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Leave The Game Alone

Written by Chris Gregor

Chris Gregor

First of all, the evolution of the golf ball has been a steady progression over time. The first balls were made of wood, then stuffed with feathers and as soon as the longer and less expensive Gutta Percha ball made its debut, the feathery was history. Each ball flew further than its predecessor and while there was some moaning from the purists each time a new ball was introduced, they have all made their way into the game with little resistance. It is true that current balls fly further than those of the past, but there are many contributing factors for this phenomenon aside from golf ball technology. Club technology and fairways that are mown to the length of greens in days of yore are but only two.

New Weapons Don't Hurt Either!

Distance Balls Don't Go In By Themselves

Combine these elements with the fact that players today are simply bigger, stronger and way more dedicated to physical conditioning than their counterparts of years past and it’s no wonder driving distances have increased. I’ll guarantee you that if you transported Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods or any of the current distance leaders of today back in time, they’d still hit further than the rest. Forget the equipment and repeat after me; 130 mph swing speeds!

Bubba Can Beat It!

While the ability to beat a golf ball a million yards off the tee is nice and all, the fact of the matter is that longer drives don’t equate to lower scoring. The PGA scoring leader in 1980 for example, was the Merry Mex himself, Lee Trevino at 69.73.

The Merry Mex Could Go Low

The low scoring average on tour early on this year is of course owned by the oddity of nature that is Tiger Woods (67.25).

A Statisical Anomaly

However the best scoring average this year by a human rests with Charlie Wi at 68.67. For all the hoopla surrounding driving distance, we’ve still only seen a 1 stroke improvement over a 28 year span. As a matter of fact, of the top 5 best scorers on the PGA Tour in 2008, only one of them (Charlie Wi – at 45^th) ranks among the top 50 in driving distance! To bolster my argument further, back in 2005 the PGA Tour distance leader, Scott Hend, managed to parlay his booming tee shots into a ticket back to the minor leagues in 2006. I think it fair to conclude hitting the ball farther has very little impact on lowering scores. The area of concern, according to the USGA lies in the large discrepancy in yardage between the big hitters and the bunters on the PGA Tour. For example, in 1980 the difference between the longest hitter on tour (Dan Pohl at 274.3 yards) and the shortest (Michael Brannan 238.7 yards) was only 35.6 yards. So far in ’08 Bubba Watson (316.5 yds.) smacks it an average of 55+ yards farther than ’07 Masters Champion Zach Johnson(260 yds.).

Not Long But Deadly

This, according to the sage thinkers that govern our great game, creates an unfair advantage. First of all, as outlined by the scoring stats, that’s not true. Shoot, look no further than fact that Big hitting Bubba and meek little Zach share identical scorings averages, 70.6! And even if distance discrepancy was an advantage, so feakin’ what! I mean when has sport ever been about penalizing those who are bigger, stronger, faster or more gifted than the rest? Rather than dummy down the ball, why not suggest Zach et al, get their collective butts on a more spirited strength and conditioning program? I implore the powers that be to leave the game alone and simply let it progress. The current restriction on the balls is fine, just don’t go backwards. The world of Golfdom was no less than giddy to see Tiger Woods single handedly change the image of the game and make it more of a main stream sport for the youth of the world. And now the USGA is squeamish because the game is inundated with young, strong, athletic players that hit it a mile. Careful what you wish for fellas’, sometimes it comes true. The bottom line is that there are many skills required by this game that must be executed well in order to score well and win. Hitting it a ton is just one of them. Sure it can help, but one still need to hit it straight, find some greens and make some putts. It seems to me that lost in the entire ruckus regarding technology is the time-honored mantra recited over the ages. Always remember and never forget; in golf it’s not about “how” but rather “how many” that really matters in the end. Always has been, and hopefully always will be.

Progression of the golf ball:

As early as 1550, solid wooden balls were beat around the sheep farms of Scotland. Talk about lack of “feel” and “playability” around the greens!

In 1618 someone decided that packing a wad of goose feathers inside a leather cover made for
I'm Not Good 'Nuff
a better option. Because it went further and played better, the wooden ball was toast and the “Featherie” became the ball standard for over two centuries.

Is That Road Rash?
In 1848 the Gutta Percha ball made its debut. Made from the rubbery sap of the Gutta tree, “Gutties” were initially smooth surfaced orbs that didn’t fly as far as a featherie but do to the inexpensive nature of producing them; they brought the game to the masses.

After 1880 it was found that gutties with surface patterns traveled farther than their smooth surface predecessors. From 1880 to 1898, gutties with a variety of surface patterns were the norm.

Fore Right!
In 1898 Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber core ball which was universally accepted in 1901 after proving so successful in the British and US Opens. It looked much like a guttie but added 20 yards to an average drive. The guttie instantly became a collector’s item. Go figure!

Getting Closer Anyway
In 1905 aerodynamic dimples were added to the surface of Haskell’s one-piece ball and the modern look of today’s balls was born. This ball stayed relatively unchanged until the introduction of the first two-piece ball in 1972, the Spaulding Executive. You guessed it, the Executive flew farther and played easier, so again, out with old and in with the new, no fuss and no whining. Since then the use of modern materials and high-tech testing methods has improved the overall characteristics and playability of Spaulding’s creation, but not nearly to the extent as changing from a wooden ball to one made of feathers!
Ahhh...I'll Take These Please!

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