Future Of Golf??????????

[under_par]

Hey everyone,

Don't know if this has been talked about but here is my take.

Can you imagining driving the ball 400 yards 5 years from now? or having a club that will put you next to the flag or a laser putter to read the greens and to put it in the cup from 30ft away? I sure can't because it takes away the game of golf.

I guess I am just curious to see what the future holds for golf and how these golf company will market themself differently. It seems that we have hit a peak or is reaching the peak of technologies in the golf industry as I can forsee what sort of technologies that can improve any more on the basic equipment we take to the course.

I am very eager to see what new technologies are out there in the next 10 years

What are your thoughts on the future of golf?

[mutadayen]

You have to realize that the future of golf will be two fold. Even if they do make a driver that allows for everyone alike to be able to rip a 300 yard drive like it was a 200 yard drive, golf designers will compensate. If they come out with a new standard, courses will up their game too. We'll see common par-4's exceed 500 yards, and par 5's exceed 650 or even 700. I honestly think that no golf company has reached a peak in regards to technology, but I do think that there is going to be a limit placed by the USGA to ensure that the integrity of the game remains intact. I think the golf companies have the technology, but wont over-utilize it because golf continues to remain a sport of integrity. I hope they dont make it common to hit 350 yard drives, and 200 yard wedges (im exaggerating a bit, but you get the point).

[Big_M]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think golf will be virtually the same. I'm sure some clubs will become slightly more forgiving, and new gadgets (GPS, etc.) will be common place... but as far as driving the ball 400 yards... I don't think it will ever happen. As far as machines reading greens, etc... don't see that happening either. USGA will, as prior poster pointed out, insure integrity. Plus, I think we are getting close to our maximum possible distance (which is good) with convential golf clubs.

[under_par]

You have to realize that the future of golf will be two fold. Even if they do make a driver that allows for everyone alike to be able to rip a 300 yard drive like it was a 200 yard drive, golf designers will compensate. If they come out with a new standard, courses will up their game too. We'll see common par-4's exceed 500 yards, and par 5's exceed 650 or even 700. I honestly think that no golf company has reached a peak in regards to technology, but I do think that there is going to be a limit placed by the USGA to ensure that the integrity of the game remains intact. I think the golf companies have the technology, but wont over-utilize it because golf continues to remain a sport of integrity. I hope they dont make it common to hit 350 yard drives, and 200 yard wedges (im exaggerating a bit, but you get the point).

Very Well Put!!

Think about this -- Even if the new courses will be 8000-9000 yards what about the old one and especially Augusta or Pebble Beach? I am with you that I hope they don't come out with technologies that is too advance and you will loose the true spirit of Golf. Thanks for sharing!

[under_par]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think golf will be virtually the same. I'm sure some clubs will become slightly more forgiving, and new gadgets (GPS, etc.) will be common place... but as far as driving the ball 400 yards... I don't think it will ever happen. As far as machines reading greens, etc... don't see that happening either. USGA will, as prior poster pointed out, insure integrity. Plus, I think we are getting close to our maximum possible distance (which is good) with convential golf clubs.

Yes being the devil advocate here :)

But if I was a startup and can create a product(s) that will improve the aspect of golf then I would do it for profit or for technologies sake. C'mon you are telling me that if there is a club out there that can allow you to hit 400 yards drive with the same swing you have now that people would not buy it??? I am sure I will atleast give it a good wack or two, or three :P

[ganjagolfer]

my hope is that the usga and r&a; they scale back on the allowable compression of a golf ball, hopefully tomorrow, so the great courses, really treasures, become more challengeable

[DirtCheap]

Not to be a wet blanket, but I kind of see golf dieing off slowly in the future.
The real estate that a good golf course sits on is only getting more and more valuable. As developers continue to look for land, we are going to see more and more of our courses gobbled up for housing developments.

Granted its not any time soon, but I think it will happen long before I have a laser guided putter.

[ArjunGFX]

I don't think golf will change that dramatically, and some of the technologies you describe are just not golf.

Golf will progress like baseball... technologies will surely advance and more emphasis will be put on power and strength.... but at the core the game will still not be so different from how it started, especially considering that nature can't be altered so drastically.

Also, the best of the best may not necessarily improve that much. In the early 90s Tom Kite was shooting in the high minus 20s.. you don't see scores like that too often today.

