Combating Bomb and Gouge

mikeintopeka

Since the article focused on 'championship golf', the author's idea may work. His lobbying for shorter courses to bring strategy more into play is an unique solution.

Golfing friends in the DFW area are lamenting the quality of fields in recent years has been deteriorating for the Nelson and Colonial. The one benchmark I'm going to refer to is the Colonial and it is played on a shorter course by today's standards. The driver is not used as many times in a round, especially by the bombers. Thus, the field is missing some of the long knocks because some refer to it as a 'shot makers' course and not attractive to the long hitters because the playing field has been levelized. Again, we are referring to 'championship golf' so the 'bomb and gouge' crowd are going to show for these events even if it a short course.

Good discussion material in the article.

PA-PLAYA

Interesting article.

The only thing I can think of is growing the rough another 4 inches and narrowing the fairways. They can't make the greens any faster than they already are, otherwise the wind would certainly be a problem with the ball moving. They can't add much more length to the current rotation of courses. Shortening the course without reeling back the equipment won't change the current style of play. And I really don't foresee a time anytime soon when the USGA and R&A will regulate the ball.

We hear the fallout all the time when a course gets slaughtered, but few are talking about the monsoon-like weather they've had the past week there that played a huge role in scoring.

Let the fairways get a little growth, reducing rollout. Let the rough grow nice and thick. There is no real consequence for missing a fairway, so change that. If these guys are having to swing as hard as they can at a ball they can barely see, direction will become a serious problem.

This isn't that complicated. No consequences for missing a fairway = what is happening. And if they find the narrower fairways with 115 mph of club head speed, they deserve to be rewarded, no?

garyt1957

PA-PLAYA Let the fairways get a little growth, reducing rollout.

I think this is the first place I'd start. Seeing them get 50 or more yards roll is ridiculous. I went to the tournament in Detroit and couldn't believe how short the Fw's were cut.

ode

PA-PLAYA Shortening the course without reeling back the equipment won't change the current style of play

This my thought as well. The players are still going to bomb and gouge, but with more lofted clubs. It is a short sighted solution that won't solve anything.

Also, limiting # of times players can hit driver will also punish shorter hitters unnecessarily. I also feel the same way about governing the ball. IMO we are past the point of controlling distance.and need to accept it. This article, although in a new way, is just another way to whine about distance ruining the game, etc.

hobbit

Why are we worried about par anyway? I love long iron shots as well, but for the Pros - that is what par 5s are for. We still get to see them, so whats the problem? Long hitters have always had an advantage - long before metal drivers and solid core balls. There likely will come a time when the ball will have to be limited though, I just don't know how they will do it without completely disrupting the industry.

PA-PLAYA The only thing I can think of is growing the rough another 4 inches and narrowing the fairways.

Agreed. My home course has rough the US Open would be proud of in the first half of each season. Our handicaps go up, as the rough is so thick it almost requires punch outs if you get in it. But then after the heat of the summer, its struggling to stay alive and easier to hit from. It would require more extensive, and expensive, watering to maintain.

pellmell

Let them break scoring records. It's not going to change my reverence for Hogan or Snead.

raggmann54

Maybe every once in a while they should play an overused, under maintained MUNY course...

johnnydoom

I do agree that the rough should be long enough to at least make it a 50/50 gamble on the next shot hitting the green or not just so that it would be equally penal for shorter hitters as it is longer ones. Still must admit that I was in awe watching the players hit irons onto a 248 yard par 3 when I would have problems on a good day carrying my driver over the water in front (not sure what that carry would be, but it must've been close to 220 or 225 yards). And then to see the Thomas, Cantlay, and Finau group all have shortish birdie putts after hitting those irons - unbelievable!

Tinker

It’s happening all over sports. Baseball is about the home run, 250 hitters make the all star team. Basketball is about the ram dunk, all stars can’t make a 15 ft jump shot. If a player hits 7 or 8 fairways no way he should be able to score in the low 60’s. The fairway bunkers on most courses are easily carried, move them. Make the rough real rough, move the tee’s over instead of back, make the players shape drives to find the fairway.

garyt1957

Tinker move the tee’s over instead of back, make the players shape drives to find the fairway.

That's a good one

garyt1957

Toulon Not too sure I like it. At least with bomb and gouge there's the chance the guy might hit it off the planet. Nothing more boring than watching pros hit longer irons off the tee where they're likely to never miss and then hit a short iron into a green all day.

