Jack Nicklaus vs the golf ball

golfinnut

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Go home, Jack, you're drunk. Guess his Nicklaus golf balls just can't stack up so he wants a reason to bring the competition back to him...

Joking aside, SO much more could be done to speed up play than limit the golf ball.
 
Go home, Jack, you're drunk. Guess his Nicklaus golf balls just can't stack up so he wants a reason to bring the competition back to him...

Joking aside, SO much more could be done to speed up play than limit the golf ball.

But, is it really joking? He's been pissing and moaning about the ball the ball the ball for years now. The ball isn't the reason for slow play. He as a course designer could always keep courses under 7200 yards, or design greens with greens that have less humps and bumps so the average golfer isn't spending so much time on the green.
 
ball travels faster than the foot, how is hitting it shorter supposed to eliminate slow play?
 
I'll confess. Even though I truly respect Jack for his place in the game, he irritates me to no end on this issue. Take this sentence: "Nicklaus basically blamed the ball for the troubles the game faces today, from slow play and sagging participation to soaring costs to play the game." First, how does rolling back the ball so that driving distance is closer to where it was in the mid-90s speed up play? Second, it is ridiculous to say that the ball is to blame for sagging participation. Find me one person who doesn't play golf because they think that they are hitting it too far now and they yearn for the days of balls that flew 30% shorter. Third, balls that fly further can't possibly be to blame for cost. Sure, premium balls are expensive. But premium 70% balls will cost just as much as they do now, and there is a huge range of options in terms of different balls at different price levels. I also think it's complete hyperbole to say that Augusta is the only course that's not obsolete.

It all strikes me as very sour grapes. I don't find it coincidental that he started complaining about this right about the same time he stopped being one of the longest hitters out there.
 
That article reads like a lunatic shouting on the streets. I hate to phrase it that way, but it just comes off making Jack look silly.

Rolling back the golf ball isn’t the answer, making people take longer to reach the greens isn’t going to make 3 hour rounds.
 
But, is it really joking? He's been pissing and moaning about the ball the ball the ball for years now. The ball isn't the reason for slow play. He as a course designer could always keep courses under 7200 yards, or design greens with greens that have less humps and bumps so the average golfer isn't spending so much time on the green.
Course design and flow could definitely improve pace (looking at you, Jack, with all your water hazards on the right side). I think the ball is just his shtick and he's the most decorated golfer of all time so he gets this press. Anyone else and we would probably just laugh it off (more than we are now).

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I've been tired of Jack's "I'm always right" attitude for years. I read the article, but didn't need to to know exactly how I was going to feel.
 
Teaching ready golf will speed up play....dropping the ball back will not
 
Course design and flow could definitely improve pace (looking at you, Jack, with all your water hazards on the right side). I think the ball is just his shtick and he's the most decorated golfer of all time so he gets this press. Anyone else and we would probably just laugh it off (more than we are now).

His courses are tough that's for sure.

But the "average" golfer doesn't play Nicklaus designed courses day in and day out.
 
I find it very odd, that a person that has made a mint on being long, is now complaining that the ball is too long. He had no trouble when the ball and equipment let him be the longest on tour and helped him prosper. He has no issue building long courses.

There is a point of diminishment that says that too long could impact land.

The golf ball being great nowadays, is not what is making people slow. Being slow is what is making people slow. Its just easier to blame the equipment than it is to say speed the **** up.
 
Course design and flow could definitely improve pace (looking at you, Jack, with all your water hazards on the right side). I think the ball is just his shtick and he's the most decorated golfer of all time so he gets this press. Anyone else and we would probably just laugh it off (more than we are now).

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It is, and let’s be honest.. they’re not gonna shorten the ball at this point. They can limit its distance at this point, but rolling it back would make more people quit, or just roll their eyes and keep buying the balls that are already out there.

No one wants to wake up and be 20% shorter off the tee. That’s madness.
 
Jack needs a hobby.


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I agree with Nicklaus. My averages, thru the bag, have gone UP as I've aged. That doesn't make any sense. Part of it has to do with my swing; part of it is the clubs; and a large part of it is the ball. I miss the days when a round of golf required that you use the whole bag. Oh well...Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!
 
haha,

Well sh*t....I think I hit the ball to far yesterday. Im gonna use a shorter ball today so I can play faster.......
 
He's been on this bandwagon for a couple of decades now. As others have pointed out, once he ceased to be the longest hitter, he wanted the ball doctored up to travel less. Maybe he can produce a ball and put it on the market with the claim "play the shortest ball." Lets see how it does!
 
It is, and let’s be honest.. they’re not gonna shorten the ball at this point. They can limit its distance at this point, but rolling it back would make more people quit, or just roll their eyes and keep buying the balls that are already out there.

No one wants to wake up and be 20% shorter off the tee. That’s madness.

What's weird is he also still sells golf balls with his name on them.
Why doesn't Jack put out the shorter Nicklaus ball to help the cause.
 
This isn't going to be popular but I pretty much agree with most everything he said.


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This isn't going to be popular but I pretty much agree with most everything he said.

I dont mind what he said, I just find him to be a hyporcrite. Why does he continue to sell golf balls then? Why does he continue to build long courses? These are all things HE directly controls and instead of setting an example, profits from them and then complains.
 
I dont mind what he said, I just find him to be a hyporcrite. Why does he continue to sell golf balls then? Why does he continue to build long courses? These are all things HE directly controls and instead of setting an example, profits from them and then complains.

I agree with that. I think he's saying the right things it's just he doesn't know how to articulate his point without coming off as a whiny b.


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to be fair, I think what he means is that when u roll back the ball, u will then also shorten golf courses, which in turn leads to shorter game times - it should theoretically take a shorter time to finish a 5000 yard than 7000 yard course

I can see how it is hard for people in general (not only youngsters) to set aside 5 hours a day for a game

having said that, I dont agree that the golf ball is the main problem or that rolling back the golf ball is the most logical or necessary solution. If one follows the argument that hitting the ball shorter will lead to shorter courses and shorter rounds, then why not also roll back golf club technology?

The main reason for "slow play" or games that take too long is I think the lack of golf etiquette - golfers who take way too many practice swings, golfers who don't play "ready golf", golfers who dont have the sense to pick up the ball and move on after crossing a certain number of strokes per hole.
 
What's weird is he also still sells golf balls with his name on them.
Why doesn't Jack put out the shorter Nicklaus ball to help the cause.

Fancy that, he doesn’t do that either.

Isn’t that licensed through a major ball company? Or is that an overseas special?
 
Haha Im watching golf channel now and they are showing nicklaus' bit on the ball
 
But, is it really joking? He's been pissing and moaning about the ball the ball the ball for years now. The ball isn't the reason for slow play. He as a course designer could always keep courses under 7200 yards, or design greens with greens that have less humps and bumps so the average golfer isn't spending so much time on the green.

Didn't need to roll the ball back this weekend.
 
"For the good of the game, we need to play this game in about three-and-a-half hours on a daily basis," Nicklaus said.

Why? Can anyone explain WHY golf must conform to some arbitrary length of play time? "It takes too long!" some will say. According to what standard? If you want to hasten pace of play, make golf a sport which is beholden to a clock like basketball. You get to play for 3 hours and however far you get is however far you get. Hopefully everyone realizes I'm being sarcastic and how terrible of an idea that is.

My course started enforcing 4 hour rounds and I'm OK with that. If I thought that was too fast, I could golf elsewhere. And if I think that's too slow, guess what... I can golf elsewhere.

Nicklaus should stick to being a legend and stop being a spokesman.

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