The ball must change to save game’s treasures
The topic has been on golf’s agenda for years.
But now the R&A and the USGA have finally made their intentions clear with the joint decision to clamp down on how far the golf ball travels.
The new rules would only apply to elite golf, and will not come into force until 2026.
But the game’s governing bodies have sent a clear message that enough is enough on seeing players drive the ball further and further every year, thus altering the way the game was meant to be played.
The specially-adapted balls will go about 15 yards less off the tee, and it is an attempt to rein in the longest hitters.
The proposals have been met with fierce criticism from some leading players, such as Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas.
Big-hitting DeChambeau described them as “atrocious”, while fellow American Thomas insisted the move was “so bad” for the sport.
However, for leading golf coach and author, Gary Nicol (inset), something needs to be done to save some of golf’s greatest courses.
“I can see both sides to this argument, but looking at the bigger picture, the golf ball has to be limited,” he told The Sunday Post.
“If not, certain courses will become obsolete, and already they are not being played how they were laid out originally.
“I can’t think of many better courses than Royal Melbourne. It was designed to be played a certain way, but the ball and modern equipment have overtaken it.
“To make it relevant and as designer, Alister MacKenzie, wanted, it would need to be 8,500 yards long. Do we really want that?
“Muirfield, just down the road from where I’m based at Archerfield, is one of the best courses anywhere, but it doesn’t play now how it was designed.
“Other classic heathland courses – like Sunningdale and Woburn – can’t now stage professional events because they are just not long enough.
“There has never been a bigger gulf between the professionals and the amateur game. The pros now are athletic and strong, and they hit the ball ridiculous distances.
“I am all for progress, but you have to draw the line somewhere. To try to match these guys, you would need to extend current courses, or build new ones.
“Think of the costs involved. Bigger courses mean more watering, more greenkeepers, more equipment and more maintenance. That all falls on amateur golfers.
“Golf is the only sport where the playing arena has changed to cater for the equipment. Golf chose the ball over land and design.
“Football pitches and tennis courts have not got bigger. The ball was changed instead.
“I don’t think tennis has suffered, and football’s popularity certainly hasn’t been affected.
“The manufacturers will create a golf ball that would work. I’m sure they have all the necessary patents from balls they made in the past.
“And the best players should not be worried as they would learn quickly. That’s what made them the best in the first place.”
With books including “The Lost Art of the Short Game” and “The Lost Art of Putting”, Gary is clear about the direction in which the game has gone, as creativity and artistry has
been replaced by sheer power.
And he believes that the modern obsession with how far, and how fast, the top players are hitting the ball has seeped down into the amateur ranks.
“I see people now, and they want to know what their ball speed is,” he said. “People are getting obsessed with speed and distance ahead of enjoyment.
“Amateurs want to hit the ball further, rather than score better, yet I’ve never seen distance off the tee written down in a scorecard.
“Rather than swinging faster, hitting the ball out of the middle of the club makes the biggest difference. The contrast between a shot off the middle and an off-centre hit is so big.
“Concentrating on getting the club pointing in the right direction at the point of contact is the mostimportant thing for any amateur player.”