Over the Green

Just before Christmas PING’s CEO John Solheim made his proposal public calling for the USGA to adopt rules mandating three classes of golf balls – one that would go the same distance as today’s, one 30 yards less and one 30 yards more.

Recreational players presumably would have their choice (does anyone think they will pick the 30 yards less ball?) and tournament organizers could specify which was to be played as a “condition of competition.” In particular the PGA Tour with all those long hitting superstars would use the 30-yards-less-ball in an effort to contain their mighty blows. MORE…

Long Putters
Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship with a long putter. Two aspects of this are somewhat surprising. First, this is the first time the victor in a major championship has used a long putter, in this case a Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth belly putter and secondly, the golf media hasn’t made a big deal of it. Curious since there has been a lot of breast beating over non-traditional length putters with three points of body contact. “Unfair” and non-traditional are two of the milder adjectives used by those against the use of broomsticks or bellys.

Tee It Forward
When you get over 90 percent of golfers to agree about anything it’s worth note so the press release concerning the Tee It Forward trail back in July is noteworthy. According to the press release from the USGA: Initial responses from a consumer survey indicated that 70 percent of the respondents found golf more enjoyable; 90 percent said they played faster or at about the same pace; 91 percent were likely to recommend TEE IT FORWARD to a friend and would likely use it again; and 52 percent stated they were likely to play golf more often knowing they could use TEE IT FORWARD. Let’s see, more enjoyable, faster play and play more golf. Sounds like a winner.

Weight Loss
Weight Loss Coach Larry Jacobs says in the summer time golfers drink more beer and sodas on the course and that’s a big reason why they tend to put on weight. Weight they are unlikely to ever take off. His Weight Loss for Golfers Tele-Seminar on September 28 is running an end-of-summer half-price offer guaranteed to make participants “Thin for Life.” Great, it’s just in time for the serious part of the NFL-couch-potato-season.

If the true test of a man’s intelligence is how much he agrees with you Michael Johnson, equipment writer for Golf Digest, is a genius.

In his June 20 online column he lays out the case against the USGA’s illogical and unfortunate reasoning when it came up with the ban of U-shaped or square grooves. The argument is similar to that made by this writer for over two years.

The Association concluded by mandating grooves with smaller cross section on irons of more than 25 degrees loft touring professionals and top amateurs would have to throttle back their tee shots to avoid hitting the ball in the rough. Smaller groves are less efficient imparting spin to a ball when the grass is of medium length as in the rough. The 1,000 or so elite golfers this change was aimed at therefore would have a harder time stopping their approach shots on the green.

Their logic continued that since there would be a “penalty” for hitting the ball in the rough the elites would then be forced to use a club less than a driver from the tee in order to keep the ball in the fairway. From the fairway they would be able to put the correct spin on the ball with the new grooves so distance could be controlled and it would stop close to the pin.MORE…

Frank Thomas is not afraid to tell it like it is. His approach has from time to time ruffled golf establishment feathers and though Thomas could not be characterized as vituperative in the least, there is still a strong tendency among those whose feathers are out of place to “shoot the messenger.”

He points out truths, inconvenient and otherwise, citing evidence and labeling opinion for what it is. This of course upsets people who have made the decisions in question or who choose to not acknowledge there even is a problem, a list that includes people in the club manufacturing business, golf course design and operations and at the rules making level. MORE…

Cleveland Golf CG-15 wedges
By ED TRAVIS

Cynics have said more than a little sarcastically, though some club company executives sobbed and pulled their hair over the injustice of the USGA shrinking the allowable size of grooves they in fact weren’t all that upset. It was pointed out there were going to be a lot of new clubs purchased to replace the old nonconforming irons so deep down the club guys were actually cheering the USGA.

This writer never saw any evidence of that opinion during his many contacts with club makers so that cynicism is a nonstarter. MORE…

Let’s be clear, Padraig Herrington’s two infractions of the Rules of Golf resulted in two penalties: two strokes and don’t bother to show up tomorrow.

A pretty stiff sentence for a ball that rolled a couple of dimples forward while he was retrieving his marker but didn’t roll quite the same number of dimples back after the coin was gone. Harrington of course didn’t see the ball had not returned to its original spot and was correctly penalized two strokes for hitting a ball not in its original position. Then, and also correctly, since the two stroke assessment was not determined until after he had left the scoring tent, according to the Rules of Golf the future Hall of Famer was disqualified from the European Tour HSBC Classic in Abu Dhabi for having signed what now was an incorrect scorecard.