The low-spin, high-launch ball has made nearly every shot in golf easier. The one big exception is the 30- to 60-yard wedge. On this shot, modern technology actually works against the player. Just think: when was the last time you saw a pro rip a wedge back off the green? Right, you haven’t in a while—because the ball spins so much less. This development has made distance and spin control easier for full shots, but it has increased the difficulty of feel-based, in-between shots, particularly those over hazards.
And I'd like to see the stats, but I don't think a 30 yard chip is harder for the pros than a full wedge. I'd bet their distance to the hole is way better from 30-40 yards than a full wedge. And I don't see pros struggling with short chips and pitches. The reason you don't see pros spinning one back off a green anymore is because it's impossible to judge. They've gone to the one hop and stop because it's more reliable not because the ball doesn't spin as much.

This week should put an end to the notion that longer courses are the answer. In an effort to keep up with distance gains, Medinah followed an intuitive plan: lengthen and narrow. In the process, however, the course has gotten easier for most pros and harder for most members. If anything is certain about golf, it’s that nothing is ever intuitive.
How so? They could lengthen any course I play by 1000 yards and it wouldn't effect me a bit, I'm still playing the tees at 6000 some yards. I doubt bunkers meant for pros hitting it 350 are going to be in play for me at 220.

The idea of 270-300 yard or more par 3's is interesting. Make them decide between going for it and laying up. It would be like a 220 yard par 3 for me.

Not sure what happened but I quoted some of the article and it came out like it did.

Weirfan

It was a shame to see the once iconic Medinah absolutely destroyed by these guys.....it played like a chip and putt. Soft conditions contributed, but the course is no longer suitable for today's pros, even with them trying to make it longer.

Not every course can modify tee locations and some like ANGC have even been buying surrounding properties to keep extend it and keep it relevant.....thankfully, they use the greens speed and pin locations as a primary defence, however will likely need to start growing some rough to place a better premium on shotmaking since guys are hitting mid and even short irons into par 5's.....

id like to see courses tighten the fairways at 290-330 with deeper deeper rough at those points and make it a risk reward or force players to use a 3 wood and lay up to 280.

the ONLY logical solution is to dial back the ball for pros

DC300

Weirfan I think you hit it on the head with the course defense. Narrow the landing areas, make the rough more punative and add punishment behind and infront of greens. Also, add trees, you dont need more distance on a course when you can't fly over a tree. Not many pros can or will risk cutting a corner at 280 if you have 50ft trees in the way. Now you can't just jam the ball 320 into the rough and run it up on or risk catching the flier because it will cost you. I'm ok with a tournament seeing 10-15 under as the winner, these guys are DAMN good, but -25 is nuts.

Also the problem with changing the ball NOW is many courses have added excess length to combat it, you can't have guys playing with one ball and then switching to another, theres no time to dial distances and make it fair. I dont think thats the real solution, but it may be the one that gets chosen. The ball regualtion should have started in 2005. Too late now, imo.

DC300

Subsonic If I can make the adjustment to a ball, I have no concerns the real golfers of the world can do it. It will limit some shots, but especially for the big hitters, it won't matter. You have to adjust your trajectory with harder balls and you wont be hitting wild bananas out of the trees, but I have zero doubt they would not only figure it out, but it wouldn't change the outcome by more than a stroke.

Subsonic

DC300 I would like to just see their face as they are handed a pinnacle with no warning.

No no reason to dial anything back.

I would like like to see them have course conditions that are more typical of a more normal course.

HybridWood

ode This article, although in a new way, is just another way to whine about distance ruining the game, etc.

Balderdash! Bring back the guttie or Haskell ball and a hickory-shafted play club!

Typhoon

I don't watch golf to see people play like crap. If I want to see that, I can go down the street and watch people at the club. Growing the rough crazy, narrow fairways, I don't want to watch a telecast with people punching out or advancing the ball 50 yards. I can watch that live whenever I want.

The idea I like is growing the fairway grass longer and have the fairways play softer. Catching a bit of a flyer off the fairway like we all do. Not being able to nip it off a tight fairway for spin. Maybe not manicuring the course. You can add a bit of a challenge that way if you want. It would actually bring the courses they play more like the conditions we muni players experience everyday

Pinnacles, they'll figure it out, they are pro's.

DC300

Typhoon All fair points.

Par4QC

Typhoon The idea I like is growing the fairway grass longer

I do get tired of seeing them hit every shot off carpet, myself, along with seeing those flying 4" x 1 yard long divots. If the fw grass was over an inch, and the iron bounced back in their face when they hit, it would be the same as we play it.

Another thing is to limit the number of wedges in the bag; back to 2(PW, SW). Make them manufacture shots instead of being able to pull a certain club and hit a full shot the exact distance every time.

sdandrea1

What problem are we trying to solve? Are TV ratings down? Is golf less fun to watch? I enjoyed seeing JT go low. I've always been a fan of making the US Open a tough contest, but bomb and gouge is fun to watch. I don't try it......don't have the game, but I like watching it.

Tinker

Power is just one aspect of golf. Shot making, ball control, strategy and judgement should all have equal importance. How you bring that all back without altering equipment I just don’t know.