Feb 2, 2021
USGA, R&A take next steps in golf’s distance debate
Shorter clubs, local rules and changes in the way equipment is tested will be the focus of governing bodies as they take another step towards trying to limit the distance the ball travels, Bob Weeks writes.
By Bob Weeks
Shorter clubs, local rules and changes in the way equipment is tested will be the focus of golf’s governing bodies as they take another step towards trying to limit the distance the ball travels.
On Tuesday, the Royal & Ancient and the United States Golf Association released a joint statement as part of its Distance Insights project. The document is a follow-up to one released last February that stated golf was on a path of unsustainability due to the ramifications from increased distance of the golf ball.
It gave two areas of interest that it will pursue, as well as some proposed changes to equipment standards.
“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,” said Mike Davis, the executive director of the USGA, in a release.
The areas of interest are the potential use of a Local Rule that would allow committees to specify the use of clubs and/or balls that would lead to shorter distances. This means that, hypothetically, Golf Canada could put in place a rule that only certain types of clubs and balls could be used to play the RBC Canadian Open.
A second area the bodies will look into is the overall conformance specifications for both clubs and balls, including specifications that both directly and indirectly affect hitting distances. This means a look at the overall golf ball efficiency, including the size, weight and design, as well as the overall volume of a driver head.
Information on both these areas of interest was sent to golf club manufacturers on Monday.
The proposed equipment changes include a reduction in the overall length of a driver to 46 inches from 48. This would be available to be used as a Model Local Rule, meaning committees could put it in place for certain events while the overall standard of 48 inches could remain.
There is also the possibility of how golf balls are tested. At present, a 10-degree driver is swung at 120 mph, giving a measurement of how fast the balls come off the face. The change could see a ball hit by clubs of different degrees and a variety of amounts of backspin.
The third item in this group would be a possible change in testing tolerance or the CT number. This is what is more commonly known as the spring-like effect on the face of a club. It hasn’t been changed in many years while club manufacturing is improving annually.
“The research topics and the proposed changes we have announced will be the focus of our attention in the coming months,” said Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, in a release, “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.”
The two governing bodies will await feedback from any stakeholders on these areas until Nov. 2, 2021.
The topics do seem to hint at the possibility of bifurcation, or a different set of rules for top professionals and recreational players. However both bodies stated that it is their intent to remain with a single set of rules.
“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,” said Davis.