"The USGA and R&A Announce Golf Equipment Research Topics and Proposed Equipment Standards Changes"

We have a lot to get to! For now, the press release says a lot. With, admittedly, a fun buried lede.

The USGA and R&A Announce Golf Equipment Research Topics and Proposed Equipment Standards Changes 

Research topics include potential Local Rule and review of club and ball specifications 
to help mitigate continuing distance increases

Proposed changes to current Equipment Standards on club length, test conditions for golf ball testing and tolerances for club spring-like effect to ensure effectiveness in relation to distance limits 

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J., USA and ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (Feb. 2, 2021) – The USGA and The R&A are re-engaging with the golf industry on the Distance Insights project, which aims to help achieve a more sustainable long-term future for golf.

Strong lede.

The governing bodies are issuing specific Areas of Interest to help mitigate continuing distance increases and three proposed changes to the Equipment Rules to ensure their effectiveness in relation to distance limits.    

Areas of Interest=Person of Interest.

The delivery of research topics related to hitting distances and golf’s sustainability was delayed in 2020 to allow the golf industry to focus on the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.   

The Areas of Interest notice, sent on Monday to golf equipment manufacturers, follows the conclusions of the Distance Insights Report delivered last February. It is the first step of the established Equipment Rulemaking Procedures, which give the opportunity for golf’s stakeholders to provide research and perspectives on topics that might lead to equipment Rules changes.  

 In addition, three proposals related to Equipment Standards were also sent to the manufacturers yesterday and have been published – two to modernize equipment testing protocols and the other to consider the adoption of a Model Local Rule that would provide flexibility for committees, if they so choose, to limit the maximum length for clubs other than putters from 48 to 46 inches. Notice and comment periods have begun immediately to invite feedback on each of the three proposals from golf industry stakeholders.  

The Model Local Rule. Also none as, a gift to Augusta National’s stately 13th tee pines that will live to see many more Masters and allow Bryson DeChambeau to say he’s been unfairly targeted. Maybe.

It’s a little too targeted and personal. Which might be the goal given that I see early reports by those who had the embargoed version of this leading with DeChambeau targeting in their headlines. Could backfire. Or could be a brilliant bait and switch to protect the big ticket changes.

Research Topics/Areas of Interest 
Document link:  Official USGA/R&A Document 
(Research due by Nov. 2, 2021) 

The Areas of Interest notice addresses two specific Areas of Interest:   

• The potential use of a Local Rule that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances. This would enable committees conducting competitions to stipulate whether such equipment should be used. It could be available at all levels of play and would also allow golfers playing outside of competition to choose for themselves.

That is bifurcation whether they will call it such or not. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

• A review of the overall conformance specifications for both clubs and balls, including specifications that both directly and indirectly affect hitting distances. This review would consider whether any existing specifications should be adjusted or any new specifications created to help mitigate continuing distance increases. It would not consider revising the overall specifications to produce substantial reductions in hitting distances at all levels of the game. A list of club and ball specifications to be reviewed can be found in the official notice.

Stakeholders are invited to participate in the process by sharing any data or perspectives they might have on these topics by Nov. 2, 2021.  

Oh so much time to rack up billable hours!

The topics are purely areas for research. No solutions or decisions are being proposed at this stage. Any proposals for Rule changes that might result from this research will be communicated in accordance with the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures. 

Proposed Equipment Standards changes  
 
The USGA and The R&A are addressing the effectiveness of current equipment-testing processes, protocols and standards with respect to distance limits. As a result, the governing bodies are seeking comment from equipment manufacturers on three proposed Equipment Standards changes, as follows:  

Proposal #1: Club length – reduction to 46 inches available as a Model Local Rule (MLR) (Original proposal delivered in 2016 and paused in 2017 due to the Distance Insights Project). Comment period ends on March 4, 2021. 

And on March 5th…sorry, go on.

