Golf Ball Rollback is Coming Soon
A proposed golf ball rollback for all golfers is on the horizon, and it’s not likely to make the masses very happy.
According to Bob Harig of SI.com, golf’s governing bodies — the USGA and R&A — are on the cusp of implementing what equates to a reduced-distance golf ball that might affect all players, both professional and recreational.
Martin Slumbers — the chief executive of the R&A — told Golf Digest in a recent interview that he expects a final decision on the matter “soon,” potentially ending speculation on the magnitude and scope of a golf ball technology change. The originally proposed Model Local Rule that would have essentially bifurcated the game between professional and recreational golfers was met with much hostility by the likes of the PGA of America, PGA TOUR, and legions of golfers across the globe.
However, according to Slumbers, any change might need to be one that affects everyone as opposed to creating a world where bifurcation is a fact of life.
(Of note, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have expressed support for the MLR, much to the chagrin of their golf ball equipment sponsors.)
As someone who has long believed that rolling back the golf ball for elite players and not the rest of us could be a good compromise, I’m not sure that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is the answer here. There’s no way that recreational golfers will take this change lying down, nor should they. Distance is not a problem with the Average Joe or Jane and therefore should be left untouched and unaltered.
The irony here, of course, is that recreational golfers will not notice if their golf balls suddenly start flying shorter distances. The once-a-week golfer is unlikely to have their overall experience diminished should a reduced-flight golf ball be introduced to the market, nor will there be any way to enforce its use among amateurs. Of course, any change in golf ball technology will be rolled out with as little advertising as possible.
Professional golfers — whether you believe it is a problem or not — are hitting the ball farther than ever before. There are many reasons for that including an increased premium on fitness, shortly mown fairways, explosive driver heads and aerodynamically optimized golf balls. It would be foolish to only focus on one variable of this equation and not the others, however I suppose you have to start somewhere.
The golf distance debate’s premise rests solely on the assertion that golf courses are becoming obsolete, including the ones that neither you nor I will ever have the luxury of playing. Municipal golf courses across the globe have stood the tests of time in terms of the game’s technological progression. Amateur golfers still struggle to break 100, and the world still turns.
Adjusting the game for every player doesn’t seem like the best path forward here, especially with signs of golf’s Covid Boom dwindling. The delicate balance of protecting the integrity of the game for future generations while muffling the progress from this generation is not to be taken lightly.