If you watch Shell's Wonderful World of Golf, Jack and Arnie weren't driving it much shorter than Tiger does today back in the 60s.

[lamebums]

Short term - I see with an economic downturn a decline in the number of rounds played, at least at local muni's and public courses.

The game itself is like any business cycle - it has it's ups and down's. We're flattening out and entering a down phase.

In the 70's we had Jack - in the 80's we had who? Greg Norman finished in second place how many times? Then in the 90's we had John Daly, Vijay, Tiger, etc. all come out and the game exploded. Technology allowed pro's to hit the ball further than ever, but we're reaching a point where technology can only improve so much, there's limits to how well we can design a golf ball.

And for the average Joe...well, he's getting left behind, but that's only at newer courses. Go to any older one and they play fine, if not better because of new equipment.

And yes, the average schmuck does drive a ball about 180-200 on average. I've played with enough of them to see it. And 75%+ of them slice.

[rstyle]

With drivers at $499, putters at $269 and rounds of golf at 100-500 dollars, I believe equipment companies and golf courses are going to put themselves out of business unless they try a different strategy to keep the average golfers and maybe their families playing. Is the next triangular funky shaped, super MOI, specially milled unusual rare metal that gives you 10 extra yards going to be $699???

[Crafty]

Maybe it is just me being impatient, but the way that club companies have progressed over this last year and a half has been nothing incredible in my eyes. Technology can only go so far before the USGA draws the line. I read an article in Golf Week about what clubs might look like without Usga Limits. It is obvious that the USGA already is and will continue to draw the necessary lines in order to mantain the integrity and difficulty of the game.

[Steaksauce]

There's a point where no matter what technology companies use, nature will still play a major factor.

I don't know if this analogy will help but I saw on Top Gear (A fun little car show on BBC America (get a little obssesed after dark with all these channels ) ) that it took like ~200 hp to go 150 mph but almost 900 hp to go 250 mph. There's just a point where technology can only go so far and I doubt there is too much more the clubs can do.

[Jack_2251]

I don't think it will be possible to make better clubs, without making them illegal to the rules of golf.

[tm22721]

it took like ~200 hp to go 150 mph but almost 900 hp to go 250 mph.

Basic physics, energy increases as the square of velocity.

[Borf]

It doesnt matter what technology there is out there, what clubs you use, you still have to swing the club and get the ball into the hole

If you are a hack, you will always be a hack no matter what technology you use, you can get the best caddie in the world with all the technology to read the greens, the wind, the temperature, the lie, but in the end the player still has to hit the ball

it is talent that will determine how good you are, not technology, not the size of your driver, not how far you hit the ball

[Big_M]

With drivers at $499, putters at $269 and rounds of golf at 100-500 dollars, I believe equipment companies and golf courses are going to put themselves out of business unless they try a different strategy to keep the average golfers and maybe their families playing. Is the next triangular funky shaped, super MOI, specially milled unusual rare metal that gives you 10 extra yards going to be $699???

I don't know what courses you are playing, but I pay much less per round... $100-$500 is not average. I do agree that it is expensive though, and too many courses don't allow or offer discounts to those who prefer to walk (at least not at certain times of day). Clubs are expensive, but not much more than they were 10-15 years ago if you consider inflation... also, with the rate they release new clubs, you can get a great club that is 1 year ago technology for a fraction of the cost.

There's a point where no matter what technology companies use, nature will still play a major factor.

EXACTLY... only so much can be done.

It doesnt matter what technology there is out there, what clubs you use, you still have to swing the club and get the ball into the hole

I'm pretty sure the USGA and R&A; will always require the hitting of a ball with a stick which will require a degree of skill. For that matter they will strictly define what type of stick and ball we can use.... further setting limits on the game. I don't think too many more courses will become obsolete do to lack of length.

[rstyle]

Big_M is right. There are cheaper courses to play. I can play for less than $100 in my neighborhood.

I guess I was thinking on a general way about the lists that come out in the golf magazines for best public courses, best resort courses etc.
Plus, I recently went to Las Vegas for 4 days and the good courses are in the hundreds and the same for a trip to Scottsdale to a meeting in May.

[The Gill]

I actually think the future of golf will be more athletic golfers. When I was in high school, no one thought it was cool to golf. Now I think you're going see more athletes get into golf. Athletes that will make Tiger Woods look like one of us.