Proposal #2: Update on testing method for golf balls. Comment period ends on Aug. 2, 2021. 

Proposal #3: Change to testing tolerance – Characteristic Time. Comment period ends on Aug. 2, 2021. 

These items were telegraphed in the Distance Insights report, so should come as little surprise to manufacturers.

The 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report 

The USGA and The R&A also today released the 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report. The full report can be found here: Report Link  

Key quotes 

Mike Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the USGA, said, “The research conducted through Distance Insights clearly shows that hitting distances have consistently increased through time and, if left unchecked, could threaten the long-term future of our game at every level and every golf course on which it is played. This is the first forward step in a journey and a responsibility the USGA and The R&A share with the worldwide golf community, to ensure that golf continues to thrive for the next hundred years and beyond.” 

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are now able to progress with the work on this critical topic and are beginning the next phase as expeditiously as possible. The research topics and the proposed changes we have announced will be the focus of our attention in the coming months and we look forward to gaining insights from the golf industry and fully understanding their perspectives on these key areas. We remain fully committed to conducting this hugely important exercise for the sport thoroughly, efficiently and collaboratively.” 

Strongest quotes yet. They’ve made up their minds. Let the whining begin!

And now for your buried lede.

Updates Since February 2020 

During the pause in distance-related research caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the USGA and The R&A completed their regular review of equipment-testing processes, protocols and standards to ensure their effectiveness in relation to distance limits. The proposals detailed above are the outcome of this regular review of equipment-testing processes, protocols and standards to ensure their effectiveness.  

As such, these proposals were not conceived and are not intended to be solutions to the distance issues identified in the Distance Insights Report.  

But we did add the 46-inch driver rule based on what we were seeing.

The summary below of the issue at hand is also quite well said.

All notices related to golf equipment follow the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures adopted in 2011 by the USGA, The R&A and golf equipment manufacturers, which provide an open process of dialogue for all involved. The procedures can be reviewed here.  

The Distance Insights Report released last year highlighted the impact of long-term hitting distance increases on some of golf’s essential elements, including changing the strategic challenge of the game, altering the variety of skills needed to be successful and risking courses becoming less challenging or obsolete. Further, the report states that the overall trend of golf courses becoming longer has adverse consequences that ultimately affect golfers at all levels of the game. The governing bodies are working with the key stakeholders in golf to address these issues in a way that brings the game together and which ensures it will continue to thrive for many years to come. 

Work is also currently being conducted to develop industry-wide recommendations and best management practices on course design, setup and course conditions related to distance for all golf courses and golfers, as detailed among next steps in the Distance Insights conclusions document delivered last year. The USGA is currently conducting field testing and research, with outcomes to be delivered throughout 2021.  

And there you go. Easily the most confident statements we’ve ever seen from the governing bodies. 

Reed Mess Highlights The PGA Tour's Complicated Relationship With Golf

So many forces and so many strange things happened down at Torrey Pines this weekend. There were winners, losers and warning signs.

I tried to put them together and what this means for the game, the rules and the rulemakers (who also run majors…The Quadrilateral’s focus).

This one is for paid subscribers only.

But the membership committee is not opposed to new subscribers.

R&A Turns To Niall Horan "To Support Fresh Drive To Get More Young People Into Golf"

Another day, another governing body reaching out to the kids.

At least (A) we know Niall Horan really does love golf and isn’t doing this just as an “influencer” (B) I don’t have a B.

For Immediately Painful Release:

THE R&A APPOINTS MODEST! GOLF TO SUPPORT FRESH DRIVE TO GET MORE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO GOLF

27 January 2021, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A has appointed Modest! Golf to work on designing and developing a series of future grassroots programmes aimed at inspiring more young people into golf and retain them within the sport.

The new programmes will be launched later this year and provide more opportunities for young people to be introduced to golf through offering fun and accessible formats of the sport that are more in tune with how today’s generation uses its leisure time.

