What's Happened Since April?

Going through some files today, I stumbled across this from Thomas Bonk's excellent story on the golf ball that appeared in an April L.A. Times article:

However, there are indications that the golf ball technology — and probably the same advancements associated with large-headed, thin-faced drivers — have actually peaked. Only four players are averaging more than 300 yards in driving distance this year — Scott Hend, Brett Wetterich, Tiger Woods and Hank Kuehne, though it is conceivable with warmer, drier weather and firmer fairways as summer approaches, that number will grow.

Definitely conceivable. Since late April, the Tour average is up 6 yards and 24 players are now averaging over 300.  

New Balls Please

The Guardian's Lawrence Donegan looks at the Pro-V1's fifth birthday and the "battle for the future of golf."

Warning, I'm quoted.

If you'd like some elaboration on my comments regarding Titleist, here goes. First, here's what Donegan quotes me as saying:

"Given the company's past record, I don't see what they are so worried about. They have enormous customer loyalty and an enormously powerful brand name. That will not suddenly disappear if there was a new ball. If they continue to make a quality product, they will continue to dominate," says Shackelford. "More to the point, they would be credited for having done their bit to preserve the game of golf as we know it."

Consider this scenario. The USGA and R&A decide to admit they blew it when they scrapped a test that would have restricted the optimization-led jumps in driving distance we've seen for top players.

They've come to their senses, admitted their mistakes and order a rollback that only effects players with higher clubhead speeds.

The manufacturers then comply with whatever ball spec changes the USGA mandates. Increased spin, dimple design change, etc...  I don't know what it is, and don't really care how the tech wizards solve the problem. Whatever it takes to eliminate the optimization situation that is allowing players to exceed the Overall Distance Standard without setting off an alarm.

So here come new rules, new ball requirements.

Which ball are people going to pick up first? Why, the one they've been playing (unless their preferred brand refuses to make balls to the new spec).

So for most they will buy a box of Titleist's because they've made great products for years and built strong brand loyalty (Forgive me God for sounding like an MBA). And golfers will continue to buy their preferred brands new rolled back ball (assuming it's well made).

And there is no reason to believe that Titleist will continue to make anything but a superior product.

Finally, remember, this rollback will only impact a very small number of golfers if handled properly. Those with clubhead speeds over 110 or so mph would be impacted. Everyone else would not be. Again, assuming a rollback is handled properly.  

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch Vol. 3

There are 26 PGA Tour players topping the 300-yard average mark following the Texas Open, that's two more than last week.

On August 29, this site speculated that we might see 25 players finish the season averaging over 300 yards this year. Oops! Now 30 is well within reach! (And remember, the Tour average was down 7 yards through the Masters because of the weather...or guys working out less?).

So the number of players breaking the 300 barrier (that's on average!!) may double the 2004 total, when 14 players averaged over 300 yards. 9 players averaged over 300 yards in 2003.

Repeating the key stats here, John Daly was first and only player averaging over 300 yards for the 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons.

And one more bit of perspective: Dan Pohl led the Tour in 1980 at 274.3 yards. In 1995, Pohl's total would have landed him 16th in overall distance average. In 2000 Pohl's 274.3 would have been 84th on the list. And his 274.3 would put him 195th on this year's list, ahead of only nine others.

TGC on Lengthening Debate

The September 13 The Golf Channel's "Golf Central" looked at the issue of lengthening courses in response to stunning Tour driving distance increases. They first talked to some Tour players and asked them how they would respond to 350 yard tee shots. Thanks to TiVo, here's what they said.

Mark O’Meara: "Narrow it by more tree lined golf courses, because the big guys can play out of the rough, but they can’t play out of the trees. More treelined, smaller greens, more rough around the greens. So if you miss the green it’s more penile. Not necessarily is lengthening the right answer.

Yes, he said penile. I checked four times.  I'll let you look up penile in the dictionary. And who said Freud didn't know what he was talking about?

Chris DiMarco: "I think they need to add bunkers where they were supposed to be. Maybe on the right on a hole add another bunker 25-30 yards ahead of it, to where now the guys hit to the left of it."

Mark Calcaveccia: "I think basically it’s just narrow fairways and high rough is the best way to do it. And firm, fast greens. Look at Merion, how difficult that course played for the U.S. Amateur guys, I don’t know what we’d have shot there, but I don’t think it’d be that low."

Yes, it's all about score prevention. The game should turn inwards on itself (Max Behr's line).

