Tim Weiman,
Buying the Biggest Big Bertha was no mistake, my scores got lower, my cash flow higher and my disposition improved.
Competition drives many things, including the selection of equipment. In tournaments or at my home club, when competitors are using the latest equipment and improving their game, one would have to be foolish to play with obsolete equipment, at the cost of improving their game.
You may play with woods and old golf balls if that makes you happy. But, if you want to SCORE better, and compete better, high tech can't be denied.
If my utilizatioh of equipment renders a feature "out of play" it is not my responsibility to bring it back into play.
Locally, each club must make their own choices, and globally, the USGA and R&A must make choices.
Since I do not use any ILLEGAL equipment I'm quite content to continue to use clubs that will help my game, despite the fact that I still play the old Ping Eye 2 irons.
And, I might just change them.
With respect to your question about NGLA moving their bunkers, when the distance problem becomes systemic, they, like all other clubs will be faced with a dilema.
Do they lengthen their tees, and if that is not possible on a hole, do they reposition the features/bunkers to preserve the architectural intent of the design, or do they leave it as is ?
Answer me one question.
Why hasn't anybody objected to, or complained about the 30 or so added yards of tee length at the 2nd hole at NGLA in the last ten years
Answer two more questions.
Why has noone complained or objected to the left side tee on
# 16 over the last ten years.
And why has noone complained or objected to the added length on # 8 over the last 5 years.
And, was the golf course, or its architecture in any way diminished by the above changes ?
Lastly, I'm no more likely to take out my old Tonney Penna driver and play NGLA than I am to abandon my air conditioning in favor of an attic fan, take a train versus a Jet to Florida or California, or go to a dentist that uses an old drill.
There is no practical reason and nothing to be gained by any of the above, including the use of persimmon woods.