No Balls Yet

Thomas Bonk writes in the LA Times that after the USGA sent letters to 35 golf ball manufacturers for shorter-flying prototype balls, the early results are in.

Here's an update: Nothing.

That's right. Nothing has happened. Nearly five months later, not one ball from a single company has shown up at the doorstep of Dick Rugge, senior technical director of the U.S. Golf Assn.

Rugge, who said "eight or nine" of the companies said they would honor the USGA's request and that he expected the rest to do the same, isn't shocked that the needle has failed to move even an inch.

"It takes a while," he said of the process. "It doesn't surprise me. They said they would [submit prototypes], so I believe they will."

Huh. It was widely reported in July that Titleist "complied with a request by the USGA and submitted balls that travel shorter distances than current models."

Since all the manufacturers who said they would cooperate apparently haven’t submitted balls yet, perhaps they've lost the USGA's address? (That’s Box 708, Far Hills, NJ, 07931, attn: Dick Rugge).

Well, the USGA can always test some of the "Distance R.I.P." balls that "Jack wants you to play." I just can't imagine which company made those.