4 ms·

"He'd rather see the current golf clubs get modified rather than the ball, and he's not alone." That has got to be the biggest nonstarter I've ever heard. If p

"He'd rather see the current golf clubs get modified rather than the ball, and he's not alone." That has got to be the biggest nonstarter I've ever heard. If players use different clubs than the fans, it would undermine all of the money behind the equipment manufacturers, advertising and merchandising.

lazystar 4y ago
If the players used different golf balls than the fans, it'd be even more difficult
josefx 4y ago
Wouldn't race cars suffer from the same problem? Quite sure most race cars are not road legal.
- bombcar 4y ago
  It’s where “stock car” racing came into play, and at the extremes are rally car racing. Racing fans seem content to perhaps maybe drive a vehicle made by the company that sponsors their team; but they don’t actually race. Golfers (and I suspect some large percentage of viewers are also players) really like buying the equipment the pros use even if it’s not really appropriate for their skill level. It’s a story so old that PH Wodehouse references it in his books.
  - nonethewiser 4y ago
    Well if people already use what the pros use despite what’s best for them, why would nerfing pro equipment be a problem? Personally I think courses just need to change. There are already huge disparities in courses. Pros already demolish 99% of golf courses because they’re tuned for average players.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      We already often have "men's tees" and "women's tees" - new courses can simply implement that further and have various tees for various skill/power levels.
- bmelton 4y ago
  Race cars aren't more practical than golf clubs, but the reasons for which race cars aren't street legal are borne of practicality. Bumper height regulations are to hedge against the possibility of cars bumping into each other (and visibility.) Race cars don't have those concerns because all the other cars are race cars. Otherwise (ignoring emissions, cause I don't know), adding height, raising the bumper, turn signals and such can be done to even the most aggressive race car. It's been done, but the reason it isn't done more is because race cars are designed for race courses, and are incredibly hard to drive in regular, stop and go traffic. I can't see any reason why a better club wouldn't be preferred, so long as it is available.
- havblue 4y ago
  They do. The Car of Tomorrow was created for safety purposes. If fans or manufacturers had anything to say about it, nascar would use vehicles that actually looked like floor room models and not the same car with different stickers.
- Turing_Machine 4y ago
  Dragsters in the Top Fuel class have become so fast that the course distance was reduced from 1/4 mile (~400 m) to 1,000 feet (~300 m) in 2008, for driver safety.
nonethewiser 4y ago
What would the effect of going back 10 years in club tech? We didn’t have this same problem 10 years ago. I know the PGA players are also significantly more athletic than they used to be though.
hPCLfBpQ7k6e 4y ago
It's what they do in tennis. Why not?

lazystar 4y ago

If the players used different golf balls than the fans, it'd be even more difficult

josefx 4y ago

Wouldn't race cars suffer from the same problem? Quite sure most race cars are not road legal.

bombcar 4y ago
It’s where “stock car” racing came into play, and at the extremes are rally car racing. Racing fans seem content to perhaps maybe drive a vehicle made by the company that sponsors their team; but they don’t actually race. Golfers (and I suspect some large percentage of viewers are also players) really like buying the equipment the pros use even if it’s not really appropriate for their skill level. It’s a story so old that PH Wodehouse references it in his books.
- nonethewiser 4y ago
  Well if people already use what the pros use despite what’s best for them, why would nerfing pro equipment be a problem? Personally I think courses just need to change. There are already huge disparities in courses. Pros already demolish 99% of golf courses because they’re tuned for average players.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    We already often have "men's tees" and "women's tees" - new courses can simply implement that further and have various tees for various skill/power levels.
bmelton 4y ago
Race cars aren't more practical than golf clubs, but the reasons for which race cars aren't street legal are borne of practicality. Bumper height regulations are to hedge against the possibility of cars bumping into each other (and visibility.) Race cars don't have those concerns because all the other cars are race cars. Otherwise (ignoring emissions, cause I don't know), adding height, raising the bumper, turn signals and such can be done to even the most aggressive race car. It's been done, but the reason it isn't done more is because race cars are designed for race courses, and are incredibly hard to drive in regular, stop and go traffic. I can't see any reason why a better club wouldn't be preferred, so long as it is available.
havblue 4y ago
They do. The Car of Tomorrow was created for safety purposes. If fans or manufacturers had anything to say about it, nascar would use vehicles that actually looked like floor room models and not the same car with different stickers.
Turing_Machine 4y ago
Dragsters in the Top Fuel class have become so fast that the course distance was reduced from 1/4 mile (~400 m) to 1,000 feet (~300 m) in 2008, for driver safety.

nonethewiser 4y ago

What would the effect of going back 10 years in club tech? We didn’t have this same problem 10 years ago. I know the PGA players are also significantly more athletic than they used to be though.

hPCLfBpQ7k6e 4y ago

It's what they do in tennis. Why not?