What should the PGA do?

[Ego Woods]

Much talk lately has been about the ever changing technology in golf and how pros and the like are bombing balls off the tee and hitting it farther than ever. What should the PGA and other pro tours in all their 'holiness' do to curb this increasing trend?

Hank Haney:

"I can't believe all this talk about how we need to scale back the golf ball and how far it's going. Are you hitting the ball too far? Has the game gotten too easy for you? To 99.9% of us, the answer is no. Golf is too darn difficult. Courses have gotten longer and more challenging. Fairways are irrigated so the ball doesn't roll, but they're mowed so tight it's like hitting off this table. Greens are so firm you don't leave a ball mark half the time, and they're twice as fast as they were 15 years ago. And the game has gotten too easy? For who, the top five players in the world? Keep making golf harder, and eventually it'll become like tennis and duckpin bowling. Meaning: dead."

[East Coast Golfer]

I think as long as they keep the coefficient max level on the woods, and the balls to a same spec, then the game will be fine. Hank Khuene is the longest player on tour, yet when was the last time you saw his name on a leaderboard?

the game is fine and the media just needs something to ***** about and this is their flavour of the year.

[laxgolf]

For the sake of maybe 100 guys in the world who play golf for a living and consistently drive the ball 300+ yards, the rest of the world's golf population should not have to used 'scaled down' balls. I don't know about you guys, but it's not like I breaking any driving and scoring records out there.

[Greywolf]

I vote for toughening the courses, that does not necessarily mean lengthening them.

[el tigre]

I vote for toughening the courses, that does not necessarily mean lengthening them. I agree. With some imagination in course design and layout and a variety of tee boxes for each hole, you can make a course that challenges the pros and is still playable for amateurs.

[Ems]

Shorten the number of holes in one round to 12 :help:

Ok, seriously, I like how it is right now. Maybe get golf courses to make better food.

[Queen of the Beach]

I vote to keep it the same. Golf is hard enough already. And the pros don't ace every hole do they?!

[boss of the moss]

Keep the game the way it is. The players are too good these days. On occasion you do see some higher scores at some of the tougher venues. The U.S. Open comes to mind, and the scores at the Heritage last week wern't exactly low.

[Grass Roots Tour]

I think everyone should play the same ball without changes to the current ball and make tour courses tougher by making the rough longer and the fairways tighter.
Put in hauge bunkers at 290 off the tee to limit the advantage of the bombers so more shotmakers are competitve.
I agree with what Hank Haney said in the quote above. This is exactly how my home course plays, hard fast greens with over 7,000 yards of long carries and deep bunkers and full size trees to negotiate..... wanna play?

[962B]

Why not play the older tracks that AREN'T as long. Let the rough grow to insane lengths and take the driver out of their hands on some holes. Then it will be back to what the Golf Gods intended: shaping your ball and putting!!!;)

[jsunsun]

i say drop all the technological limitation. as a fan, i prefer to see a 330 yard drive over a 300 drive any day. also, increase difficulty of course. seeing balls hit into water makes watching golf more entertaining! also that would allow for more leadboard shuffling, thus make game more exciting.

[openflows]

I recall an old and crude joke, forget who made it, I think it was Robin Williams:

Have them play naked, with no equipment save that which they were born with. Then we'll see who the real men are!

8)

[Focker Singh]

I think the game is good right now but if they want to make the Tour more competitive I think they should lengthen the rough, etc etc. Make players make more mistakes. Like someone else said, add more water, hazards, make the bunkers tougher (sucks to hear a player intend to hit into the bunker cause its easier to get out of than really thick rough). I would like to see more changes in the leaderboard. Make the player with an 8 shot lead on Sunday still have to play aggressive and not just nurse the lead. As for a universal ball, I think thats a dumn idea. Its not the balls that are making the better players play better.

[noback]

I voted for the same thing. I like the eagle & birdie fests, but I really like a championship that has only the best that week that are under par (3-6 players).

Make it so they have to make shots out of nothing. Make it so when they hit in the rough we loose sight of their shoes:D Keep the greens at a speed where they can make putts with a good pass at the ball but if you dont read it well, you pay the price. Nothing stupid, just tough and fair.:cool:

[Ems]

I don't think they should make everyone play the same kind of ball. Different people play better with certain balls right? That's almost like suggesting that everyone should play with same type of clubs...