No Tee - Solution for "Excessive" Driving Distance?

[Marty2019]

Faldo says, don't let them hit if off a tee.  Make them hit if off the ground.  That seems like a simple, elegant solution to me.  

Nick Faldo suggests a ban on golf tees to reduce driver distance

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Former world No. 1 golfer Nick Faldo provides his solutions to reduce driver distance, including one particularly outlandish suggestion.

 

[CarlSpackler]

I have a better idea. Set up the tee markers in the fairway and designate that to be the spot everyone is hitting their 2nd shot from. You could also paint a line across the fairway. If you hit it past that line, you have to drop behind he line with a one stroke penalty.

Spoiler

This is sarcasm...

 

[klineka]

The longest players are still going to have an advantage though, Rory hits his 3 wood longer off the deck than Chez Reavie does, so Rory's distance would still give him the advantage over shorter hitting players. 

I'm not really sure what that would accomplish other than most players likely hitting 3 wood off the tee instead of driver.

[iacas]

Dumb idea, and this would bifurcate the rules, which I'm against.

[Vinsk]

3 minutes ago, klineka said:

The longest players are still going to have an advantage though, Rory hits his 3 wood longer off the deck than Chez Reavie does, so Rory's distance would still give him the advantage over shorter hitting players. 

I'm not really sure what that would accomplish other than most players likely hitting 3 wood off the tee instead of driver.

How many times has this been stated? And you’re correct of course. What a dumb idea. Hell Champ hits his 3W longer than some tour players hit their driver.

Hey I’ve got an idea! How about letting the sport play out where the best players win more often? Golf will always win. Let them swing.

[pganapathy]

In other words, just remove the driver from the bag, and nothing else.  Well, even that isn't true.  The best pro's can even hit driver off the deck.  All you are doing is handicapping against the not so good players.  IDIOTIC suggestion at its best

[Marty2019]

28 minutes ago, klineka said:

The longest players are still going to have an advantage though, Rory hits his 3 wood longer off the deck than Chez Reavie does, so Rory's distance would still give him the advantage over shorter hitting players. 

I'm not really sure what that would accomplish other than most players likely hitting 3 wood off the tee instead of driver.

Rory should have an advantage.  No one is saying distance should be equal.  What this would accomplish is it would bring the shorter courses back into play by dialing back the distance for ALL the players.  

[Vinsk]

7 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

Rory should have an advantage.  No one is saying distance should be equal.  What this would accomplish is it would bring the shorter courses back into play by dialing back the distance for ALL the players.  

What ‘shorter’ courses are out of play? It’s still a golf tournament whether the winner is -25 or +1.

[Marty2019]

3 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

What ‘shorter’ courses are out of play? It’s still a golf tournament whether the winner is -25 or +1.

Of course, if your position is "there is no excessive distance problem" then this is a pointless idea. 

But if your position is that there is an excessive distance problem, and that a lot of courses are becoming obsolete, as a lot of people have expressed, then this is a very simple solution to that problem, and one that could be implemented in one day.  It doesn't require dialing back the ball, or limiting club technology, or buying more land so tee boxes can be moved back 50 yards.   Just make them hit it off the ground.  Players who have a lot of distance like Rory would still have the advantage they deserve.   It would dial back the distance off the tee proportionately across the board for all the players.   

It doesn't mean amateurs like me have to stop using tees.  It could even be a rule that is used only on certain courses.   This rule would not damage the club manufacturers, or the ball manufacturers.  Plus, it's a rule the PGA Tour could very easily experiment with in one tournament on one particular course.  

If you believe that the PGA Tour has a driving distance problem, then this is a very simple solution that works.  

 

50 minutes ago, klineka said:

The longest players are still going to have an advantage though, Rory hits his 3 wood longer off the deck than Chez Reavie does, so Rory's distance would still give him the advantage over shorter hitting players. 

I'm not really sure what that would accomplish other than most players likely hitting 3 wood off the tee instead of driver.

What it would accomplish is that the approach shots would be longer.  

 

51 minutes ago, iacas said:

Dumb idea, and this would bifurcate the rules, which I'm against.

I don't see how making a one-week rule for particular courses is bifurcating the rules.  

