Tiger Woods knows whereof he speaks when he argues that the typical golf ball has been juiced to extremes. After all, he has arguably been its biggest beneficiary since he chucked his amateur status in late 1996. Moreover, his work as the head of a course design company gives him the unique perspective to likewise make an informed judgment outside the ropes. “If the game keeps progressing the way it is with technology, I think the 8,000-yard golf course is not too far away,” he told University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma in a podcast recorded two weeks ago.
Significantly, Woods isn’t alone in his assessment. Living legend Jack Nicklaus, similarly situated as a popular course designer who once dominated the pro scene, has time and again claimed that tournament organizers are in a losing proposition; advances to the ball’s composition have led to more and more players producing 300-yard drives from off the tee. And with real property being a finite resource, adding length to layouts has become less and less of an effective option.
Granted, the naysayers aren’t passive spectators; they’re driven in no small measure by self-interest. For instance, Woods would profit from increased regulation to the golf ball pros that are allowed to use in competition; his advancing age and multiple bouts with injury have turned what was once a boon into a bane. Never mind his contention that “I can’t believe how far I’m hitting the golf ball. I’m back to hitting it [to] my full numbers and not really trying to do that.” He understands that, these days, his edge will come not from brawn, but from brains.
Which is not to say they’re wrong. That the powers that be behind the sport’s biggest events are already contemplating behind the scenes on how to effect the changes they deem necessary without hindering casual participation is proof that they espouse the majority view. That said, new rules will take a while to be crafted, and not simply because appropriate studies have to be made; it’s one thing to generate a proper challenge, and quite another to ensure that it still entertains. The last thing golf needs is to alienate weekend hackers who already find the game hard enough without seeing the best of the best contained by anything other than nature.
Make no mistake, though. The changes are coming, and ostensibly for the sake of tradition; long-revered setups have had to undergo massive facelifts just so they don’t become birdie havens, to the horror of purists who no longer recognize them. And while when is anybody’s guess, it’s clear to all and sundry that they can’t come soon enough.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