TGC returned to set up an interview clip with 84 Lumber Classic host Joe Hardy, who has lengthened his course each of the last three years at a reported cost of $7 million (!?). He has also narrowed the Mystic Rock fairways and shrunk several greens down. Here's what Mr. Hardy had to say:

They make these heads bigger on the drivers. They make them fast. They keep saying they’re going to limit it. They’re not going to limit it. These places that are tucked in, I don’t know what they’re going to do. But here we have so much space. We got 2,800 acres. So we just move it here, move it there, move it there. So it’s really neat. So it’s very contemporary with the way these guys can hit the ball now.

Ah but that was just the appetizer. TGC then had Rich Lerner standing with Steve Smyers in front of a studio flatscreen with helicopter fly-bys of classic courses rolling during their chat. Smyers, who will be joining the USGA Executive Committe in February, is already right on the organizational talking points.

Rich Lerner: Steve, you’re okay with golf courses at 7,400 yards for the Tour professional. Why?

Steve Smyers: For the elite player I am. What we want to do is test, uh, give the ultimate examination and to do that we need to put a variety of clubs in their hand.

RL: So you want Tiger and Vijay in the course of 18 holes to maybe hit a 4-iron into a par-4.

SS: Exactly right. I think that’s the whole key and I think that’s why I’m embracing what’s happening in the game today. We as designers have the ability to design real short, interesting, spectacular short holes. Par 4s in the 300-330 yard range. Follow it up with a beautiful long par-4 of 500 yards.

Sorry to interrupt here. But he's saying embracing the lengthening of courses to 7400 yards and up, but then saying we should build short par-4s too in the 300-330 yard range? Don't you love how the 500-yard par 4 as become acceptable. Please continue...

RL: There are critics, guys like Nick Price, one of the greatest of the last 20 years. Nick might say, it’s all brute force now.

SS: You know I look at Nick Price. To me, he is my hero. He and Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino. Great shot makers. Could really work the golf ball. And you know, he’s right, I mean, the 240 yard lineman in the NFL is a, a thing of the past.

RL: Alright, forgetting the Tour pro for a moment. Average players. I just played a course in Pennsylvania. Public course named Willowbrook outside of Allentown, P-A that was 5,800 yards. It was absolutely a blast to play. My friends and I came away and said we need more courses like this. It would improve the pace of play. Might just be more fun.

SS: I agree. But we’re talking about two different types of players. The average drive on the PGA Tour is 285 yards. The R&A did extensive study, as well as the USGA, on what the average club player, weekend player, how far they hit it. They’ve done these studies over the last fifteen years. Handicaps range from 5-12, the average tee shot for the player was 202 yards. For almost every year. So we’re talking about two totally different caliber players.

RL: When people say, "I hit it 250, 275, 300 yards…"

SS: They don’t hit it as far as they think and their average is not nearly as far as they think.

Seems to me that Smyers is saying we have two different games. So don't we need two sets of rules?

Also, does anyone wonder how this divide occurred in the last five years?  Just guys working out? 

The segment was out of time, but a nice follow up for Smyers would have been: "Why do we build most new courses for this Tour game that is totally different than the game being played at the Willowbrooks of the world?"
 

Miles Apart

In the August 27 Golfweek, columnist Jim Achenbach and publisher James Nugent square off in a debate over distance titled "Miles Apart."

This is the second appearance in recent weeks by publisher Nugent. Writing commentaries is not a traditional role for the Publisher of a trade publication. (Apparently, there’s some silly old notion about the separation of editorial and advertising. That’s like, sooooo 20th Century!)

Anyhow, I’d just like to take this opportunity to welcome Jim Achenbach to the technophobic, biased, liberal, elitist, purist, eh, whatever group. You know, that growing legion of observers who dares to put the integrity of the game over their self interests. And we'll even grant you a special exemption on the rangefinder obsession, Jim. Nice to have you seeing the light, albeit reluctantly:

I don’t want to see golf balls shortened (with lower ball speed) or drivers throttled back (with less velocity off the face), but it seems clear to me that one of these two scenarios will occur. The only other choice is this: Accept longer drives, embrace lower scores, stop complaining. Except that nobody is embracing lower scores. This is why courses keep getting longer and longer. Another consequence of golf’s little problem: Conditions keep getting tougher and tougher.

Here’s the best part and what all too many are (finally) starting to realize.

Perhaps I’ve absorbed the jargon of too many conflicts, but there is collateral damage in this distance war. I know several longtime Augusta National members who say privately they don’t really enjoy playing the golf course anymore.

