A Thermal Exhaust Port In The PGA Of America's Distance Poll?

In his daily newsletter, The Fried Egg's Andy Johnson points out questions about the PGA of America's distance survey methodology.

You may recall that the organization took a stand against rolling back the distance of the golf ball, specifically citing the ball and taking a stance against a position that had not been officially suggested by the USGA and R&A's distance report issued on Monday.

Besides taking a premature stand before polling its membership for views from the trenches, the poll itself struck many as odd. Including Johnson, who writes in his daily newsletter of CEO Pete Bevacqua's organizational stance and subsequent polling:

Perhaps in an effort to swiftly bolster his quick statement, the PGA solicited the opinion of its members via a "survey" sent via email to its 29,000 members. The "survey" looks like it was put together by a high school intern and shuns virtually any semblance of scientific poll-taking. The "survey" can be completed by anyone with the link, and (at least to outward appearances) responses can be submitted as many times as one likes. It is, by any definition, completely worthless.

Since the PGA of America has forfeited any pretense of fairness in this "survey," go ahead and vote yourself! You, non-PGA professional, can express your voice by voting here at the link.

I asked the PGA of America for an explanation and here is the response:

The questions were formulated with the help of the National Golf Foundation.  Only PGA member votes are recorded and only their first time accessing the poll counts.  There will be no multiple votes counted by any single PGA member and, in addition, no non-PGA member votes are recorded in any manner.

While that is comforting, it seems odd that there were no cookies telling me I had already voted or telling me I'm not a PGA of America member and therefore the vote will not count. 

This vulnerability in the thermal exhaust port is all probably a moot point given that the PGA of America board has already decided where it stands.