The arrangement will see focus on increasing the appeal of golf for young people by leveraging the power of influencers from the sports and entertainment world to present the sport in a more positive light to new audiences and challenge some of the more unhelpful perceptions that exist about golf.

Oh, how 2019 of you.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Offer at The R&A, said, “Modest! Golf has a wealth of expertise and insight from the entertainment and sports industries that will be combined with our experience of developing golf around the world to establish exciting new initiatives aimed at reaching new audiences and inspiring more young people into playing golf with their family and friends.

“Our relationship with Modest! Golf is built on a shared ambition for golf to be viewed as a fun, friendly and accessible sport that is inclusive of all people no matter their age, gender, ability or background. We look forward to working together to broaden its appeal through our networks in golf and encourage young people to enjoy its many social and health benefits.”

Niall Horan, founder of Modest! Golf, said, “I am so proud to work alongside The R&A in developing programmes to encourage and inspire more young people to play the game of golf. It is something my company Modest! Golf is hugely passionate about and I am honoured that the chief executive Martin Slumbers, Phil Anderton and The R&A are entrusting my agency to help drive the game forward.

“The R&A has a long legacy within the game and I look forward to helping to create new and modern initiatives to showcase to the younger generation just what a great sport golf is.”

Modest! Golf evolved from entertainment agency Modest! Management and was founded by Niall Horan and Mark McDonnell in 2016. It is responsible for the management of professional golfers including Tyrrell Hatton, Leona Maguire, Connor Syme, Olivia Cowan and Guido Migliozzi as well as world top 5 disability golfer Brendan Lawlor.

It also aims to promote inclusivity and opportunity through renowned events like the ISPS Handa World Invitational and the Horan & Rose charity tournament which has raised over £2 million for children’s charities across the world.

The campaign kick off…

A sport that you can play for the rest of your life 🏌️‍♀️🏌️‍♂️@miaellax spoke to @modestgolf founder @NiallOfficial about his passion for golf and why he wants to encourage more young people into the game ⛳️

Watch the full video here 👉 https://t.co/0mQqkzAKpp ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/a9NsYwR5AA

— The R&A (@RandA) January 28, 2021

Major(s) News Week: January 15, 2021

A new edition of The Quadrilateral is out to subscribers.

A wrap-up of majors news, including the historic pivot from Donald Trump plus other random notes, heavily tilted toward The Masters just 84 days from now.

Learn more here or just go ahead and subscribe here. The options; Free, $5 a month, $49 a year or a $150 founding membership that includes a free subscription for a friend.

"A Different Order Of Magnitude" For Trump In Losing Major Championship Ties

There was no intention to neglect the blog this week for The Quadrilateral but as I mentioned in explaining the newsletter, major championship news happens year-round.

Today I recap Donald Trump’s not-surprising reaction to the PGA and R&A cutting all ties with the outgoing President and also have a lighter note on the 2022 betting race.

Yes, you can get a price on venues decided on by a board of golf professionals. What a world.

R&A: No Return To Trump Turnberry Any Time Soon

This has always been the position since Donald Trump’s purchase of Turnberry but post events of 1-6-21 the R&A has codified its stance on what is one of the very best courses in their "rota”.

STATEMENT FROM THE R&A
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A:

“We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future. We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”

Peter Dawson Made A CBE In New Year Honours List For "Services To Golf"

Only the Queen knows what services made retired Chief Inspector Peter Dawson worth of a “Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire”. Perhaps his old pal the Duke of York weighed in from exile with a good word?

Anyhow… congrats to the former R&A chief and Dubai golf-grower for the honor despite overseeing the bastardization of the Old Course and years of resisting an Open at Royal Portrush.

His successor Martin Slumbers chimed in with a congratulatory message.