Now, when I was at Augusta in 2003, it was rather apparent that the member tees were not being moved. Only the back tees. The gap between the two sets was striking. If you were a decent player at all, you’d have to play the back tees. For most of the members, the forward tees were basically the same. So what is making the course less fun for the majority of members playing up? Ah yes, the narrowness. The trees, the second cut, etc…

Anyhow, Nugent proves why publishers should stick to schmoozing advertisers and leaving the writing to his pros. Because a writer could have opposed Achenbach's views without resorting to the pathetic scoring argument to defend an onslaught of changes in the game. Nugent:

Let’s move on to the U.S. Open at Donald Ross’ Pinehurst No. 2. Ross, had he been there, would have nodded approvingly as not a single player finished below par.

Yes, Donald Ross was obsessed with protecting par. Right. So let's see the scoring hasn’t changed, so all is well. That's a new one. Unfortunately, Nugent looks past some rather important issues in making his argument:

Pinehurst #2 was open off the tee, but it was no bombers’ paradise.

21-25 yards is open off the tee? And no bombers' paradise? How come the bombers bombed away without fear of hitting fairway or rough or pine needles? Perhaps because the setup was so silly that they had no choice? Or because they can carry incredible distances?

While it's wonderful that Golfweek is at least debating the issue, they should just leave the writing to their talented writers.

Mr. Titleist Speaks

An unnamed interviewer at Travel and Leisure Golf lobs softballs to Acushnet CEO Wally Uihlein in their September issue. It’s interesting to see how Uihlein's message has evolved compared to two years ago. From T&L:

The paradigm shift to the power game has resulted from six contributing variables: 1) the introduction of lower-spinning high-performance golf balls; 2) the introduction of oversize, thin-face titanium drivers; 3) improved golf course conditioning and agronomy; 4) player physiology—they're bigger and stronger; 5) improved techniques and instruction; and 6) launch monitors and the customization of equipment. Five of these six variables have often been overlooked by the media and antitechnology pundits in the search for a cause to the industry's so-called "problem." To identify the golf ball as the sole contributor and "solution" is an oversimplification.

Anyone have an idea which of the six has not been overlooked by the media and "antitechnology pundits"? Oh, right, the widget he just happens to be selling, 1) the ball.

Actually, the media has overlooked #6 (launch monitors). And In April, 2003, Uihlein himself overlooked launch monitors and optimization of launch conditions. Is that because it was a more recent phenomenon that has since piled on to the already serious shifts in distance from 2000-2003?

Uihlein's 2003 message and the then variables:

Okay, but 'something' is going on... Fair enough, but 'something' has been going on to increase driving distance for a few years...Recently, professional golf has seen changes with (a) player fitness and conditioning, (b) course conditions, (c) golf clubs and (d) golf balls. In the hierarchy of contributions to improved performance on the golf course, the available evidence suggests the following sequence:

Most Influential Variable The Player.
Second Most Influential Variable The Golf Club.
Third Most Influential Variable The Golf Ball.

This hierarchy of variables has often been overlooked in the search for a 'cause' and a 'solution,' as have golf course and weather conditions which significantly impact the fluctuation in driving distance from week to week.

No mention of optimization in 2003, and of course, no acknowledgment still that the $16 billion golf course industry is bearing or passing down the costs (safety, liability, architectural, etc...) of this "paradigm" shift so that the $5 billion manufacturing industry can market Tour players using clubs that the average golfer can't even buy or get the same benefits from.

Did you notice that for Mr. Uihlein, "the ball" went from #3 of 3 in 2003 to #1 of 6 in 2005? Hmmm...

Since 2003, optimization has become commonplace and has allowed players with faster clubhead speeds to blow right by the Overall Distance Standard without the test knowing it. Minor detail, I know. That's why we have a new test that has the very same loophole, only this time Byron is using titanium instead of persimmon.

But if Uihlein wants to strengthen his legitimate argument that the ball gets blamed too much, it's a mystery why he doesn't point out the role of optimization. Unless of course, he opposed the optimization testing that was scrapped by the USGA in the late 90s?  So what's he worried about then, the USGA calling him a hypocrite? They can't because(A) they have no public relations savvy whatsoever, and (B) they're the ones who dropped the test and thus, the ball (sorry).

T&L's mystery interviewer asked about bifurcation in the 2005 interview. Uihlein answers:

We have never supported the position of bifurcation. Playing by one set of rules, playing the same game, playing the same course and playing the same equipment is what makes golf different. It is the essence of the game. Two sets of rules involving the golf ball, or the golf ball and golf clubs, would result in 1) the longer players on Tour only getting longer in comparison to those who are less long,

Sorry to interrupt here. The players who have the special (natural) talent to hit the ball a long way would regain an advantage that they've lost to players who gained distance merely by embracing technology? Sounds sort of un-free market-like to encourage parity and to complain about an advantage gained skillfully, as opposed to one gained via technology?

