| USGA solicits scaled-back golf balls USGA solicited golf ball samples from manufacturers, the balls to fly a maximum of 302 and/or 292 yards compared to the current standard of 317 yards. Manufacturers are up in arms over it, saying golfers will never accept them, illegal "hot" balls will be rampant, senior golfers will suffer and leave the game in droves, and large retailers (e.g., Walmart) are being shut out of the process.
In one article, an anonymous golf ball manufacturer source compared this to a prisoner being asked his choice of capital punishment, then not being able to complain since he had input in the decision. The USGA is examining a distance rollback of 4.7% to 7.9% -- that's the equivalent of a ball manufacturer being put to death?
The article's author states that seniors facing a 180-yard par-3 will now see their shot fly only 140 yards (yes, those are the actual numbers from the article). How the 15- or 25-yard reduction has mutated into a 40-yard reduction is beyond me. And taking 25 yards off a swing that produces the USGA-allowed maximum of 317 yards would be taking 15 yards from the senior's 180-yard shot (i.e., down to 165 yards).
How is this such a bad thing? Didn't we all play golf balls like these just 5-10 years ago? Did everyone score in the hundreds then? Did everyone quit the game? |