[woodzie264]

2 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

Faldo says, don't let them hit if off a tee.  Make them hit if off the ground.  That seems like a simple, elegant solution to me.  

I have this problem every time I go to the course. I usually hit 9i off the tee

[iacas]

Please list all of the PGA Tour courses that the distance players hit the ball has rendered them obsolete? You don’t get to include courses that don’t have the space or infrastructure to host a PGA Tour event, or courses that stopped playing PGA Tour events at them before 2000, when the solid ball was introduced.

Nobody can ever really come up with a good list, because that list is ridiculously short. Could PGA Tour players rip Cypress Point to shreds? Yes. Does Cypress Point want to host a PGA Tour event? No way. And yet it’s still a HELL of a challenge to the average player.

4 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

I don't see how making a one-week rule for particular courses is bifurcating the rules.  

By definition, it is. It’s not an acceptable Rule of Golf.

Plus, spectators like to see birdies.

[CarlSpackler]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

Plus, spectators like to see birdies.

Yes. Eagles too.

[Marty2019]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

Please list all of the PGA Tour courses that the distance players hit the ball has rendered them obsolete? You don’t get to include courses that don’t have the space or infrastructure to host a PGA Tour event, or courses that stopped playing PGA Tour events at them before 2000, when the solid ball was introduced.

Nobody can ever really come up with a good list, because that list is ridiculously short. Could PGA Tour players rip Cypress Point to shreds? Yes. Does Cypress Point want to host a PGA Tour event? No way. And yet it’s still a HELL of a challenge to the average player.

By definition, it is. It’s not an acceptable Rule of Golf.

Plus, spectators like to see birdies.

I refer you to my previous answer.  

If you don't think excessive distance on the PGA Tour is a problem, then yes, this is a dumb idea.  

But when the PGA Tour and the R&A say there is excessive distance, I am alarmed at some of the solutions that have been proposed.  This is the only solution I have seen that is palatable to me.  It doesn't require lengthening courses, or standardizing and limiting the golf ball, or reining in club technology.   

 

[klineka]

14 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

What it would accomplish is that the approach shots would be longer.  

Yes, but they would be longer for everyone, how does longer approach shots significantly improve the game? Slightly higher scores? So what?

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Marty2019 said:

But when the PGA Tour and the R&A say there is excessive distance, I am alarmed at some of the solutions that have been proposed.

The PGA Tour hasn’t really said that. I think you meant the USGA/R&A, and there’s disagreement about whether this has gone too far, or what.

We have a whole “distance debate” and “distance insights” topic on this, @Marty2019.

And like others are saying, all that would do is elevate scores a bit. So what?

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, Marty2019 said:

What it would accomplish is that the approach shots would be longer.  

So DJ is now hitting an 8i and Zach is hitting a 5i. What would that accomplish? Again...you’re assuming courses are obsolete. I’m asking in what way and @iacas is asking which courses. Fair questions I believe.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Marty2019 said:

and that a lot of courses are becoming obsolete

Merion Golf Club was criticized for being too short to host a U.S. Open in 2013 and Justin Rose won at +1.

1 hour ago, Marty2019 said:

If you don't think excessive distance on the PGA Tour is a problem, then yes, this is a dumb idea. 

I disagree. I think it’s a dumb idea even if I believed excessive distance is a problem. It solves nothing. Players still hit their drivers and 3 woods off the deck longer than the golfers of yesteryear. The “obsolete” courses would still not play as designed.

Plus if it became a permanent change, they’ll just start playing with drivers with little to no roll on the bottom half of the face to make it easier to hit off the deck.

[Darkfrog]

13 minutes ago, billchao said:

Plus if it became a permanent change, they’ll just start playing with drivers with little to no roll on the bottom half of the face to make it easier to hit off the deck.

I guess that not having a tee might change the driver swing since an upward angle of attack would't be possible, but I don't think it really changes anything because long players would still have the same advantage. Also, as it's been stated in the distance insights thread, it's not like the PGA Tour is playing a ton of architectural masterpieces. I do think driver off the deck is a cool shot though.

And like @billchao said, players would adapt and use drivers optimized for hitting off the turf, and club manufacturers would adapt their design to work better this way too.