Anyway, Mr. Uihlein continues…

and 2) the opening of a Pandora's box with regard to the regulation of equipment at the local, state, sectional and national levels. Golf is not so cleanly a professional game and an amateur game. That is the great thing about golf. That is why our national championship is an Open Championship administered by the USGA. Bifurcation is only seriously advanced by those who think that the game is on some edge of ruination and who thus, as a result of their narrow and biased thinking, feel some form of radical surgery is required.

That biased thinking again. As opposed to financially biased thinking, which is oh so pure. I have no idea what the whole regional association thing is about since we're talking about a Tour ball. This would have been a nice chance for a follow up from T&L and whoever did the interview. Anyway, we continue in the 2005 T&L interview. Mr Uihlein: 

The line in the sand has already been drawn. However, if the regulatory bodies determine that a rollback is necessary and seek to change the controllable variables of ball and club, we strongly believe that you cannot roll back the incremental distance of the past twenty years by focusing on the ball alone or the club alone. Based upon our research, the contributions of ball and club are equally weighted. It is both unfair and impractical to focus on one without the other. The ruling bodies have always been fair and practical, and we expect them to be no different this time around.

Hey, at least Uihlein is now open to the governing bodies looking into the matter and possibly determining a necessary rollback. In 2003 Uihlein wasn’t so open:

What we do see is the delicate balance between Tradition and Technology being preserved without unnecessary intervention.

It was also nice to see that in the current T&L interview Uihlein didn’t rehash his tired and kind of embarrassing technophobic media is to blame schtick. After all, players like Tiger Woods and Ernie Els have made comments on the issue. They've indicated that they feel technology has created some issues. And we know they weren't influenced by the inkslingers of the world.

Fans Perception of Technology

Rick Arnett at SI.com received an "avalanche of e-mails dared to oppose my stance on golf being the most honest sport.” He writes that “the responses made me wonder if I'm completely unaware of the public sentiment regarding the game” because many “mirrored this comment":

You dummy! Golf's cheating is embedded in the sport like no other. It lies in the "technology." All the cheaters race to get the next "edge" in equipment others do not possess. The cheating has gotten so extreme that venerable golf courses are rendered obsolete. You are too close to the sport, dummy!

Arnett goes on to recite the usual there’s no going back and so be it if some courses are as obsolete as old Stadiums argument. Fortunately, the USGA, R&A and PGA of America believe their overall credibility, ratings and championship results are greatly improved by going to classically designed venues. And the PGA Tour does not have nearly as many course options as people think, so the "we'll just go to the 8,000 yard courses" argument isn't feasible.

Anyway, here’s the interesting thing to note. A majority of Arnett’s readers perceive that an excessive embrace of technology is viewed as cheating.

Remember what Tim Finchem warned in 2003 should this perception become reality.

"There is some point--nobody knows where it is--when the amateur player feels divorced and really doesn't appreciate the game at this level, just because it's so different that it doesn't become particularly relevant. The second thing is, if everybody is driving every par 4, it's not particularly interesting to watch.

"We are anxious, because we are continuing to see some distance enhancements in a short period of time. Unless something happens, we may have to move to-ward bifurcating the equipment specs for amateurs and professionals. In that case, we would be more involved."

Looking at the driving distance increases in recent weeks along with plenty of behind-the-scenes feedback via ShotLink, you wonder if Finchem will act. Or perhaps he just has too much on his plate with the TV negotiations. But isn't fan perception key to the negotiations? 

To his credit, Arnett does go on to suggest that the Tour needs to have a drug policy. It’s almost unthinkable that they don’t have one.

This Week's Driving Distance Jump

We're now at 20 players averaging over 300 yards for the PGA Tour season. That's up from 17 last week. 15 the week before. 

DVR's Impacting Golf Advertising?

Will TiVo and other digital video recording (DVR) technology impact golf advertising? From Steve Pike in his PGA.com "Business Insider" column:

It's too early to provide a specific answer, but there's no doubt the technology's ability to provide commercial-free TV has caught the attention of golf industry marketing execs, whose companies spend millions to get on the tube.

"We're evaluating it on an ongoing basis," Andy Jones, vice president of marketing for golf shoe giant FootJoy, told PGA.com. "Our research tell us that golfers want to see the commercials -- particularly equipment. So we're watching it closely."

