Poll: Post-Masters Distance Average & Bifurcation

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Mike Stachura points out at GolfDigest.com how the PGA Tour driving distance average is on course for a new record high in spite of tough driving conditions at Augusta National this year.

This is news because we've been told by the governing bodies that things have flatlined, but any further "significant" increase on top of the significant increases of the last twenty years might lead to action.

The average drive of 277.8 for the week at the Masters was the lowest number for the tournament since 2008, and nearly 10 yards off of last year’s average of 286.2. But the PGA Tour average driving distance year to date is still almost 290 yards. The current 289.4 average marks the highest all-time, 1.6 yards over last year’s high mark.

But here's the one that'll make men in navy sweat.

Curiously, the PGA Tour record for average driving distance at the end of any year was set in 2011 at 290.9, but by Masters week that year, the average was 285.3, four yards shy of this year’s hot pace.

Now that more people have more understanding of the issues ramifications than ever thanks in part to an economic crisis, water issues, the lack of pleasure found in a 7,500 yard couse and a greater understand that distance is all relative for the elite player, it seems more people than ever understand the sensibility of bifurcating the rules between elite and hacker.

Adam Scott's recent comments to PGATour.com's Brian Wacker about limiting driver head size became more appealing to me (in light of what he said about the change in the driver's role). I don't know how much of an impact distance-wise such a size reduction would have, but given all of the whining about how difficult it would be to regulate the ball, this could be a solution that is more easily enforced and allow manufacturers to sell something to wannabe pros (and slightly larger versions of the same club to the general public).

But most of all, such a reduction in driver head size could return the reward for driving the ball with length and accuracy, while allowing the sport to put an end to the unproductive expansion of its 18-hole footprint.

What is the most sensible bifurcation solution for golf?
 
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4K & VR At The Masters: The Next Traditions Unlike Any Other?

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The folks at NEXTVR have been demonstrating the Masters in virtual reality and the technology demonstrates incredible potential to change the way we view sports. Think of it not as a replacement for the traditional telecast, but as the ultimate inside-the-ropes view designed to compliment our appreciation of the action.

The VR app and viewing experience is already pretty simple and affordable. The $100-and-up headsets that will only get better with crisper imagery, portending well for adoption as soon as the content hosts--Augusta National in this case--are willing to allow cameras in more locations.

For its 2016 debut, the VR demo is available to the Masters media and exclusively to Android users with the NextVR app and a headset. For this year's debut, two cameras show a 180-degree, stereoscopic view of the 6th tee and the 16th green (with sound). Move your head left or right, up or down and you get the live view. The sensation suggests you’re there, only without the chance to buy a pimento cheese sandwich.

It’s very easy to imagine a VR approach to Amen Corner Live (II), with cameras at the tees and greens taking us “there” without actually bothering the players or patrons. We could listen in on chats, feel the moment the leader walks up to the 12th tee and get the sensation of being bird just hanging out on a dogwood branch, observing players and caddies as they tackle Amen Corner. 

As for the 4k demo that DirecTV subscribers are enjoying this week if they have a 4k television, the pictures are as stunningly crisp and jaw-dropping as you'd expect.

Given that this is the first-ever major sporting event broadcast this way, the enthusiasm from viewers and already widespread adoption of 4k TV's will hopefully usher in this technology. In a strange paradox, adoption of 4k sets would normally be the issue, but it sounds as if the content providers are a little behind the television makers, perhaps burned one too many times by "next things" that did not pan out.

But 4k is the next iteration of HD and kudos to the Masters for pushing the technology forward.

Adam Scott Not Opposed To Bifurcating Equipment Rules

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We'll put him down for reducing the driver head size. Since the scientists can only make a ball longer and not shorter, this may be an option.

From a very enjoyable Q&A with Brian Wacker at PGATour.com:

BW: If you were equipment czar of the game for a day, running the USGA and R&A, what would you change?
 
AS: I think it's possible that you could make an argument for having different equipment rules for us than the amateurs. I think that's almost logical to do that. I’d re-implement anchored putting because until I'm given facts that it actually is a game-improver, performance-enhancer, then I'm going to have to say I'd put it back in. Maybe driver head size is something I'd look at. That’s a massive difference now. When I was a kid, pulling the driver out of the bag was a concern, like you're going to have to make a great swing to hit a good drive. Now it's the go-to club. It's the most forgiving club we have. That's a huge difference in how you get off the tee to start a hole of golf.

And in the one-course-you-could-play-for-the-rest-of-your-life division, Adam picks...

 AS: I guess I'm torn. I could play Kingston Heath every day for the rest of my life in Australia, and the upside of that is in it's Australia and it's an amazing golf course. But I love Cypress Point. It's my favorite course in the world. I just love playing socially on those golf courses that are so much shorter and just less demanding length-wise for me, and then the people I play with can enjoy it. It's very hard to enjoy a round of golf when I play 90 yards from them. It's like we're on different courses. So those two, if I’m allowed to say two.

