Augusta considering its own equip rules

[Kevin_Reilly]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/masters02/2002-03-01-equipment.htm

Quote of the day from Tiger: "I kind of dink it around" "I'm not that long anymore."

[APBernstein]

Amen (Corner)!

[SPDB]

when does the restoration begin?

[LeeHarris]

A masters ball would almost make me forgive the club for its rather unsavoury aspects.

Do you think they will do it,and if so, would it be a catalyst for the PGA Tour as a whole ....

[BCrosby]

If Hootie is serious, that's the best news for golf course architecture since the day they finished Sand Hills.

Overnight this changes the balance of power in the technology debate.  The mere fact that ANGC is now officially considering its own technology limits recasts the whole discusion.  

Is Titleist still going to claim that all this extra length does no harm to the game?

That only wingnut architecture groupies are worried about the issue?

Who - with a straight face - is going to say now that all this extra distance is just a chimera?  

Or that just a couple of big hitters are distorting the averages?

There's no overstating its significance.

Wow.  I never thought I would hear anything like it coming from anyone at ANGC.  Bravo Hootie.

Bob

[A_Clay_Man]

Hootie's quantifier is "if changes" occur on the pace they have "in recent years" which is highly unlikely. I doubt technology will be marginally increased for sometime to come.
Peaks and Valleys.

[Chip Royce]

I'm probably just echoing everyone's sentiments, but heck, I don't care!

WAHOOO!!!!!

I am very excited that ANCG may be willing to offer the Masters up as a petri dish to test standardized equipment / balls in competition play.

Perhaps they are letting Finchem and others off the hook by doing this in the only sanctioned event not run by a major organization - PGA / EPGA / USGA / R&A can all stand back and see how the world reacts to this. In this fashion, the major rules bodies / tours will not have to formulate a standard early on that would be susceptible to influence from manufacturers.

[Peter Galea]

Shoot, and here I thought we'd see the course play to 8500 yards next year. :-/

[Jim_Kennedy]

I think that the blue cloth of the USGA and the green cloth of ANGC come from the same bolt despite the different shades.
This is a shot across the manufacturer's bows by a friend of the USGA that has some very big guns and an unlimited supply of ammunition. I do not think we'll see a competition ball come out of this but the threat may convince the bullies to back off, enjoy where they are now and learn to live with it.      

[Bill_Spellman]

It reads like Hootie is taking a wait and see attitude. Depending on how well ANGC "defends" itself this year with the lengthening versus the new equipment, Decisions will be made after the event.
Tiger is full of *%#@. He can put his length into the next gear whenever he wants to.
 
    Anyway, This is very good news even if in an infantile stage.

[LeeHarris]

while this is really interesting, doesnt it just confirm the opinion I offered a while back (and I am sure others have done so a thousand times) that in fact it would NOT be that hard to sit down and do this, ie the PGA Tour/USGA/R&A/ players etc could sit down and say, OK, regardless of manufacturers, lets impose our OWN rules on our OWN competitions. How could the equipment manufacturers get involved, if the tours say, youre all playing this ball from 2003 or whatever, take it or leave it, the players would go along with that. Would the equipment people have a legal case in this?

It just seems this could be solved so easily if people really wanted to.

I personally would love to see the pros playing some 2 iron approaches along the ground. Is it just me, or do pros actually only use about 4 clubs these days ?

[Paul Richards]

Kudos to Hootie for even considering it.  Pete Dye has been
a proponent of putting the brakes on the golf ball and has
said the most logical place to start doing so would be at the
Masters.

Let's hope he can get this done.

[LeeHarris]

exactly

but by the same token and argument could the PGA Tour not adopt exactly the same stance?