Martin Slumbers, who succeeded Mr Dawson as Chief Executive of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, said, “On behalf of all of us at The R&A and the Club I would like to congratulate Peter on being made a CBE. It is thoroughly deserved recognition for the sterling work he has done over many years in supporting and growing the game not only here at the home of golf in St Andrews but throughout the world.”

Oh it grew…with tees on the Eden, the New, the Jubilee and the Himalayas. Splendid.

R&A Confirms Hoylake And Troon For Future Opens, Further Postponing A Turnberry Decision

Royal Troon

While the Hoylake (aka Royal Liverpool) and Troon had already been awarded Open Championships in 2022 and 2023, they were to be pushed back a year by the R&A’s 2020 Open cancellation. There was some thought we might see a trade to keep Troon on track to celebrate the centennial of its first Open in 2023, a big part of the February announcement.

But it appears no trade was made and each course will now slide back a year. So now 101 years later we’ll celebrate Arthur Havers’ game story-killing win over Walter Hagen and Macdonald Smith.

Moving Troon to 2024 also makes any talk of a return to Trump Turnberry moot until at least 2026 given their proximity. But ‘26 seems like a potential St. Andrews year or, if the R&A is in the mood for anniversaries, 100 years since Bobby Jones won at Lytham and St. Annes.

The move also gives the R&A another year to find a media hotel better than the haunted and haunting Adamton Country “House”. Have you ever seen a grander entrance?

Anyhoo…

VENUES CONFIRMED FOR THE OPEN IN 2023 AND 2024

7 December 2020, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A today confirmed that The 151st Open will be played at Royal Liverpool from 16-23 July 2023 and The 152nd Open will be played at Royal Troon from 14-21 July 2024.

The Championships have been rescheduled following the cancellation of The 149th Open at Royal St George’s this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Open will be played at the famous Kent links from 11-18 July 2021.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We have been working closely with Royal Liverpool and Royal Troon and the relevant local agencies to reschedule the Championships.

“We are grateful to everyone involved at the clubs and at our partner organisations for supporting our plans and showing flexibility to adapt their own schedules. We can now look forward to seeing the world’s best players competing at these outstanding links courses in 2023 and 2024.”

Michael Johnson, Captain of Royal Liverpool Golf Club, said, “Without doubt the golfing world greatly anticipates the return of The Open after the hiatus of 2020 and Royal Liverpool Golf Club is delighted to fit into the revised schedule alongside our friends at Royal Troon. We must thank The R&A for its continued support and look forward to welcoming competitors and spectators alike to Hoylake in 2023.”

Desmond Bancewicz, Captain of Royal Troon Golf Club, said, “Following the most unusual circumstances this year, affecting all our lives, Royal Troon Golf Club looks forward with eager anticipation in hosting The Open in 2024 for a 10th time and sends their very best wishes to The R&A and Royal St George's Golf Club for 2021.”

This will be the 13th time the Championship has been staged at Royal Liverpool and the first since Rory McIlroy lifted the Claret Jug there in 2014.

The Open will return to Royal Troon for the 10th time following Henrik Stenson’s memorable final round duel with Phil Mickelson before claiming victory in 2016.

Future venues:

• The 149th Open will be played at Royal St George’s from 11-18 July 2021

• The 150th Open will be played at St Andrews from 10-17 July 2022

• The 151st Open will be played at Royal Liverpool from 16-23 July 2023

• The 152nd Open will be played at Royal Troon 14-21 July 2024

2020: Slumbers Defends R&A's Decision To Postpone The Open

Interesting that R&A Chief Martin Slumbers felt the need to justify his organization’s cancelling of the 2020 Open Championship given the leeway most organizations have gotten during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From John Huggan’s GolfDigest.com discussion with Slumbers about the decision to postpone Royal St. George’s:

“The situation here was very different to that in America,” Slumbers said. “The United States is so much bigger than the U.K. All the messages we received from government were prompt. We were getting very clear steers that this virus was not going to go away in four weeks. Having said that, I can’t be happier for my colleagues at the USGA and the PGA of America and Augusta National who have found ways to get their events done. Do I have a slight tinge of jealousy? Yes, I do. Having no Open rips the heart out of the R&A. Our rhythm of life, as it has for so many, has been disrupted. I didn’t enjoy what should have been Open week.”