Oh I'm not so sure about that.

Either way, you can expect new forms of commercialization thanks to DVR's.

But Dan Murphy, director of marketing for Bridgestone Golf, sees the technology as a more immediate threat to commercials.

"We haven't given up on the 30-second spot yet -- we still are there. But there are two ways, we think, to deal with it," Murphy said. "One is, we think the Internet is more important than ever; so one way to distribute your TV spot, particularly if it's entertaining, is through email and clip attachments.

"The other way is to stay on TV to be work more toward the product placement strategy. In other words, insert your brand into a particular show."

Uh, don't they already insert their brand via player visors?

Tour Driving Distance Watch

17 PGA Tour players are now averaging over 300 yards off the tee this season.  Looking at all of the guys at 299, the total may reach 25 by the end of the year, barring heavy rains.

In 2004, 14 players averaged over 300 yards.

9 players averaged over 300 yards in 2003.

John Daly was the only player averaging over 300 yards for the 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons.

Union Tribune On Callaway

Jennifer Davies and Shannon McMahon in the San Diego Union Tribune look at new Callaway CEO George Fellows and the task before him.

But it's not just waning participation that's squeezing golf equipment companies like Callaway. Improved club technology, which helps players hit balls farther, doesn't drive sales the way it once did. Callaway, a technological innovator, thought it could set itself apart by continually offering new and better clubs and balls while charging premium prices.

The United States Golf Association, however, has strict restrictions on what equipment players may use in order to qualify for a handicap. And Callaway has been stung by those rules: The USGA essentially banned the company's ERC driver when it came out in 2000.

They introduced a product knowing it was illegal in North America, marketed it as non-conforming around the world, but it was "essentially banned?"  Hmmm...

While Drapeau, the company's former CEO, often complained about the USGA rules, saying "it was the biggest challenge" facing Callaway, Fellows has a different take.

"They are parameters. They are not a jail," he said of the USGA rules. "Let's find a way to be smarter than the next guy within those limits."

Give Fellows a few quarters of lackluster sales, and we'll check back to see how forgiving he is.

Meanwhile, we must not forget that life and commerce are only about one thing, and one thing only. No matter what you're selling or useless the widgets may be, it's all about...the brand.

With specialty consumer products like cosmetics and golf equipment, which are susceptible to trends, creating and marketing a strong brand is especially important, said Alexander Paris Sr., analyst with Barrington Research. Fellows' experience at Revlon and other consumer-oriented companies like Playtex and Mennen made him an especially strong candidate.

"This is a time that you want to get someone who knows how to sell branded products," Paris said.

What A Difference A Week Makes...

The updated PGA Tour driving distance stats showed another week of gains, with the entire Tour picking up a yard on average. Now, Firestone was firm and Reno was played well above sea level, skewing the numbers just as the soft conditions during the first half of the season impacted the averages. (The early season decline didn't stop many from pointing the 7-yard dip as a sign that the USGA had control of the equipment).

This week's jump, based on just 8 drives:

• Tiger went from 313. 8 yards to 315.2 (he finished last year at 301.9)
• Kenny Perry went from 302.8 to 304.1
• John Daly (looking svelte these days) went from 307.0 to 308.5
• Sergio Garcia went from 300.4 to 301.9
• Davis Love from 302.3 to 304.3 (but he can't hit a 1-iron from 238!?)
  

But the 2005 average has now just barely surpassed the 2004 average. Without deluges during the first half of the season, might we have seen a year-long distance increase significant enough to fall under the definition of the USGA/R&A Joint Statement of Principles?

Now to the Joint Statement, which was issued May 1, 2002. Here's the key line:

The R&A and the USGA believe, however, that any further significant increases in hitting distances at the highest level are undesirable. Whether these increases in distance emanate from advancing equipment technology, greater athleticism of players, improved player coaching, golf course conditioning or a combination of these or other factors, they will have the impact of seriously reducing the challenge of the game. The consequential lengthening or toughening of courses would be costly or impossible and would have a negative effect on increasingly important environmental and ecological issues. Pace of play would be slowed and playing costs would increase.

The median PGA Tour drive has increased nearly 7 yards since 2002.  Several players have gradually picked up substantial yardage (Sergio: 278.3 in 2000, 290.5 in 2002, 301.9 in 2005) while others have made the big jump this year (Davis Love 288.7 in 2000, 287.7 in 2002, 304.3 in 2005).

So ultimately for the USGA, R&A and PGA Tour, it all depends on what the significance of "significant" is.