The villain in this and the Camilo Villegas DQ at the Hyundai Tournament of Championship two weeks ago has been made out to be the television viewers who called in the errors. In both cases (but there have been many over the years) someone called or emailed officials to report what they had witnessed. Perhaps it was revealed after running the episode several times in slow-motion from recordings made on their digital video recorders but nonetheless there are a couple of things clear; Harrington and Villegas broke the Rules of Golf and neither did it with the intent of gaining an advantage.

The fans that reported the rules breaches are not villains. They may be puffed up with their own importance or delighted inflicting pain on those rich toursters or whatever, but they aren’t villains. They are part of the game or at least the professional game that’s shown to millions weekly on television.

Golf is the only sport where the spectators are part of the playing field and routinely determine a competition’s outcome be it getting struck by a wayward shot or calling tournament brass to tattle on an infraction no one on site could have seen. But that’s the situation anyone faces entering the play-for-pay arena to win money and gain fame.

So be it.

What isn’t really fair is only a few get that kind of armchair scrutiny because they are the ones, i.e., the top stars and tournament leaders, on television. The rationalization is, fan scrutiny is an opportunity cost to be the next Tiger Woods.

The second reason the villains in this little golf drama are not the guys salivating into their salsa at the prospect of catching Phil or Kooch messing up is, the rules are the rules. There is little wiggle room or interpretation for circumstances or intent. (This of course is not true, just look at the quad-annual Decisions of the Rules of Golf revision last November: 28 new Decisions, 51 revised Decisions and one withdrawn Decision for more than 1,200 entries). The problem for amateurs or professionals is there are too many often obscure and arcane rules. Let the professionals and elite amateurs deal with that though.

What’s much more important is the state of the rules is such that 99 plus percent of the rounds played do not follow them. Almost all amateur golf certainly could be described as ‘casual rounds’ and many of these scores are posted into the handicap system thus becoming part of another of golf’s shibboleths. Because the scores are from rounds that didn’t follow the Rules they are not reflective of the player’s skill not to mention they shouldn’t be used to figure a handicap.

It might be something obvious as a mulligan or “breakfast ball” off the first tee or conceding a putt even though it’s a medal not match play round or how the old, “Well, I guess that one’s out of bounds so I’ll just drop a ball here” line.

Whose fault is it? Certainly the player for not caring he or she is violating the Rules but also the USGA for having created a monstrous mess putting even well intentioned recreational players in violation sometime in every round they play.

Even Jack Nicklaus agrees they should be rewritten, making that point in a recent interview. The Rules of Golf are too complicated…way too complicated, with penalties disproportionate to the infraction, such as being disqualified for the ball moving when you didn’t see it and the movement was caught after the round and you had signed your card.

The attitude of amateurs towards the Rules of Golf is not disrespectful but that they are pretty much irrelevant most of the time.

Rewriting, simplifying and clarifying the Rules of Golf need not do a thing for Padraig or Camilo – they’re pros expected to know and live by the Rules – but could make them more relevant and more enjoyable to the typical amateur.

As 2011 approaches three golf stories from 2010 will have an impact in the New Year and beyond.

First is the comeback of Tiger Woods. Fans, other Tour players and certainly golf businesses want the former world’s number one player, in words of the Golf Channel, “on the first page of the leader board.” As has appeared here in previous columns, golf needs a winning and personally engaging Woods.

It is self-evident also Woods needs golf even more.

Next, the spin-off of Acushnet Company by Fortune Brands may set the equipment business on a new course. Several possibilities exist for new ownership of the world’s largest golf equipment company and golf’s iconic brands, Titleist and Foot-Joy.

Acushnet could become part of another golf company. A move in that direction would most likely mean anti-trust scrutiny, maybe lawsuits or other entanglements and lots of ‘fooling-around.’ Probably enough fooling-around that any competitor would think twice (or maybe three times) before raising their hand to make a bid.

The makers of the market dominant golf balls and golf shoes could go to someone outside the industry. Acushnet has been and still is very profitable and thus attractive though the golf industry has at best only modest growth prospects. In fact, Acushnet does have some of the characteristics prized by an avid golfer named Warren Buffett, so Berkshire Hathaway might even be a candidate.

However the most likely deal is using private money and perhaps even Acushnet CEO Wally Uihlein is putting together the necessary billion to billion and a half. Presumably the idea would be to either keep Acushnet private or take it public to recover the investment. Proven, profitable management would stay in place and there would be a minimal impact on the equipment business competitive landscape. But the most important factor, for the company and the golf industry, would be continuation of Acushnet’s decades-long commitment to product quality and innovation.

