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Rollback Ramblings

Some scattered thoughts about the rollback.

After thinking, talking, texting, and writing about it, I’m ready to move on to other golf news like Jon Rahm going to LIV or Jay Monahan trying to save the PGA Tour, or… ugh, nevermind, maybe I should just pop on Home Alone, curl up in a ball, and call it a year.

If you don’t know what the rollback is, I’m jealous… but at its core, the ball is going not to fly as far when hit with a driver. The following excerpt from the USGA Press Release sums it up.

Okay, here are a bunch of thoughts that have run through my head since the news of a universal rollback was leaked last Friday evening by Golf Digest:

If you’re ranting online that you’re never going to play golf again or won’t even hit a conforming golf ball, cool…

I think this very well could be a Bifurcation Trojan Horse…with the 2028 professional rollback coming two years before everyone has to play a new conforming golf ball, there is a world where the USGA and R&A change their stance on the universal rollback. We’ll have a summer of elite amateur events and college golf in 2028. We’ll have a year or 18 months for people to grow accustomed to bifurcation. It felt like the reaction in March to the bifurcation announcement was very different from the reaction to a universal rollback. Suddenly amateur golfers and weekend warriors had their game to protect instead of worrying about the entertainment factor in professional golf. That argument disappeared really quickly once the UGSA came for amateur distance.

There’s a world where the natural distance gains between 2023 and 2030 could mean that the loss of yardage is higher than the USGA is predicting.

The argument that golf’s boom was a cocktail of COVID-19 and the ball flying farther is misguided. People didn’t start playing in 2020 because they liked hitting the ball far. They liked being outside, hanging with friends, and having a few beers. I’d imagine that most new golfers in 2020 were using outdated, hand-me-down equipment and crappy golf balls. Distance had nothing to do with it.

If you’re a golfer who forages for balls in the woods and buys used balls in bulk at golf expos, you’re already playing a rolled-back golf ball.

Golf is played outside, and if you play in the morning, in the fall, or in a windy area, you’ve already had to adjust for loss of yardage. It appears that this is only going to impact the driver and longer clubs. Once faster swingers have a 5-iron in their hand, the ball will fly as far in 2030 as it does in 2023.

The main complaints about golf that pop up in my course reviews on Bay State Golf are about the pace of play (5+ hours) and price. These are all problems that could be fixed, or at least improved, with this announcement. Golf courses are adding length, which means building tee boxes, which means more maintenance, which means more cost, which means higher greens fees.

Pace of play could speed up if players aren’t waiting for par 5s to clear from the fairway (or the rough). It could also speed up if players move up a tee box.

Hitting the ball shorter will limit dispersion patterns, which could help players who tend to have to hunt for balls because they hit it a mile, but can’t hit it straight. Sure, the shots will be (a little) longer into the greens, but, according to the USGA, 5-iron to wedge will not be impacted and rarely have I seen groups hunting for balls around greens.

I have worked on adding speed in the last couple of years through some strength work and Super Speed training. I also bought a new driver in the summer of 2022. I added about 15 yards to my driver. I understand the value of distance. I get the frustration that people feel that they are going to lose yardage. It’s a hard game, and as a species, we’re designed to want to improve and innovate. The rollback stands in contrast to that innate human need to evolve. However, we’ll certainly see golf ball manufacturers pushing the limits again and finding new ways to help players make up the difference. I believe the goal of this rollback is to hit the pause button. The average driver distance has increased by one yard every year. If by 2030, the golf ball is going as far as it did in 2015, would that be okay? I think that’s where the massive majority of golfers will be living.

It’s not against the rules to move up a tee box. It’s also not against the rules to practice putting and chipping if you’re worried about your score going up.

I’m most curious about the LPGA Tour and the women’s game. It seems like we’re starting to see female golfers chasing a bit more speed, too.

College coaches will have an interesting few years of recruiting, they’ll have 2029 with the current golf ball standards, and then in 2030 they’ll have to use the new ball. I wonder if that might alter the kind of kids they’re trying to add to their team. I wonder how it will impact elite junior golfers (kids age 12-14 right now) who are hoping to be recruited. Time will tell.

I’m going to be 46 years old when this new ball drops in 2030. The timing sucks for me personally because I’m starting the slow decline, and I’ll have to work hard to maintain what I have. But I’ll still be hunting for tee times (and hopefully my quest to play all the courses in Mass. will be done…and I can start over again with the new ball… jk…)

Imagine if 100 years ago golf tournaments were set up so players were handed six golf balls on the first tee. In baseball, football, and tennis, players use the ball they’re given. Would that have totally changed the sport? Possibly. Just interesting to imagine Tiger Woods in 2000 reaching into a jar on the first tee and counting out six balls to use at Pebble Beach in the U.S. Open.

Picture of the week: Hooper GC (Walpole, NH.)

News and Notes

• Jon Rahm is indeed heading to LIV Golf. That certainly ups the ante for the PGA Tour to figure out a plan for the framework agreement.

• Tiger Woods finished second to last in an 18-player event and moved up 400 spots in the World Golf Rankings…seems kinda bogus to me.

• Michael Thorbjornsen announced he’ll return to competitive golf. The Stanford senior who is No. 1 in the PGA Tour U standings, will tee it up in the Dubai Desert Classic in January. Hopefully, this means he’ll he back playing for Stanford this spring before turning pro and winning on the PGA Tour (I think he’ll win at least one major in his career).

When I’m not golfing…

I’m gambling….(Every week, because it's now legal in Mass. I'm going to make five NFL picks and keep track of them here.)

• Last Week: 2-3 (Season record: 36-29)

  • Colts (+1.5) over Bengals

  • Seahawks (+11) over Niners

  • Panthers (+5) over Saints

  • Lions (-3.5) over Bears

  • Rams (+7.5) over Ravens

I’m listening to… I’m not a big holiday music guy, but I always like Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas.

I’m eating… Empire Cake in NYC makes a hell of a chocolate cake. We also ate at a little restaurant in Ellenville, NY called Aroma Thyme. They gave us a free win tasting for my sister’s birthday. They made is insanely good vegan pizza, and to cancel that out, I had half a burger on a pretzel bun, also very good. Highly recommend Aroma Thyme is you’re ever up in the Hudson Valley area.

Also, French Toast casserole slaps. Make it for a gathering this month.

I’m drinking… Tiff made a cider punch this weekend for my sister’s bday bash. She also whipped up a twist on the French 75.

I’m watching… I’m still in on For All Mankind on AppleTV.

I'm (shamelessly) plugging...

• Golf courses open through the winter in New England

• Bay State Picks: Best courses you can walk for less than $60.

• Bay State Picks: Nine-hole courses to play before or after work

• Bay State Picks: 18 public golf that is worth your time

• Bay State Picks: Easy 18-hole public walks

• Bay State Deep Dive: Myopia Hunt Club

   

• "On Course" New England Journal Podcast - Michael Edwards is a golf physical therapist based in Rhode Island. He was a great guest and worth a listen as we’re in the beginning phases of the off-season.

  • LISTEN HERE (and subscribe!)

  • WATCH HERE (and subscribe!)