At annual gathering of golf industry titans in Orlandothis is mom talking about the golf ball rollback debate that is expected to impact one of their main sources of income.
No one wanted to discuss a decision that sparked widespread backlash and concern when it was announced in December, but has since been grudgingly accepted as inevitable.
“We don’t say anything,” said a longtime sales rep for a major brand. “It wasn’t our idea.”
Behind-the-scenes conversations between executives and technical discussions between engineers are ongoing, but have not spilled over into the field this week at Orange County Convention Center at the 71st Annual PGA Merchandise Show.
Ironically, the effect of the decision is felt at a distance. The changes will only be effective in 2028 for professional and elite amateurs, and in 2030 for recreational players.
Most will only experience a loss of a few meters, although opinions vary.
“It will be more distance than people might think,” said one club trainer.
Regardless, rolling back remains a priority for manufacturers, with research and resources devoted to producing prototypes for testing within two years.
However, healthy business is not a sign of acquiescence.
No company wanted this change, said a marketing representative for another well-known brand. The thought: why waste a good thing?
Touring has increased every year since 2021, riding the wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Business closures and CDC protocols have led to a unexpected resurgence in popularity of golfgiven that the game is played outdoors and allows for social distancing.
By the end of 2020, more than 502 million applications had been registered, the highest figure since 2007 – before the collapse of the property market and the economic recession that followed. The trend continued.
Beginning golfers or those returning after years away from the course took advantage of equipment changes that had made a difficult and frustrating sport more enjoyable and accessible. These technological advances have also boosted professional gaming, with no end in sight.
Gains off the tee of some 30 yards made by PGA Tour players over the previous 25 years neutralized courses such as St. Andrews in Scotland, the “home of golf,” and upended shot values at Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. every April.
In an effort to protect popular venues and rein in the sport’s elite players, the USGA and R&A have pushed to curb technological advances in the field. a piece of equipment used with each shot – and most often replaced at varying degrees of frequency depending on the skill level of the player.
Rich Pope / Orlando Sentinel
Bridgestone is displaying its Tour B RXS golf balls at the 2024 PGA Show at the Orange County Convention Center. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Golfers want a ball that improves their performance and lowers their scores, making maximum distance the holy grail of the game.
Whether this development had become detrimental was a long-running discussion, leading to five years of intensive study and, ultimately, the decision to call the ball.
But Rory McIlroy mastering St. Andrews and 15 handicaps pushing to exceed 90 on their local muni is not the same. While McIlroy led the PGA Tour last season with an average driving distance of 326.3, the average driving distance for male golfers is 215 yards.
Rather than distinguishing the best pros from the average player, the match commissioners announced on December 6 that everyone should always play the same ball.
The blowback was immediate.
Bridgestone Golf, which produces the ball played by Tiger Woods, released a statement.
“While we would prefer that the new rules not impact recreational players, we believe further comment is no longer productive,” it reads. “At this point, we need to focus on creating compliant products that allow professionals and amateurs to play their best golf.”
Acushnet, whose Titleist Pro V models are most popular on the PGA and LPGA tours, also shared its opposition.
Rich Pope / Orlando Sentinel
Pierpaolo Rosseatti looks at Titleist Pro V1X golf balls on display Thursday at the 2024 PGA Show at the Orange County Convention Center. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
“We are concerned that golf ball rollback has an undue impact on golfers and does not fully reflect the input of those closest to the game,” the company said in a statement . “Many important stakeholders do not view distance as an issue the way governing bodies do. »
These opinions will have to suffice for now. Even though the PGA Merchandise Show was the first public gathering of industry leaders since the controversial conclusion, tomorrow’s issue was not worth discussing today.
Edgar Thompson can be contacted at [email protected].