SXSW Panel: Virtual Reality And Golf

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If you aren't one of the cool kids who landed a badge for SXSW (South By...duh), there was a golf-related panel on making virtual reality a reality in golf.

The PGA Tour's Sloane Kelly helmed the panel with Alex Lindsay of the Pixel Corps and Oculus' TJ Won.

According to Erica Bloom, this is something the tour is getting serious about (you can view a sort-of sample here). But back to where the only people who matter gathered, the panel discussion was described this way:

With picturesque venues that change every week, an abundance of data, and individuals competing, professional golf is uniquely positioned among sports for virtual reality. At this stage in VR, the pace of the game is another benefit, bringing action to viewers while also ensuring they can easily follow along. The role of individual athlete personalities is also key. Watching a golfer play or interact with a caddy creates an intimate behind-the-scenes view of life on the greens. It can also help a viewer gather valuable instruction tips. From concepting to the shooting and stitching of video footage, this panel will explore the takeaways (and pitfalls) in producing PGA TOUR golf in VR.

The panel for those with 57 minutes to spare:

Golf Industry Show Wrap: More Affordable Sustainability?

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The annual Golf Industry Show wrapped in San Diego and the mood certainly seemed positive. Perhaps it was the location--not Orlando--because I sensed the good vibes ran deeper than normal.

So many of the products and folks we talked to for Golf Channel's Morning Drive gave the impression that forward-thinking ways are finally leading to affordable sustainability solutions.

There were also a few first world solution solvers, like grass on top of irrigation heads and drones to detect turf health.

Here are the four GIS pieces shot and produced by Donald Goertz and hosted by yours truly.

Offbeat tech.

New tech.

Overview and Rhett Evans interview.

Electric Avenue (electric only products):

One PGA Show Item I Already Want: SwingSnap

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I'm still taking in all of the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show after day one and, barring a crazy day at Torrey, will post the best of.

That said, the GolfDigest.com crew nominated a few of their favorite things spotted on the floor, and without question the standout for me was this headcover that doubles as a camera holder.

Considering that I just watched an aspiring player trying to balance his camera phone on his bag yesterday with questionable results, I'm guessing there's at least one taker for the soon to be released SwingSnap.

As someone who used to lug a huge video camera and tripod to the range, I have no problem admitting that I'm envious of today's aspiring players.

Of course the SwingSnap also appears to be a discreet way to setup a camera to record when you tee off on one of the world's most famous golf holes.

Johnny To USGA: Roll Back The Ball To Bring Back Cool

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Billy Casper's son Byron stopped by the Farmers Insurance Open media center Wednesday and I had the privilege of having watched his dad play the Champions Tour. Byron kindly listened to me ask about how his dad went from a gentle fade in his prime, to the most amazingly well-controlled draw show in his Champions Tour.

Naturally, this got me thinking of the great shot shapers who moved the ball and how today's fans would be in awe watching these craftsman of yesteryear pursue their craft.

Translation millennials: they were artisanal, small-batch, locally-sourced ball strikers.

I bring this up because Jim Achenbach says Johnny Miller called out he USGA for not having better regulated the ball. Addressing members of the International Network of Golf at Orlando's PGA Show...

Then he asserted the USGA is "afraid to stand up for what they should be standing up (mandating a golf ball that goes shorter distances for touring pros).

"With that ball (more spin, less distance) you can hit all kinds of cool shots."

Tom Watson Shoots One Below His Age With...A BB-8 Ball!?

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Heading into Saturday's Mitsubishi Electric Saturday final round, Tom Watson is two back after posting a 7-under par 65, one better than his age. Watson hasn't won on the Champions Tour since 2011 and chases Duffy Waldorf, Davis Love, Tom Pernice and Tom Lehman.

Even better, he did it with what Mark Rolfing called a "FIFA ball" during round one when Watson dropped a long putt.


According to ClubUpGolf, it's Callaway's Truvis pattern technology which AJ Voepel explains "is specifically designed to maximize your view of the golf ball for better focus and visibility."

FIFA, Truvis, eh, I prefer the BB-8 vibe picked up by Stewart Armstrong:

Jason Gore Details His Club Switch In Old School Way

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Thanks to reader ST for sending this GolfWRX discussion group link to Jason Gore responding to Greg Moore and the club geekdom on his switch of equipment.

I point it out to (A) show non-Reddit reading millennials what a discussion group is (they're pre-Instagram, Twitter and Facebook), (B) how fun it is to read a modern tour player taking the time to detail his thought process, and (C) to demonstrate the value of a Pepperdine education.

