Jack Nicklaus Sounds Like He's On Board With Governing Body "Variable Distance" Option
The A Position's Steve Pike was present when Jack Nicklaus christened The Legend Course today at The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach, Fla., and the Golden Bear spoke about the distance issue.
While this is hardly news, Mr. Nicklaus did seem to be echoing the USGA's concept of a variable distance ball.
“We ought to rate golf courses,’’ Nicklaus said. “Rather than going back and spending millions of dollars changing golf courses, golf courses should be 100 percent, 90 percent, 80 percent or 70 percent.’’
If golf’s ruling bodies (primarily the U.S. Golf Association) don’t want to roll back the golf ball, he said, “they need to go to all the golf associations and say ‘This is our criteria to rate your golf courses.’’’
A golf ball would be rated to fit the corresponding course and could be a way to save some older, shorter courses.
“Take an old course that 5,800 yards. That doesn’t challenge anybody. But if you made that a 70 percent golf course and have a 70 percent ball for it, it would play just difficult as (The Legend) from the back tees. “If you want to play an 80 or 100 percent ball, go play it. All you’re doing is making the course play shorter and faster.’’
Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 10:20 PM
Reader Comments (64)
with no offense, it's not they have access to free optimization information, it's that they CAN optimize.
We have 900+ members at our club, and all but 15 of them could move in to the Taylor Made Kingdom,
and they couldn't max out and make the adjustments like a tour professional.
News flash, they are very good at this stuff!!
I don't mean you Matt, but sometimes the bifurcation fans sound like they are envious that somebody is just that much better than them
And they have always been much better than anyone else for many decades.
You're nuts. Flat out.
Driving distances aren't measured on holes where players hit 3W.
Give me a break.
P.S. Nope. I don't think there's a problem. I've said that several times. And if you have to resort to bullshit like this "all players will be hitting it 350 in five years" to attempt to prove your side, you're doing a horrible job.
Take care.
And there are 2 players averaging 330 with averages of 332+ and 336+.
Demands by name recognized golf 'celebrities' will not motivate the ruling bodies or the manufacturers to roll back the performance potential of equipment. The golf consumer won't buy into less spin/ less distance/ less forgiving gear to "save the game from itself". The golf overlords have already demonstrated a comfort level with current equipment standards. Perhaps its time to simply accept the status quo as our golf ancestors had to accept the passing of smooth face irons and the guttie.
Stay warm, J. alan
There will absolutely continue to be advances in golf technology with regards to the ball, the club, and the shaft. And driving distances will continue to increase. Eventually the longest hitters will routinely drive it over 350 yards. Anyone who can't see that is either blind or in denial.
2 yards in the last decade, which has seen a lot of advancements being made in fitting, materials, launch monitors, training… etc. Yet somehow people like Easingwold think we're going to have ALL PGA Tour players gaining 32 yards over the current LONGEST hitter in 5-10 years?
People like Easingwold HURT your side's argument by being so preposterous.
Players on the PGA Tour also routinely drive it over 350 yards.
And preposterous statements have certainly been made by people on both sides of this argument.
FWIW I don't feel I've made a preposterous statement. I simply disagree that there is a "problem" right now.
I have never backed the claim that "The ball goes so far the players will all become 350 hitters within 5 or 10 years".
And I did not say that you have made a preposterous statement. Although you did say "we don't have anyone averaging within even 30 yards of 350 right now" which I pointed out is incorrect.
The "problem" with driving distances occurred from around 95-96 to 02-03. Prior to that period and since that period we have seen normal and natural driving distance increases that should be expected. But the driving distance increase during the above period was way of whack. And you can thank the ruling bodies who fell asleep at the wheel and let both the ball and the driver get away from them.
I disagree that what happened in the late 90s and early 00s was a "problem." All ball companies did was figure out how to make a 90s Pinnacle spin around the greens.
That's the crux of it all, there. That combined with a BUNCH of other factors are why I don't see a "problem" and even if I'll stipulate to a "problem" for the sake of discussion, those many other factors are why "the ball" shouldn't get the bulk of the blame.
I entered the conversation to point out that there were indeed players averaging within 30 yards of 350 on tour right now. No doubt it's a very small sample but it was you that used the words "right now" so I took you literally and used the most current stats for the 17-18 PGA season.
Here's why I think the period I talked about in my previous post was/is the problem. In the past 37/38 years, 1980 to 2017, the driving distance has gone up right around 35 yards. In the 7 or 8 year period from 95/96 to 02/03, the driving distance went up over 20 yards. So about 60% of the driving increase in past 37/38 years came in only 20% of the total time period. That's not normal by any reasonable standard.
With regards to how big a factor the ball has played, I always like to go back and re-read this ball study that Andrew Rice did 6 years ago. I honestly don't see how anyone can read this and NOT conclude that the ball is without question the biggest factor. Not saying the only factor but certainly the biggest factor.
https://www.andrewricegolf.com/andrew-rice-golf/2011/08/evolution-of-a-golf-ball
BTW, both you and I commented in that article. I'm Johnny Taylor just so you will know.
The ball is not the biggest factor because you could have taken a Top-Flite or Pinnacle from 1990 and hit it about as far as PGA Tour pros are hitting a Pro V1x today. Comparing balatas to a modern golf ball? Of course you're going to see those results.
PGA Tour players swing faster. They have longer, lighter clubs. They understand the value of distance. They have launch monitors to dial things in. And so on. The ball is a small part of that.
And you are trying to us the ball was only a "small" part of that and not the biggest part of that?
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-the-titleist-pro-v1-revolu
And players swing 11 MPH or more faster now than they did 25 years ago. That's a LOT of yardage right there regardless of the balls we're talking about. I said the same thing on the Andrew Rice blog…
Much higher launch ideal. Much lower spin.
The lofts are higher, shafts are more customizable to fit an individual's swing. Weights are lighter.
And the players are using launch monitors, balance measurements, video etc to find their specific numbers for maximum effect.
in 2000, it was a different world for driver and fairway wood fitting/testing