USGA Head: "It does make you wonder what golf courses will look like if we stay on this trajectory."

While new USGA President Mark Newell touched on concerns about distance at the association's annual meeting, Executive Director Mike Davis did the heavier lifting. Continuing his full-frontal attack on expanding golf's footprint, Davis largely backed up comments he made in 2017.

Golf.com's Dylan Dethier reports from Miami on the key comments in Davis' address.

"We all love hitting the ball far, but distance is all relative," he said. "I remember watching Jack Nicklaus, when he really got a hold of one maybe it went 280. That was the long ball then, and the long ball now is a lot longer."

Any potential rules change limiting technology would be sure to cause a stir among equipment manufacturers, who Davis said will be consulted throughout the process. But he was clear that he sees the issue of distance as a threat to the game at every level.

"This isn't just about the male elite game," he said. "It just isn't."

It looks like the U.S. Open's return to Shinnecock, recently narrowed after low scoring at Erin Hills, will be a point of comparison for the USGA in trying to convince those on the fence:

"An astonishing, perhaps even sobering example close to home will be this summer's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills that will be played at over 7,400 yards," Davis said. "One hundred and twenty-two years ago at the 1896 U.S. Open, care to guess Shinnecock's total yardage? 4,423 yards. Now, don't read too much into that – I don't want to see a headline next week saying the USGA is proposing going back to hickories and gutta-percha balls in the future, but it does make you wonder what golf courses will look like if we stay on this trajectory."

Davis talked to Golf Live's Ryan Asselta regarding driving distance and while Davis slightly walked back some comments made to the Wall Street Journal, the overall take from these on-the-record comments is this: something is brewing.