So I originally wrote this post sometime in 2018 (I think it was around the DJ/Spieth playoff where DJ basically cut off an entire hole to win), and since that point, the USGA/R&A report has come out with the new distance gains numbers.  Since last year, driving distance has increased by 1.7 yards across all pro Tours, which is a 40% drop from 2016 to 2017.  It is, however, still a much larger increase than the previous 10 years before that.  Now, the major men’s Tours have seen a 2.9% jump since 2003, with the move in women’s Tours being just .9%.

Now you may be thinking, “Hey, these numbers aren’t staggering!” and you might be right.  But these increases year over year make winning scores lower, and golf courses needing more and more yardage to compete.  Hell, Augusta National just lengthened Hole 5 by 40 yards to reach 495 yards.  It was already the fifth hardest hole on the course as it was!  Now, there are some shorter tracks that can still put up fights.  I’m not saying this renders all short courses useless, but I still think it plays a factor.

This leads me to my original post from last year: should we roll back the golf ball?  Lots of arguments can be made that golfers are more athletic now than ever, and the weight room has become more of a staple in a golfer’s routine.  But equipment has come a long way too.  And while drivers have changed significantly over the years, it’s my personal opinion that the golf ball is what has changed the most.  And with that, here’s (kind-of) my $.02.

“We need to do something about the golf ball… I just think it’s going too far because we’re having to build golf courses, if they want to have a championship venue, they’ve got to be 7,400-7,800 yards long. And if the game keeps progressing the way it is with technology, I think the 8,000-yard golf course is not too far away. And that’s pretty scary because we don’t have enough property to start designing these type of golf courses and it just makes it so much more complicated.” – Tiger Woods via Holding Court with Geno Auriemma

First of all, two GOATS in one conversation?  I don’t care if it’s women’s basketball or cricket, Geno Auriemma is one of the greatest coaches of all time PERIOD.  He set record after record for the UCONN Women’s College Basketball team, and he’s a legend in his own right.

But let’s get to our GOAT, Tiger Woods.  He thinks we need to roll the ball back, and I agree.  I don’t need 18-under winning the US Open at an 8,000 yard course.  I don’t want to see guys hitting driver wedge into every hole.  Shit, I don’t need to be hitting driver wedge into every hole (even when I am able to do this, I’ll still shoot in the 80s or higher though).

I do, however, see the other side of the coin as well – rolling the ball back makes the game harder for the average Joe and could stunt the growth of golf, which is struggling as it is.  But is that an issue of golf being too hard, or just too damn expensive?  Here’s an idea: roll back ball technology, but let’s roll back those prices with it so I don’t need to take out a second mortgage to play 10 six and a half hour rounds at a local muni this year.