Distancing Ourselves From Club and Golf Ball Issues

WORDS BY ED GOWAN

All that aside, the USGA and R&A have been focusing on the issue seriously for nearly ten years. Proposed regulations may be modifications of the balls as we have already seen, or clubhead construction or size, and possibly suggested local rules to affect only the elite players. All of that is well and good, but speaking as someone losing distance with each passing year, the powers that be would have more support if the focus was on helping the average player, first.

With the USGA’s recent announcement of a proposed rollback to the golf ball for elite players, we must remember the continuous debate over controlling or not-controlling distance has been on the table for at least the last thirty years. I began to see increased distance myself with the Pittsburgh Persimmon metal woods, first on the market in the early 80’s. I remember a quote from Chi Chi Rodriguez (check your

Google apps, youngsters), who said “If every new driver gave me an additional ten yards, I’d be driving the ball 400 yards.” Nearly every advertisement for clubs or balls in memory touts better distance. The new Callaway ad with Jon Rahm promoting accuracy with more distance is actually refreshing! Imagine if the ball ended up closer to our target and that happened through a purchase! Callaway may be on to something.

For all the talk about driving distance, the average player hasn’t gained anything appreciable. Sure, ask any player how far they hit a driver, and the answer is “250 yards” or “280 yards,” etc. Truth be known that may happen on occasion, but the AVERAGE distance players hit the ball is somewhat less. I know middle handicappers who struggle to average 220 yards, yet score consistently in the low 80’s. Their handicaps are relatively the same as their precursors of the 1980’s. Short game and putting abilities govern handicaps, not distance. Some guys have benefitted from the new distance, but the largest benefits have been for women because of lighter clubs and better fitting now available.

Still, that begs the question of coming Rules changes. For my part, once having been told I was “long off the tee” (no more, by the way), long has developed new meaning when collegians can hit an 8-iron 190 yards and par 5’s are just longer two-shot holes. The professional or elite amateur of the 80’s averaged 250 yards on drives and

180 yards with 5-irons. Arizona’s Dan Pohl led the PGA TOUR in average driving distance in the mid-80’s at 267 yards. Sure, some great athletes like Nicklaus and Weiskopf were exceptionally longer on occasion but the average elite player was “elite” because of iron accuracy, short game and putting. e latter two are still critical, though accuracy means little when a player has 12 wedges to greens in a round.

Some years ago, John Staver – a USGA Rules O cial and friend from Minnesota – developed a ball that limited excessive distance for the elite while adding distance for the average player. I believe his answer was reducing the weight of a ball from 1.62 ounces to 1.57 ounces and adding lift through aerodynamics, both increasing the average player’s distance while reducing control for the elite.

Time for a change. I hope the USGA and R&A do institute changes, and signi cant ones at that. Doing that through Local Rules would be just ne. Within a short time I believe they would merge with common play and local rules would become part of the regular rules.

Just think, if the average player, woman or man, gained even ten yards increased carry distance across all clubs, imaging how much more most could enjoy the game as more greens became “reachable” in regulation. For the elite, I would enjoy seeing the best having to fade or draw approaches with middle irons to demonstrate skill, replacing 350-yard drives! Golf is already the Greatest Game because every person can play. at will never change. Let’s just ask that thought be given to Joe & Julie Average with equal attention.