and conversely adults will try to cling too long to 6300 before dropping.

Many (most?) mid range courses near me are like this. Your typical "muni like" course. Standard tees are white, there's usually a back blue tee, and the red (usually called ladies) tees are well up, usually 50-70 yards or more. There's no option to move up 500, or even 1000 yards.

 

[JW Smoove]

Most importantly. Does this mean the 19 dozen balls i have or are enroute become highly valuable in the secondary market?

Hahah kidding, or am i? Nah, i am

 

[Jman]

Our whites are 5838. If you move forward to the greens, it's 4823. A 1,015 yard difference. Sure, courses could put in new tee boxes to bridge the gaps, but it would cost them a lot of money and what's the benefit to them?

That’s why courses have started offering split tee options.

 

[USAF Retired]

This passage makes it seem that way.

View attachment 9223772

Sure hope they don’t make me hit it shorter

 

[UncleDanger]

My 2¢...
If rolling back the ball gets a few people off the course, so be it.
If my muni starts setting up par 4's at 375 yards instead of 400+, that's okay with me.
I started playing in the era where a 6000 yard course was plenty for the equipment, the game was just as enjoyable.
Like I said, just my 2¢.

 

[GoldenBuff]

I know this is unpopular, but rolling back the ball (or not) doesn't really matter to me. It's a game with rules, and as long as we all play the same rules, it's all relative.

If they actually follow through with a ball change, I will be curious how they do it and on what timescale. There is no way they can make an abrupt change; no amateur golfer is going to ditch his/her current ball stash. Honestly, I don't see how they can meaningfully enforce a ball change for us amateurs, at least until the ball pipeline has time to go through a full changeover. Is that years? I would think so.

 

[Jman]

I know this is unpopular, but rolling back the ball (or not) doesn't really matter to me. It's a game with rules, and as long as we all play the same rules, it's all relative.

If they actually follow through with a ball change, I will be curious how they do it and on what timescale. There is no way they can make an abrupt change; no amateur golfer is going to ditch his/her current ball stash. Honestly, I don't see how they can meaningfully enforce a ball change for us amateurs, at least until the ball pipeline has time to go through a full changeover. Is that years? I would think so.

Losing yardage doesn’t bother you?

That said, I agree with the end of your post, I’d wish them luck enforcing it and trying to get the switch over to happen in an effective and timely manner haha

 

[JB]

I’m clearly in the minority here, but in my mind if the ball gets rolled back simply move up a set of tees and move on.

What will be fascinating to me is if OEM’s give the middle finger and continue to keep an “illegal” ball (Or balls) in their line.

I agree with this, but that means relying on courses to mark off accordingly combined with every other person on the course or guess what? slow golf

 

[GolfFest]

I agree with this, but that means relying on courses to mark off accordingly combined with every other person on the course or guess what? slow golf

I see too many now that are playing tee boxes too far back.

 

[PatsFan]

If they roll back the ball to suit the Pro's they are doing a disservice to the 99% of people who play/love this game.

 

[xThor]

This is so stupid and ridiculously unnecessary and that’s why i fully believe they will do it

 

[Scooby45]

I agree with this, but that means relying on courses to mark off accordingly combined with every other person on the course or guess what? slow golf

Hmm… that’s a good perspective. Folks already let ego influence tee choices and this would make it worse.

Where do I sign up for the mob? My preference is for a pitchfork over a torch

 

[Jman]

If they roll back the ball to suit the Pro's they are doing a disservice to the 99% of people who play/love this game.

Agree, which is why we both know they will do it.

 

[Phil75070]

Age alone has already robbed me of some distance, and, as a result, some of the enjoyment. I'll hoard balls and end up playing non-conforming balls if there is a rollback. I keep a handicap just to track the state of my own game and since I don't need it otherwise, I'll drop my annual payment for GHIN just so the USGA and its affiliates no longer get any money from me in the way of a small protest.

 

[funkysi]

Absolute nonsense. This would punish 99% of golfers. The game is already bifurcated. I cant play Rorys or Morikawa proto irons. I cant play many tour issue putters or Brysons 5 degree driver. Also the special dash Pro V1 that seems only available to pro golfers.

MLR was a good idea in my opinion. make a ball for the pros but leave us mortals out of it

 

[Jman]

Absolute nonsense. This would punish 99% of golfers. The game is already bifurcated. I cant play Rorys or Morikawa proto irons. I cant play many tour issue putters or Brysons 5 degree driver. Also the special dash Pro V1 that seems only availabel to pro golfers.

MLR was a good idea in my opinion. make a ball for the pros but leave us mortals out of it

To be fair, you can play those, you just have to be willing to spend the cash for Tour Van gear.

 

[funkysi]

I’m not a fan of all golfers being penalized because a few old skyfisters are losing sleep over 4 or 5 pro golfers who hit the ball too far for their liking.

To be fair, its not just the 4 or 5 right now, its the first time they've thought forward and are looking at the plethora of college golfers who work extensively on speed and hit the ball an absolute mile. Those 4 or 5 will be 40 or 50 in 5 years and then the norm beyond that.

 

[funkysi]

To be fair, you can play those, you just have to be willing to spend the cash for Tour Van gear.

Oh Sh!t, my bank account didn't need to hear that!!

 

[Jman]

To be fair, its not just the 4 or 5 right now, its the first time they've thought forward and are looking at the plethora of college golfers who work extensively on speed and hit the ball an absolute mile. Those 4 or 5 will be 40 or 50 in 5 years and then the norm beyond that.

But who cares? They have BELLYACHED for years to try and get the game and golfers more athletic, then it happens and they freak out like elementary kids yelling cooties when it does happen?

Just raise the mowers. It’s simple.

 

[Jman]

Oh Sh!t, my bank account didn't need to hear that!!

Mine either, it hurts. Hahahahah

 

[funkysi]

But who cares? They have BELLYACHED for years to try and get the game and golfers more athletic, then it happens and they freak out like elementary kids yelling cooties when it does happen?

Just raise the mowers. It’s simple.

Fair point. Could/should be used as a very non-intrusive first step.

 

[Bernoulli]

I’m already too short of a hitter. Can’t afford to lose distance. Killing me and millions like me cause you dont want -15 winning in your premier golf tournaments is dumb.

I'm distance challenged enough as it is too.

 

[Jman]

Fair point. Could/should be used as a very non-intrusive first step.

Yup, eliminate the runways, then you limit things to pure carry, which while still long, allows athletes to be athletes still and not get another 50 yards of roll

 

[Bernoulli]

It's not the PGA Tour clutching pearls and falling onto their fainting couches about the tournament scores in relation to par, it's the USGA. A bunch of out of touch elitist old farts who still want it to be 1970.

As far as the USGA, the question I have is how much of this is driven by the fact that many of its courses are not played the same way today as they were 50 years ago. Rather than embrace the present, they long for the past.