What’s in the bag?

CHELSIE JI

DRIVER: HONMA

WOODS: HONMA

IRONS: HONMA

WEDGE: HONMA

PUTTER: HONMA

WHERE DID THE SKILLS GO?

By Dean Gregory February 12, 2023

The game of golf has evolved. Players are hitting the ball longer and straighter. A par 72 course has become to be an easy attainable number. It’s not unusual to see a player on a 370-yard par 4 hit driver and use a wedge for their second shot. Many par 5’s are reachable in two. More and more I see players going under par for a round. A score of 59 has always been, since the birth of the game a mythical number to obtain. But since 2010, there have been eight players on tour who achieved this feat. Of course, there was Jim Furyk’s record-setting 58 in 2016.

Personally, it really isn’t much fun to watch the PGA Tour. With scores -18, -19 or -23, I feel like the players aren’t challenged enough. But it’s become the norm. I know the Tour says birdies sell. That’s what people want to see. I beg to differ with that philosophy. I would rather see players struggle to achieve those scores.

They say the reason fans go to watch NASCAR, is to see the crashes. If you think about it, if you watch cars drive around an oval a hundred times without any mishaps, how exciting would that really be. I would imagine most of you say, “That’s no fun to watch”. At least in golf, the majors can still challenge the tour pro. Especially with a tough U.S. Open setup and the 4-day total scores are in single digits, you know the players had to scratch and grind. I feel that’s what the average amateur golfer really wants to see. It somehow helps in the healing process when they think about their own games.

So how can we make the game challenging and exciting? It’s not feasible to lengthen courses. Players are already trying to perfect in obtaining the perfect swing. Golfers have become stronger. Technology of equipment is pretty well maxed out with their regulations.

The fact is equipment has developed to a point where it does make the game easier. Clubs are more forgiving. Materials, weighting and design have all attributed to this. Whether it’s clubs or balls, the only thing that golf manufacturers really care about is that “distance” sells their equipment. There are balls that have low spin to give you extra roll. Drivers are designed to achieve the same thing. Irons are all strong lofted. Pitching wedges that have the same loft as what 9-irons used to be. Why? So, you can buy more wedges. But do they really help you become a better player? Can you really develop the skills to be a top player? I feel that most golf equipment doesn’t necessarily make you develop your skill as a golfer, it just masks your flaws.

Maybe the answer is to roll back some of the regulations that manufacturers use to make equipment. For example, in just the past few days, the USGA has proposed that golf balls can only fly a total distance of 317 yards, +/- 3 yards for pro and top amateur events. Which means ball manufacturers will need to develop a special ball to meet those expectations. This proposal falls right in with what 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus as been talking about for years. Create a spec ball to be used by the tour so it at least closes the gap of distances.

Hopefully this will make players develop more skills that seemed to have gone away over time.