INCREASED DRIVING DISTANCES “DETRIMENTAL” TO GOLF’S FUTURE

GOLF’S governing bodies – the Royal & Ancient and the United States Golf Association – recently released their long-awaited “Distance Insights Report”, acknowledging increased driving distances are having an undesirable effect and are detrimental to the game’s longevity.

The report also left the door open to a bifurcation of the Rules, which could essentially lead to professional and recreational players using equipment manufactured to different regulations.

The governing bodies recognised that players on the leading men’s Tours (PGA and European) have increased their driving distances by an average of one yard per year since 2013.

They have also found that women on the LPGA Tour are driving the ball further, averaging 250 yards in comparison to the men’s 294-yard average.

American rising star Cameron Champ led the PGA Tour with an incredible average driving distance of 317.9 yards last season … But the 24-year-old had already increased that to a ridiculous 322.4 yards from eight starts in 2019/20.

According to the report, such prodigious distances ultimately reduce the strategic challenges of classic courses – such as the Old Course at St Andrews and Augusta National – and the R&A and USGA have acknowledged that it is time to act.

“We believe that it is time to break the cycle of increasingly longer hitting distances and golf courses and to work to build a long-term future that reinforces golf’s essential challenge and enhances the viability of both existing courses and courses yet to be built,” the report said.

“In reaching this conclusion, we recognise that some have the view that the governing bodies might have done more in addressing the implications of the continuing increases in hitting distances and course lengths.

“Our views have evolved as events have unfolded and new information has become available ... and we believe that it is never too late to do the right thing for the future of the game.”

The report also stated that the governing bodies “will assess the potential use of a Local Rule option that would specify use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances.”

No solutions have been determined as yet. The R&A and The USGA will now enter the next phase of their work by assessing potential solutions that can help end the cycle of increased distance. It is expected the main topic for research and assessment will be potential changes in the Equipment Rules, along with further enquiry into the effects of course design, conditions and setup on hitting distance.

The report has been publicly released and can be found on both governing bodies’ websites.