There was one more piece of ammunition for potential critics. Did the financial safety net provided by the presence of the R&A’s “communicable disease” insurance policy play too much of a role in the eventual decision?

“Although it would be wrong to say that having the insurance in place was not linked to what we came up with, all the decision-making was done through the lens of being uninsured,” Slumbers said. “We would have come to the same conclusion, irrespective of that. We were fortunate to have insurance. That protects part of our expenses, and we are working though all of that with the insurers at the moment. But it was independent of the final decision. [Slumbers would not say how much the insurance cost, how much the R&A has or will receive as payment or what it covered.] The All-England Tennis Club at Wimbledon was in the same position. They had an identical policy, and they canceled their championship, too.”

Yes we know.

While I know some fault them, I don’t sense many question the call and look forward to a return next year.

MorningRead.com: "Changes at Golf Channel could get a fuzzy reception"

Thanks to all who sent in John Hawkins’s Morning Read look at the pending downscaling of Golf Channel and demise of GolfChannel.com. I held off on posting the story while awaiting comment on the recent building closure and ensuing disappearance of all studio shows. While a network spokesman has not been able to give an answer about what was happening, channel listings do show Morning Drive and Golf Central returning next week. At least, for the time being. (Before a scaling back when the network moves to Stamford, Connecticut for “geographic consolidation” and tax breaks with one studio show covering pre and post games.)

Multiple sources say the headquarters, closed to ensure safe working conditions after a class action suit was filed against the neighboring Lockheed Martin facility, will reopen next week, while GolfChannel.com has received a very slight reprieve from the expected year-end shuttering first reported on by The Athletic.

Hawkins writes:

The layoffs were made public in June, to be conducted in a two-stage process, and that process is still shaking itself out. The coronavirus hasn’t made things any easier. Nor has a class-action lawsuit involving 11 Golf Channel employees and defense company Lockheed Martin, which owns a plant near the GC complex and is accused in a class-action lawsuit of instigating an “environmental nightmare” with its alleged mismanagement of hazardous toxins.

A source with close knowledge of the case confirmed today that the Golf Channel employee portion of the case has swelled to “about 100” plaintiffs from the 11 originally reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

I repeat: about 100 from 11 just since the Sentinel revealed the suit less than a month ago.

Thoughts and prayers.

Anyway, on a lighter note…

At least one industry insider will tell you that the company began reaching beyond its core audience at a time when its TV rights would come at a substantially higher price, which apparently was the case when the PGA Tour completed negotiations with all of its suitors this spring. ESPN was awarded the digital/streaming rights through 2030, a coveted property, given that so many viewers have taken to watching pro golf on something other than a television.

One correction here and it is a mistake commonly made: ESPN+ will have the rights to what is now PGA Tour Live coverage and miscellaneous featured hole and group feeds. GOLFTV, for those who insist it is a real thing, handles international streaming rights.

However, when Golf Channel’s opening round coverage is on cable Thursdays and Fridays, they retain those digital rights through 2031.

When CBS and NBC are televising, their digital platforms own those rights exclusively as well, not ESPN+.

From a fan and business perspective, NBC’s interest currently lies in its Peacock streaming service—home apparently to 30 Rock reruns in case you had not heard 400 times—as it winds down cable channels. Nothing suggests a large part of golf’s core audience is even remotely prepared for such a move.

Golf Channel ended up paying more for something it already had – something that could be worth less in nine years than it is now. Without live golf as the nucleus of its programming, however, the network’s value would be greatly diminished. It had little choice but to meet the Tour’s financial demands.

