[George Pazin]

There is certainly a ton of discussion on this site regarding the distance explosion and how it has affected the pro game and the rest of us. But there is relatively little discussion of how different the game would be if we played with less technologically advanced equipment, other than the courses would obviously be shorter.

David Tepper asked a really interesting question on the Riviera thread:

Let me ask you this question - if we went back to wound balata balls and persimmon heads, do you think the world rankings would be appreciably different?  I don't think they would be.

I'd like to tweak this a little and ask the following:

Would golf course architecture have evolved differently if we still played with balatas and persimmon? Obviously the lengths of the holes would be different, but would anything else change?

I'll give my opinion later, after I've had a chance to think about it a little more.

[Patrick_Mucci_Jr]

Yes,

Ball movement would be greater, hence wider rather than narrower fairways might be the norm at tournaments, with a trickle down effect at local courses.  Golf courses would be shorter.  And, bunkers would present more of a hazard, thus, avoiding them would become a preoccupation.

[David_Tepper]

Mr, Mucci (the younger) -

In your post, you assert "bunkers would present more of a hazard"  if golf was still played with 1980's equipment. What post-1980 equipment changes have made bunker play easier in your opinion - changes to the ball, sand wedge or possibly bunker grooming? Do you have any evidence that the rate of sand saves is higher today than it was 25 years ago? If so, how much of the higher conversion rate would be attributable to better putting rather than blasting the ball closer to the cup from the sand?

DT

     

[Chris Kane]

David, bunkers would become more of a hazard because more of them would be relevant to the good player again.  On older courses in particular, elite players can hit straight over fairway bunkers without even thinking about them.  If they were hitting it 25-30 shorter, those bunkers might be in play.

[Jim Thompson]

No, because it hasn't fully adjusted to the current tools we use.  I think many would find that as soon as they started hitting balatas shaping and control would be paramount.  Further, I think those courses that have undergone face lifts for the ProV1 et al would be exposed as tight corridor accuracy tests.  Also I'd bet some fairway contouring and width would be added back to many courses.

Cheers!

JT

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