Lastly David Fay, executive director of the United States Golf Association retired. He became USGA’s leader shortly after the Ping/Karsten Solheim law suit fiasco over the association’s ruling concerning iron grooves and ends his tenure with the disappearance of the so-called ‘great grooves controversy’ as the USGA mandated the end to box grooves.

Fay had some credible achievements during his 21 year leadership such as seeing the U.S. Open booked on courses the public could actually play (i.e., Bethpage State Park’s Black Course) and putting the finances of the organization on very firm ground. In fact, there is lots of money in the bank to fund a variety of programs “for the good of the game” though some critics question why a not-for-profit organization whose stated purpose is to determine the rules of the game and conduct a national championship needs all those millions.

The new USGA executive director will take on a major question. He or she may continue down the path placing evermore restrictions on golfers and their equipment or allow the game to continue to evolve and grow as it has for over five centuries while embracing appropriate new ideas. That’s a big task.

Mark Twain, who didn’t have a very high opinion of golf wrote, “Figures often beguile me particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.’”
With that in mind…

One year ago we were in the throes of the groove-change controversy and in fact only a month away from having it implemented for professionals (and so-called elite amateurs) thanks to the ready cooperation of the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and other play-for-pay organizations who did not want to be on the wrong side of either the United States Golf Association nor the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.

For those who may have forgotten or who had more important things occurring in their lives, a quick refresher is in order. MORE…

There’s a story making the rounds the sales of wedges with “square or box” grooves have been strong in anticipation of the imposition of the new rule from the United States Golf Association. In essence the rule, which is already being adhered to by all the professional tours, says pros may not play irons (those with more loft than a five-iron) that have box grooves because they give too much control to iron shots especially hitting from the rough.

Amateurs who play in USGA championships have until 2014 to switch to irons with allowable grooves. The rest of us don’t have to replace those nonconforming box-grooved irons until 2024, unless of course we were to buy a new wedge or set of irons in the next 14 years. MORE…

Let’s see, for the first time Tiger Woods will go a full season without a tournament win, rules officials at every level seem to be in the news – most of it not good, Dustin Johnson showed he has game by winning at the BMW Championship after the U.S. Open and PGA and the USGA after making repeated statements of the inadvisability of two sets of rules-one for pros and a different one for the rest of us-has done just that by the decision to disallow box grooves and then phase in implementation over more than a decade. Makes one wish for simpler times.

The latest revelation is the USGA has been testing shorter flying golf balls. Dick Rugge, Technical Director of the Association, says this has been an ongoing program for five years which naturally raises everybody’s hackles as in why the secrecy. Rugge explains it by saying the program and most especially the results have not been publicized since they don’t want to affect future testers with past results.

This naturally begs the question, if you were asked to test a golf ball by the USGA, wouldn’t you think one if not the most important result they were looking for was distance?

In any event the issue of two sets of rules is out in plain set still and needs to be addressed in some other manner than the USGA is doing presently, such as not being so worried about secrecy or tradition and more about the health of the game. One can understand both points of view by the Far Hills administrators however these are not the most pressing problem faced by the game or the business of golf.

Golf has always been and presumably always will be changing. New materials, manufacturing techniques, agronomic improvements and better player conditioning each play a part and if you read anything of golf history always have. To focus solely on equipment (drivers, grooves, balls) which the USGA has done particularly behind closed doors is both short sighted and bad for the game.

Frank Thomas, former USGA Technical Director and current industry consultant, wrote recently:

It is true that the USGA is testing a golf ball, which has reduced flight properties — about 20 to 25 yards less distance than the present ball. The distance the elite players hit the ball has been a concern since 1890. The fear is that the increase in distance will continue and that something needs to be done. It is this mindset that has initiated numerous and very questionable rules changes, which have had no effect on the distance balls go.

Having said this; the good news is that the USGA is conducting tests which I am sure will include the average gofer not just the elite (.001%) of the golfing population, and that the effect on the game as a whole will be very carefully considered. This is a sizable study which if done correctly will take a number of years to complete. The bad news is that the tests are being done as much behind closed doors as possible. This is not the way to govern the game.
If we really have a problem with the distance the ball goes we need to clearly define this problem. We then need to explain to the golfing public – indirectly the USGA’s constituents – that this problem needs to be resolved to protect the integrity of our game.