True. The real question is how the PGA Tour, the R&A, PGA of America, LPGA, European Tour and now the USGA, feel about handing over coverage hours to a channel where they’re barely turning on the lights and have had late-blooming digital strategy?

Then again, the PGA Tour world has shown a belief in their “product” strength that far exceeds common sense wisdom which says viewers invest in players, courses and weeks in part because of the storytelling around those events.

The new World Handicap System with its own 46-page toolkit isn't rocket science - it's even harder!"

Derek Lawrenson explains the USGA and R&A’s new World Handicap in his weekly Daily Mail column and is not entirely sold, as well-intentioned as he found the new world order as of November 2.

For the amateurs who play a significant percentage of their golf outside their home course, the changes will be welcomed. It’s obviously simplistic to take an eight handicap at a straightforward inland course and think it translates to playing off the same mark at, say, Royal Birkdale. This more nuanced approach will make the necessary adjustments.

The reason I’ll get a couple of extra shots at my home course is that it has a high slope rating, meaning it is more difficult than your average track.

Why introduce this in the middle of a pandemic is a valid question. But when we’ve grown accustomed to the changes, it ought to make sense.

In the meantime, you can always take refuge in the cheerful conclusion reached by our handicap chairman: ‘Do not become overwhelmed by all the information, the calculations and the formulae: remember, the computer will do it all for you.’

The Open Turns 160 Today: What The World Looked Like Then

Happy 160th birthday to The Open and that grand October 17th day at Prestwick when a small gathering played for the belt.

No author is listed, but what a perfect way to commemorate the beginning of it all (for pro golf at least) by highlighting what the world looked like then. And I’m sure all of the grateful pro golfers aound the world today uttered a thought or two of appreciation today for the pioneering work of the Morris’s and Park’s that has allowed them to stockpile Porsches and bloated annuities.

A few of my favorites from 1860, courtesy of The Open site:

- Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States of America, making him the first Republican to hold the office.

- In 1860, there were only 33 American states, as opposed to the 50 that exist now, while the population of the USA was approximately 31 million. Today, the US population is over ten times as great, at 330 million.

- Queen Victoria was just over 23 years into her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom. She would remain on the throne until 1901, when she was succeeded by Edward VII.

- Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright regarded as one of the greatest writers of short stories in history, was born in the Russian port city of Taganrog.

- Life expectancy in the United Kingdom was approximately 40 years, roughly half of what it is today.

They’re also celebrating the day at Prestwick:

160 years ago today the 1st Open Championship was played @prestwickgc (17 October 1860) A simple stone cairn to the west of Prestwick's clubhouse marks the spot where the first Open Championship tee shot was struck in 1860. It identifies the opening hole of the original 12-hole course and the place where modern golfing history began. The tournament had been arranged following the death of Alan Robertson of St Andrews in 1859. Robertson was one of the first golf professionals to make a living from playing for bets, caddying, ball and club making and instruction, and was considered the best golfer at the time. In fact, he was so good that tradition has it he never lost when playing for money. Following his death, the members of Prestwick Golf Club agreed a competition should be held to see who would follow Robertson as the Champion Golfer. In due course, the first Open Championship was held at Prestwick on October 17, 1860 and played according to the Rules of Prestwick Golf Club. Eight professional players competed for the prize of a red Morocco leather belt with silver clasps and an ornamental silver buckle. The impressive girdle cost £25 and was paid for by the club's members. It eventually rested on the hips of Willie Park of Musselburgh who recorded a score of 174 for 36 holes (three rounds of 12 holes) bettering Old Tom's tally, who represented Prestwick, by two strokes. #theopen #prestwickgolfclub #birthplaceoftheopen @therandagolf #golfstagram #1stopen

Bryson Begins Masters Tune-Up By Not Playing Again Until Tournament Week

Apparently this whole athlete thing also entails weight, diet and equipment work leading into a major, not exactly a boost to the PGA Tour that loves the jock narrative and who pulled off a miraculous salvation of the lucrative CJ Cup and ZOZO Championships. Irony can be inconvenient.

