The Future Of Golf. How Golf Lost It’s Way and How To Get It Back
Author Geoff Shackelford
Don’t know if any of you guys have seen or read this book. I have flicked through it and will settle in and read it from cover to cover.
Looks like he doesn’t mind calling out the USGA, R&A, PGA Tour and the equipment companies for dragging golf away from it’s roots and heritage
I’ll come back with some quotes for interest’s sake on some of the good points he makes.
Surely if enough people (the right influential people) question golf’s direction, something would have to eventually come of it
I think what has to happen is the game needs to split into two games… just like so many sports have…
I think a perfect example is Auto Racing…
You have the Indy circuit, and you have the NASCAR circuit, and they both do well, have their fans
and some cross over fans… I don’t golf should be any different …
Simple… The Titanium Tour… the Persimmon Tour…
The USGA Persimmon Open
The USGA Titanium Open…
There are certainly enough golf courses for everyone… lots of different styles of courses, lengths… no reason
that shouldn’t happen…
That way everyone can be happy, and there is certainly room for all…
I agree that something must be done, Lag. However, I think the best course of action, which would also be the least drastic, is to roll back the technology on the golf ball.
I know, as I’m sure many of you have also realized, that the golf ball is the deciding factor in how “bomb and gouge” the game has become today. An equal length persimmon and titanium driver will hit the ball about the same distance when struck on the sweetspot with a similar ball.
The discrepancy in every test between persimmon and titanium is the shaft (specifically the length of the shaft) used in the comparison. Anyone who knows anything about scientific research knows you can’t make any conclusions about one variable when a second variable is also modified. That is to say, it’s not fair to compare a 43" persimmon to a 45" titanium driver. Angular momentum tells us that the longer driver will always hit the ball farther, all things being equal.
The titanium driver will hit the ball farther due to the shaft with today’s ball. It is also much less accurate. I don’t know if the PGA Tour kept driving accuracy stats back when hogan and snead played, but I guarantee you they hit more fairways in one round than tiger and phil do in 3 or 4 rounds combined.
I read it a little while back before I happened across ISG, TRGA, Lag etc. From what I remember it was an interesting, well directioned book but a bit “stream of consciousness” in places - could have done with a good editor challenging some of the inconsistances and verbage. I’ll pick it up again an take a read to see if the passage of time and the insight you guys have provided changes my view on it. Geoffs a good guy and I like his blog / news site http://www.geoffshackelford.com/. I know he was hoping to get an assignment to cover the Las Vegas Classic Club event last year and I am sure if he were contacted early he would be keen to attend if at all possible.
Our friend Shackelford certainly pulls no punches…good article today about the PGA Tour accepting the new groove decision and how Titleist are crying in their beards over it.
If the stats are true about what Titleist’s testing did then maybe we are in for more change than we thought. Maybe we will see some guys drop off this year because the equipment was hiding/aiding their true potential- Time to get better guys- enough hiding behind the equipment
God the corporate double speak in that Titleist press release makes me sick …interesting to see ex-pro and tv/radio commentator Jay Townsend contributing in the comments:
You know…they could solve all of their problems by bringing back the Tour Balata…I’m just sayin’
Why is Titleist even complaining? Shouldn’t they be thrilled at the prospect that everyone is going to have to buy a new set of wedges?
Also, their complaints about player performance are downright laughable. These are supposedly the best players in the world, right? Make an adjustment! Look, I’m sorry you won’t be able to back the ball up out of the 6" rough anymore from a buck twenty after you blasted your drive 20 yds right of the fairway…boo hoo…
I, for one, am thrilled. This means that no longer will my wedges eat through Pro-V1s with one swing…which is the REAL reason they want to keep the groove rule - it makes them more money on golf balls!
I don’t like Vokey wedges, anyway. They feel lousy.
…interesting to see ex-pro and tv/radio commentator Jay Townsend contributing in the comments:
