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.

      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!

        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.

          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.

            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.

            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.

              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.

              I think the TV & $ components will trump the bomb & gouge "problem".

              I was thinking today about this thread.

              Imagine if the tour brought out 5-gallon buckets of mixed balls, we're talking everything from about 1995 and earlier, on the first tee, blindfolded the players, told them to pick 10 balls from the bucket, and that's what they had to use during the round.

              Patrick Reid in his post-round interview after shooting 73: "I guess I got the bad end of the draw. The best ball of the lot I picked was a Wilson Ultra Titanium, and I lost it on the third hole as I tried to draw a 5-iron from 220 yards off the corner of the water. It ended up 15 yards short, and never once thought about turning over."

              LOL

              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.