From Steve DiMeglio’s post-Shriner’s wrap of U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau’s pre-November Masters plans.

“I’m going to be working out like crazy. The first week back home, I’m not really going to touch a club too much and going to be training pretty hard and getting myself up to hopefully around 245, something like that, in weight. Be the first time I’ve ever done that, so I’m going to be consuming a lot and see and working out a lot and see what we can do from there.”

Gotta be ready to go twelve rounds.

Now, as for the whole skill vs. equipment debate, DeChambeau has teed up the governing bodies to take action. At least, in a world of governing bodies that like to govern. That’s because the other focus of DeChambeau’s preparation involves equipment testing.

Nothing unusual there, right?

“The advantages I usually have could be much improved upon with the equipment. We don’t have it yet, but we’re diligently working on it behind the scenes. We’ll prototype and test it and see if it works, if it doesn’t we’ll go back and tool it and hopefully have it ready for Augusta.”

Meanwhile Rory McIlroy is testing shafts to catch Bryson, at least based on photos and his postings about the speed chase, reports Jonathan Wall.

Yes, of course, players have changed clubs to suit Augusta National and even carried two drivers. But when a player shuts it down to weight train and equipment test to improve their advantage, might that be a sign things have tipped too far?

European Golf Course Architects Overwhelmingly Support Action On Distance

For those new to the distance debate or only mildly interested in this neverending saga, the role of course design drives the views of most. And yet, golf architects who could profit by rapid increases we’ve seen in the last two decades, should be loving the added work and calls to deal with safety issues.

But dealing with distance in almost every decision they have to make has 95% of European Institute of Golf Course Architects voting for some form of “rollback” in the name of safety and sanity.

The July survey questions and results can be viewed here, with a link to the PDF in the righthand column. From their president summing up the results:

“We surveyed the EIGCA membership for their thoughts on a range of factors relating to increased hitting distances, forged through their experience of designing golf courses around the world. The most eye-catching result is that 95% of respondents agreed that action needs to be taken to reduce hitting distances,” says Christoph Städler, President of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.

“The vast majority of respondents (75%) believed that increasing ball flight length and advances in equipment technology are diminishing the skill of the game which is leading to a simplification of golf course strategy. 88% of respondents considered a reduction in driving distance of between 10% and 15% would be appropriate.”

The results have been sent off to the R&A and USGA who have suspended discussions until 2021 due to the pandemic.

A few noteworthy results regarding safety, an issue often ignored or even mocked.

•90% have encountered existing courses with increased safety issues due to the increase in hitting distance

•73% have increased safety margins due to the increase in hitting distance

And regarding design issues:

•20% have almost always been tasked by clients to lengthen a course, another 37% have frequently been briefed to do so, and 32% occasionally (89% of respondents meaning this is a common requirement asked of architects)

•93% have re-designed a course, or part of a course, due to the increase in hitting distance (15% almost always, 37% frequently, 42% occasionally

Finally, besides the 95% who’d like to see some action take, they would mostly spare the amateur game:

•62% think that amateurs should be spared any regulatory effects to reduce hitting distance (21% amateurs be completely exempt + 41% that amateurs should largely be spared)

Do We Really Want Young Golfers To "Pull A Bryson"?

In wrapping up Bryson DeChambeau’s revolutionary U.S. Open win, we long time technistas have seen new dimensions added to the distance debate.

From how the game is played, to the relentless “athlete” marketing push, the debate includes fresh dimensions courtesy of Bryson’s brusque style. Just look at Cameron Champ. He is probably capable of longer drives and has a pair of nice wins along with a run at the PGA Championship to beef up his credentials. But there is something more revealing about the sight of Bryson’s weight gain in a matter of months and the violent nature of his swing.

