THE DISTANCE DEBATE JUST GOT INTERESTING

HERE’S hoping you’re not sick of hearing about how far the modern golf ball flies – because things are about to get very interesting. The USGA and R&A have decided that it’s time to dial things back, after their annual driving distance report revealed that the average tee shot has increased by more than three yards across seven professional tours since 2016.

Golf’s governing bodies identified the distance issue back in 2002 and came together to draw up a Joint Statement of Principles that would ensure the longevity and integrity of the game. But both Mike Davis (USGA) and Martin Slumbers (R&A) have agreed that things have gotten out of hand.

“This isn’t just about the male elite game,” Davis said. “The reality is this is affecting all golfers and affecting them in a bad way … Courses are expanding and are predicted to continue to expand. All it’s doing is increasing the cost of the game. The impact it has had has been horrible.”

Slumbers concurred, stating: “For a number of years there has been a slow creep upwards, but this is a little bit more than slow creep, it’s actually quite a big jump. Our 2002 Joint Statement of Principles put a line in the sand. But when you look at this data, we have probably crossed that line in the sand. A serious discussion is now needed on where we go.”

The discussion Slumbers alludes to will likely end with a plan on how to best introduce the concept of variable distance golf balls into the professional game – a feasible and seemingly sensible solution to the issue, they will spin more, travel less and protect the designs of iconic courses.

But there are two sides to every story, and not everyone agrees with the idea of implementing a ball specifically tailored to the professional game.

Rising Australian professional, Lucas Herbert, recently took to Twitter to voice his opinion: “280 characters isn’t enough to explain why introducing a ‘professional-only ball’ would be the worst thing you could do for the game.” To which, Mike Clayton responded: “The am and pro game have never been further apart. Changing the ball for you blokes would bring it back closer together.”

Should variable distance golf balls be introduced – and it’s appearing more and more likely that it’s just a matter of time before they will be – the USGA and R&A will need to begin the arduous process of convincing players and key figures (including manufacturers) of the necessity to do so.

But it’s a battle worth fighting according to Mike Davis, who alluded to the fact that long players would still be long – and any further redesigns to the world’s great courses could ultimately be prevented.

“We all love hitting the ball far, but distance is all relative,” Davis said. “An astonishing, perhaps even sobering example close to home will be this summer’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills that will be played at over 7,400 yards. “One hundred and twenty-two years ago at the 1896 US Open, care to guess Shinnecock’s total yardage? 4,423 yards. It makes you wonder what golf courses will look like if we stay on this trajectory.”

Watch this space.