Tank McNamara by Bill Hinds for April 23, 2023

The problem is not the ball if the USGA would use course set ups which challenge the golfers in certain ways where things like pinpoint accuracy rather than relying on distance could count.

Of course this is a matter of opinion, some people may like seeing the long hitters drive the green on a par 4, be up for eagle on any par 5 as the greens are also reachable as well as scores in the low 60s for the lead while others enjoy a challenging course where the winner might be Even par or so like the US Open at Shinnecock was a few years back. I think the scores at the US Open at Winged Foot and Oakmont were even higher back in the 2000s, like +5.

I know sometimes the golfers will complain about unfair pin placements (the 17th Island Hole at Sawgrass comes to mind) but anyhow the objective of a tourney is to have the lowest score. Personally I like to see the experts fights windy conditions and a course where par puts you in contention but if the day sets up right and you got 3 or 4 guys on the back 9 at -20 then you still have a good competition. I guess the big difference is that some of these difficult set ups may benefit the golfer who has the best accuracy on narrow fairways. a good short game and putter not the longest driver. These are the courses where some of the older players and even seniors often make a little noise.

It’s golf. All you do is swing a ball into a hole.

Of all the spectator sports (and, for me, that term is the biggest of all oxymorons) golf is the most worthless. That is purely my personal opinion, of course.

Actually playing golf is amusing, though.

“Picklegolf.” Ha!

MLB does NOT use metal bats, to reduce injuries and keep ballparks relevant. College baseball is going to have to consider converting to wood bats as their players are stronger and better trained.

Pro Tennis uses a fuzzier, slower ball to improve the ability of the fans to follow the play.

Pro Golf needs a shorter and spinning ball to allow the best to play of the best courses which have become obsolete. Would like to see the Men use their 3W on a par 5 to have that eagle opportunity, not driver & wedge.

Tennis

“Picklegolf”! I LOVE it!

so USGA allowed bouncier balls over time to let the average club player feel they can hit the ball really far. They also allowed clubs to get not only springier but with bigger, high-forgiving faces to let the average club player feel they can hit the ball straight while swinging really, really hard.

and they didn’t take any of that into consideration on the long-term impact to the professional game, since they want the average joe-schmo to use the (basically) same equipment as the pros.

they should have fixed this idiocy ages ago.

For us non-golfers, it seems like watching golf on TV is as close to clinical death as you can get without involving medical personnel. Watching test cricket is a close second. That doesn’t mean such entertainment is bad — it’s probably a good idea for those whose lives are too rushed and anxious. (Cf. watching baseball, at least before the pitch clock.)

I never thought of calling the white plastic practice golf balls, “whiffle balls,” but that’s what they are. I hit mine 30 feet, how far would pros hit them?

Wasn’t it the USGA that approve the “live” balls?