The aesthetic of it is cringe worthy. But golf has always had aggressive lashers. There’s more to this than style.

Seeing someone combine an excessive diet with a Happy Gilmore swing is one thing, but it becomes a bit less fun when you sense injury is inevitable. But he’s a grown man and he’s entitled to do what he likes with his body. At least, within reason and under rules meant to maintain the integrity of the competition.

So about the children.

At certain ages we are able to observe and absorb tiny details that are sometimes channeled into golf swings. Or into mannerisms. Or how we practice, prepare and dress. With kids getting serious at younger ages able to access more information than ever, this is a careful way of asking: do we want kids seeing what Bryson’s doing and copying the methods to his madness?

Today’s equipment and launch monitor technology allows a talented golfer to maximize their implements to absurd driving-distance effect. All credit to Bryson, he outsmarted the system. But the rules are supposed to consider whether it is a good thing on many levels, including preventing young people from taking extreme measures to gain distance.

With that in mind, here are a few final reads regarding Bryson and the U.S. Open, starting with a reminder that any talk about rules changes must start with praise for DeChambeau. An adjustment to the rules was already in mind before he made his changes thanks to the Statement of Principles, so the next discussions should never feel like a rebuke or de-legitimization of his win.

His instructor in this transformation, Chris Como, was quoted by Doug Ferguson in this AP analysis of DeChambeau’s overhaul:

“How many people have changed their body, changed their golf swing and lost their career?” said Chris Como, who works with DeChambeau as a swing coach and speaks his language with his background in biomechanics.

True. That said, there should be a place in the rules to modify equipment to allow a player to swing hard, but return some sanity to the player-club symbiosis. Again, hats off to Bryson and you can keep your new body, but in the interest of the sport and future generations, we also need to draw a line in the sand. Or, gasp, go backwards.

In The Met Golfer magazine, Bill Fields tackled this notion with DeChambeau in mind, then reminded us of past distance talk—100 yards ago off the tee—and explained why golf has to stop fussing so much over a minor move backwards.

The circus will still be the circus, whether the high wire is fifty or five hundred feet above the floor.

Now to the headline of this post: the children. They are our future!

And in golf, our immediate present, with some undoubtedly throwing another package of bacon in the shopping cart and pricing Creatine options online.

To this point, an Eric Sondheimer Los Angeles Times story appeared in August and I asked a few folks about the ethics of posting it in this context. I ultimately chose not to because I don’t want to pick on a 16-year-old aspiring player for simply doing what you’re supposed to do: see what a leading player is doing and copying.

The lad in question is a former child star and now a good player for a legendary southern California high school. He has aspirations to get better and longer off the tee. This being 2020, you know where this is going.

When on-campus classes stopped in March, golf courses also closed, leaving the then-sophomore scrambling. His mother bought him a target to practice his chipping in the backyard. He tried hitting off a mat, but that doesn’t help for real golf. He went for runs, rode a bike and worked on building his strength while trying to keep his slender 6-foot-1, 145-pound body in shape. He can drive a ball 280 yards but says he’s been “eating a lot.”

He and his golf friends have been talking nonstop this summer about PGA sensation Bryson DeChambeau, who gained 40 pounds and has been hitting balls beyond 400 yards.

“That’s who we’re chasing in the fitness world,” he said.

Long drives with friends this summer produced, “You pulled a Bryson.”

Today’s equipment and fitting allows for players to grow-up swinging more efficiently than past generations. But at what point does skill become diminished by technology or worse, do training regimens and expensive protein diets turn golf into a pursuit of unhealthy behaviors and gluttony?

Is anyone at the highest levels concerned about the idea of encouraging teenagers to push their bodies before they’re ready? In a sport that has always been about more than just getting stronger?

To date there has been little urgency to act for any reason, including child safety. But maybe the sight of Bryson’s transformation and his promise to pursuing more weight gain will convince the regulators to better regulate. For the children.