Rolling Back Equipment to 1980s Specs for Tour Players

[Mike Boatright]

As far as golf has come and the television ratings it get's from the Bubba's and Dustin Johnson of the world why not reset everything for the integrity of the game? First thing they should do is get a tour ball regulation with certain spin requirements like balata from there they can go back to persimmon and steel only with a 250 cc max like the 1980's. It's like baseball leave the game as it should be and let the manufacturers sell the high tech illegal drivers if they choose to amateurs who need it and actually have fun with it. I think there are more pro's than cons to doing this the game is getting stupid with 500 yard par 4's standard and a bomb it and gauge style of play that's pretty lame. Baseball ended it's steroid era why can't golf make a stand and go back to it's golden age right?

Here is a little tid bit or wake up call to pga tour pro's who think their good.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/golf/pga/2007-07-12-oldclubs_N.htm

[saevel25]

As far as golf has come and the television ratings it get's from the Bubba's and Dustin Johnson of the world why not reset everything for the integrity of the game?

Who says that the equipment now is hurting the integrity of the game?

Baseball ended it's steroid era why can't golf make a stand and go back to it's golden age right?

Steroids has nothing to do with golf equipment.

I would say we are in the golden age of golf. The number of good golfers out there is scary. Back in Jack's day you had local pros and club champions playing in tournaments. Today you have golf tours, web.com tour, that act like the minor leagues. The whole system has changed to make golf today the deepest and toughest it has been ever.

[David in FL]

I like knowing that the pros play the same equipment, on the same courses (mostly), under the same rules, that I play. That provides me the perspective to appreciate their skill. A genuine sense of awe is what entertains me and drives my viewership. Sorry, but I don't need to see Dustin Johnson hit 5-iron 180 yards. I can see that in my own rag-tag little group....

[Big Lex]

I'm not in favor of any kind of roll back. I'm strongly against it actually. Increased distance and more forgiving equipment is not a problem for golf overall. It is a benefit. The issue of high level professionals being able to overpower great classic courses is a complex issue that is difficult to debate in this kind of format. But overall my belief is that you can't go back. Even if you did, modern golfers would still hit the ball signicantly further and with greater accuracy than players did at whatever time you are using to base the rollback. Even with restrictions on materials and club size, etc., the equipment manufacturers have much better technology and understanding of golf physics and would be able to engineer much better steel/wooden clubs than existed at the time used for the rollback; if you roll back the ball they would still be able to make one which flew straighter than an 80s balata. Players would learn how to adjust the way they swing to optimize their launch conditions to whatever equipment you give them. I'm not saying you couldn't achieve some degree of distance rollback on the PGA Tour, but it wouldn't be as dramatic as some would hope for, and it wouldn't change golf away from being a power game. The amount of restriction you would need to employ to make average PGA Tour driving distance 260 yards would severely hurt the golf game of about 90% of golfers on the planet. And all of this would create new problems. Do you think if driving distance dropped 20% overnight that the PGA Tour is going to continue playing 7500 yard courses? I doubt they would. Courses have always grown to match the game of the times, and trying to undo the last 20 years of golf course changes would be a disaster for the course industry. It seems to me that the effort to rollback equipment misses the point of what golf is about. Who cares what number is on the club you are hitting? Who cares if the course they played 30 years ago as a par 72 is now a par 69? It doesn't matter, at least not to me. It's the same game.....lowest score wins. Par is a concept that seems to,short circuit everyone's thinking. For every time we see Jason Day or Dustin Johnson reach a 600 yard hole with a 360 yard driver and a 240 yard 5 iron, I guarantee you there are 500 times where amateur and professional golfers just hit it further into trouble with the added distance they get with modern equipment. If bombing it really ruled the game, the 400 yard long drive tour guys would be winning every major. Golf is fine. It's better than ever. The worst possible thing that could happen to the game today is to castrate the golf equipment industry.

[jamo]

No thanks. I don't even really understand the line of thinking. Why would you want the pros to play more like weekend hackers? I can watch weekend hackers for free at any course in the country.

[Mr. Desmond]

The integrity of the game is fine.

If someone hits it 100 yds beyond you off the tee, just smile at Jason Day and use the tees 80 yards ahead.

That's what 4-6 sets of tees is about. Pros play 7200-7400 yds much of the time. Most golfers at the intermediate level can play 6200-6700 yd courses.

If you get tired of 3 wd and 5i approaches, move up another set of tees -- use what's in your bag and make the round enjoyable.

[Archie Bunker]

The steady advance in equipment technology makes it impossible to compare today's pros from ones of an earlier era in terms of raw distance.

In doing so, you would be led to think that today's big hitters are supermen compared to the pros of the past. I'm sure that if guys like Nicklaus, Palmer or Snead were in their prime today and using today's technology, they would be hitting it just as far or farther than Bubba, Day, Johnson, McIlroy, or any of the other big hitters.