While I don't spend much time focusing on what players are playing, there is a sense they resist detailing their club specs because they either think no one cares, or it makes them look like a golf geek, or most disconcertingly, they somehow think their trade is one requiring secrets.

So it's nice to see Gore answering those interested in such things and I wish more players would do it either at a place like GolfWRX or via their social media accounts.

2015 Wrap: Where Are We On The Distance Issue?

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Since the distance debate was the basis for this blog as it enters its tenth year as a full-fledged blog on Squarespace and thirteenth in some form as a monitor of golf issues, where do we stand?

--Those of us pointing out the issue are no longer treated like lepers for suggesting the ball goes too far. Enough courses across the land have had to deal with safety or function issues. This has meant a much larger audience does not need the issue explained to them. Even better, many more look down on the governing bodies for continuing to work tirelessly not to act.

--A surprising-but-still too-low number of golf fans recognize that distance is relative. This continues to quietly render the real bombers and their occasional 382-yarders less awe-inspiring than they should be. There is also the overall relatability factor, where too many just find pro golf a little less fun to watch because so few can relate to 210-yard 7-irons.

--The PGA Tour driving distance average only went up a yard in 2015. Despite so many obvious signs that players continue to get longer either through equipment, fitting technology or fitness, what gives? Because this last point allows the governing bodies to go back to counting their millions instead of acting. So how is it that the PGA Tour number is not seeing a huge spike even as we see players regularly CARRY the ball 300 yards?

David Dusek explored this at Golfweek.com and while he had no real answer why that one number has not budged much in recent years, he does note the shocking change at bottom end of the spectrum.

In 2000 there were 166 players on the PGA Tour who averaged less than 280 yards per drive. In 2002, that number was down to 100 and in 2003 it was sliced to 47. By 2005, there were just 30 players who averaged less than 280 yards per drive and it dropped to 25 players.

The 25 under 280 number was the case for 2014 (the 2015 list won't come up at PGATour.com).

Things get confusing when you consider Shoshana Agus-Kleinman's GolfNews.net analysis of PGA Tour "carry," something tracked since 2007.

Since that year, the average and median carry number of PGA Tour drives has spiked by ten yards.

To recap: the driving distance average is up a yard in from 2007 to 2015, but carry average is up by ten yards in the same time frame.

We have been told time and time again that course conditioning leads to more roll, yet with a 10-yard increase in carry the distance average has remained almost flat. This means the "more roll" argument is bogus as most anyone who stands in a PGA Tour landing area can tell you. Yes, agronomics have never been better and grass heights never lower, but turf has also never been healthier or more nourished, offsetting any gains made by lower mowing heights.

(Side note: players have already caught up to Hootie's back tees as he predicted, despite literally no roll on those fairways thanks to a higher cut and grain effect created to slow down drives.)

Sadly, this leaves us in that odd place where the governing bodies refuse to acknowledge an issue because to do so would (A) remind us that they let the game down and (B) would see their sustainability campaigns severely undercut by what is an obvious need to keep expanding the scale of golf courses to manage modern distances.

At least a more sizeable audience sees the sad hypocrisy in their mixed-messaging.

New R&A Chief, Finchem Say Distance Issue Not An Issue

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The R&A's Martin Slumbers and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, speaking at the HSBC Golf Business Forum, made clear they are not the least bit interested in doing a thing about distance increases.

So much for those hoping Slumbers would reverse the course of Peter Dawson, who said things were holding steady as he ordered "The Treatment" on all Open rota courses to mask his organization's fear of doing something meaningful.

No doubt this gibberish, quoted by Doug Ferguson AP notes colum, was followed by speeches about the need for sustainability to keep the game healthy. Hard to do when 8000 yards becomes the norm.

"What we are seeing at the moment is a fairly consistent percentage of some tremendous athletes who are hitting the ball farther," Slumbers said at the HSBC Golf Business Forum. "The percentage of them is unchanged. The average is a lot less than what the media talk about. The average has only moved 3 to 4 yards in the last 10 years. There's no burning desire on our part to make any changes."

We knew about the burning desire part, but to say players are hitting it farther and then say they are not according to the average, is an inconsistency even Peter Dawson never let slip.
at least made clear he's all about the PGA Tour.

"I do think if we get to a point where 75 percent of the field is hitting it where Dustin [Johnson] is and it gets a little boring, and we see signs of it affecting the integrity of the sport, it's a different matter," Finchem said. "Right now, I agree totally. We shouldn't do anything."

Slumbers also said distance "isn't getting out of control."

"It's a single-digit number of players who hit over 320 [yards]," he said. "The average is in the mid-280s -- this is run and carry. As long as it stays within those parameters, I'm celebrating skill."

Sigh.