Golf ball rollback debate: Will the new rules be good for the game?

You’ll have seen the news by now – but in case you haven’t, allow us to get you up to speed on the golf ball rollback announcement.

In a nutshell, from 2030 we’re all going to be playing a golf ball that spins more and doesn’t fly as far. That includes you, me, and the best players in the world.

• Governing bodies announce plan to rollback the ball

The great golf ball rollback debate

It’s a decision that has torn the golf world in two – including right here at bunkered HQ. So we asked our two gear experts, James Tait and Lewis Fraser, about their differing opinions…

Let’s start with an easy one. Does the current golf ball go too far?

James Tait: It’s like anything in any sport, we become more advanced and we understand technology better. We’ve learned how to push the limits better. Golfers are stronger, faster, and generally more athletic compared to what we used to get in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s not just the golf ball that means we’re hitting it further. Believe it or not, not everyone stands on the tee and hits it 400 yards. So, no, I don’t believe the ball goes too far at all. I think things are fine the way they are.

Lewis Fraser: It might not seem that the ball goes too far right now, but the way things are going it won’t be long before many golf courses are not being played the way they were designed to be played, especially at the elite level. We’re starting to see that already. James, you’re an extreme example due to your long drive capabilities, but when you play a golf course you can play it in a totally different way to how the architect intended. That’s not the case for everyone, but at the elite level we don’t need to look too far to see that happening. The logical way to stop many golf courses from being overpowered by the very best is to regulate the ball. This isn’t a drastic change, but it’s something that is a sensible step from golf’s governing bodies.

JT: I don’t think players that have worked hard to gain distance – someone like Matt Fitzpatrick – should be punished with a golf ball that now doesn’t go as far. This is only going to make people go backwards. The shorter guys who were hitting it longer with a new golf ball are now going to be back to square one again.

Do you think this will make golf more entertaining to watch?

JT: Not for me. I’d much rather watch a player hit a 350-yard drive that lands on the green than come up 20 yards short and then flick a wedge to kick-in range. Players taking on greens is the most exciting part of this game, and we’re going to eliminate that? Watching players like Tiger Woods smashing driver over the trees, that’s the stuff that we want to see. They literally gave it a name!

LF: I completely agree that watching players hit the ball a long way is exciting, but it’s all relative. In the year 2000, Woods was second in driving distance behind John Daly on the PGA Tour, and he averaged less than 300 yards. That doesn’t mean it was any less exciting. That would now be the average drive on the PGA Tour. If anything, I think players having more long irons into holes will make golf better to watch and test their skills more. Rory McIlroy’s final shot into the 72nd hole at the Genesis Scottish Open was one of the most memorable and impressive of the year and we’re going to see more shots approach shots from that distance with a rolled-back ball.

Should golf make driver heads smaller instead of rolling back the ball?

LF: It’s an interesting question, but unless we were to go into a state of bifurcation, that’s a bad idea. Tour professionals hit the middle of the club face almost all the time. Making a driver head a little smaller isn’t going to change that. An amateur, even a very high-quality amateur, does not do that. If we were to make drivers smaller, that would make it a lot harder for us and not much harder for the pros.

JT: This is the big thing for me in the golf ball rollback debate. The driver is way too easy to hit. Adam Scott made the point that the driver used to be the hardest club in the bag to hit, now it’s the easiest. If you’re standing on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead, you can still hit the ball off the heel or the toe and your ball will go down the fairway. It’s definitely not just the ball that is the problem.

• Opinion: Rollback isn’t popular, but it’s for the best

We touched on the point of bifurcation there. Should we just do that instead and give the pros a different set of equipment to the amateurs?

LF: This was an option raised by the governing bodies back in spring, and it was shot down by everyone in the sport. Amateurs especially don’t like it because they’re now not going to play the same equipment as the pros, and equipment manufacturers don’t like it for the same reason. They wouldn’t be able to say that we play the same golf ball as Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler. For those reasons, it looks like it’s never going to happen. That then leaves this option which we’re going to see implemented in 2030. Bifurcation would have been very messy. If we are using balls and clubs that are infinitely better and easier to use than the pros, then it would spoil a lot of golf’s appeal.

JT: We already have bifurcation! Tour pros have trucks that go around with them to every event and they get their clubs made especially for them – clubs that, more often than not, are not readily available to the rest of us. They have stuff done to their equipment that we’re never going to see. In terms of the ball itself, the pros are getting these balls way in advance of the rest of us, so if anything, they’re already playing a different game. The tour pros are on a different level anyway. If they were to play a different ball, I wouldn’t be that bothered.

• Tour pros respond to rollback plans

Let’s talk about Augusta National. They’ve had to lengthen their course recently at the 13th hole. How is the golf ball rollback going to impact them and the Masters?

LF: If this doesn’t happen, then Augusta National will need to continue to lengthen their golf course, and even for one of the richest clubs in the world that’s not easy. The 13th hole is a perfect example, where they needed to take the tee back and buy land from a neighbouring course, so that the hole could be played the way they wanted it to be played. If the ball goes a little shorter, they won’t need to think about doing that again anytime soon.

JT: When you hit longer drives, bigger problems come into play. We saw Bryson DeChambeau say that the course was a par-67 for him – remind me how that went? To win the Masters, you need to play Augusta the way it was designed. Length alone won’t earn you a Green Jacket.

LF: Two words: Bubba Watson.

Do you think a rollback will stop people from taking up golf, or beginners sticking with it?

JT: Golf is hard as it is, so to me that sounds daft. It’s one of the biggest growing sports in the country. I don’t think this will change that.

LF: We’re in complete agreement on this one!

• Equipment brands respond to rollback news

Let’s fast forward to 2030. It’s New Year’s Day and you’re playing a celebratory bounce game with your friends. You’ve got a non-conforming Pro V1 in your hand and a new rolled back ball in your hand. Which one is going on your tee peg?

JT: Well, let’s put it this way, Lewis. Let’s say we’re at Balfron for a game in 2030 and I’m being told that I need to fork out £50 for a box of new golf balls to be within the rules? I’m taking a Pro V1 out all day long. But while I’m being facetious, you’re going to have people who might play a handful of times a year, and they’re not going to care if their ball is within the limits or not. And rightly so.

LF: In a bounce game, I think I’ll definitely use a new conforming ball. I don’t want to be in a medal using a ball I never play after using one that reacts differently to shots. But I’ll still hit the Callaway Chrome Softs in my bag until I lose them, which shouldn’t take long.

Any final thoughts on the golf ball rollback debate?

LF: There’s never going to be a perfect solution, but if doing nothing isn’t an option to the R&A and the USGA, then this is the best alternative. No one wants to hit the ball shorter, but if you’re the longest in your usual group, that’s not going to change.

JT: If this ball is five percent shorter, we’re still going to see players hitting the ball miles because they’ll find a way to get quicker. Kids these days are stronger, fitter, and more athletic. I just don’t see why it needs to change. I don’t think the ball needs to be stripped back.

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