It would be interesting if those pros choosing to use 1980's spec equipment would have the option to play forward "Persimmon Tees" where others choosing to play the jacked-up equipment play the "back tees". Probably not a solution, but an interesting thought.

[Grumpter]

Increased distance and more forgiving equipment is not a problem for golf overall. It is a benefit.

I disagree about the distance part. A 400 yard hole used to be a decent test for me but now it is a driver/wedge hole. Land is expensive and the more technology increases distances the more older courses become obsolete. I don't think they need to roll it back to the 80's but I think it has gone too far.

Recently I tested out some wood/woods from the 70's and I averaged 35 yards more distance with modern driver/3 wood. That was with 2 shots with the older woods versus 1 shot for the new woods. My 7 iron used to be 150 yards until the early 90's and is now 175 yards. For me It takes a 435 yard hole to play the same (club choice wise) as a 375 yard hole used to.

[Patch]

My take is that it will never happen because the players won't let it. IMHO the players run the show, and dictate to the PGA/R&A; what they want when it comes to a push/shove decision.. Even the USGA has to take a back seat when they rub the players the wrong way in certain instances..

As for a reset for the integrity of the game, whatever integrity in golf there is, 90% of it is in the amateur ranks. Pro golf seems to always have a scandal going on some where. Some developed by the media.  I have seen cheating in the pro ranks, and heard lies told when the cheater was caught. It's a game/sport controlled by playability, money, and in some respects by greed. Integrity can't compete with playability, money, and greed.

Now it would be nice to see just one open tournament, where using 1980 technology was the requirement. I don't think very many of the big names would show up, but it would be interesting to see how the other pro golfers faired using the antique stuff.

[phillyk]

My take is that it will never happen because the players won't let it. IMHO the players run the show, and dictate to the PGA/R&A; what they want when it comes to a push/shove decision.. Even the USGA has to take a back seat when they rub the players the wrong way in certain instances..

As for a reset for the  integrity of the game, whatever integrity in golf there is, 90% of it is in the amateur ranks. Pro golf seems to always have a scandal going on some where. I have seen cheating in the pro ranks, and heard lies told when the cheater was caught. It's a game/sport controlled by money, in some respects by greed. Integrity can't compete with money, and greed.

Now it would be nice to see just one open tournament, where using 1980 technology was the requirement. I don't think very many of the big names would show up, but it would be interesting to see how the other pro golfers faired using the antique stuff.

Well not only that, but golf isn't controlled by one person or institution.  Even if the PGA, USGA, and R&A; decided to roll back to '80's equipment, some other golf institution will undoubtedly pop up to allow current technology to still be used, and I guarantee it'll be more popular by most touring pros.

As for integrity, you have to ignore anything to do with a golfers personal life, and think only about the integrity of them on course.  When it comes time to play golf, they all try to get the job done the best they can at every level of the game.

[isukgolf]

Sorry but the technology ship has left the dock ... no way to bring it back, and I would not be interested in stepping back, nor viewing it on TV. If that is someone's desire, they still have persimmon leagues.

[Big Lex]

I think one of the reasons there has not been serious consideration of a rollback is that it isn't as easy as it sounds, technically speaking. Both in terms of rewriting the club/ball rules and actually designing and engineering the products.

[colin007]

one tournament a year. i'd watch it.

[iacas]

No thanks. Really have never been a fan of bifurcation.

[jbishop15]

As far as golf has come and the television ratings it get's from the Bubba's and Dustin Johnson of the world why not reset everything for the integrity of the game? First thing they should do is get a tour ball regulation with certain spin requirements like balata from there they can go back to persimmon and steel only with a 250 cc max like the 1980's. It's like baseball leave the game as it should be and let the manufacturers sell the high tech illegal drivers if they choose to amateurs who need it and actually have fun with it. I think there are more pro's than cons to doing this the game is getting stupid with 500 yard par 4's standard and a bomb it and gauge style of play that's pretty lame. Baseball ended it's steroid era why can't golf make a stand and go back to it's golden age right?

Here is a little tid bit or wake up call to pga tour pro's who think their good.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/golf/pga/2007-07-12-oldclubs_N.htm

I don't understand; what does distance have to do with the integrity of the game?

Also, I'd rethink the bolded statement. These guys are good, markedly so compared to their competition in the 1980s, regardless of equipment.

[Mike Boatright]

Mac O grady disagrees of course he is in the extreme minority.

[Mike Boatright]

Persimmon is just so pure don't you agree?

[saevel25]

Here is a little tid bit or wake up call to pga tour pro's who think their good.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/golf/pga/2007-07-12-oldclubs_N.htm

first, that is a small sample size. They asked one Tour player to use older clubs. Also they are making assumptions after one round. I don't take much from this article than Snedeker is a good sport for using the equipment.

Persimmon is just so pure don't you agree?

Umm, just posting videos means nothing really with out context. Honestly it's confusing.

I've hit persimmons, I don't really like them. SO no, not so pure.