Niall
You say for the last 100 years they have fairly well minded the shop. Sorry I feel their record for the last 60-100 years is rather poor. Not just re the ball, golf but their other interests off the course are nearly as bad, in fact may surpass their performance re the game.
It’s the same old stuff, but is it because you feel they have done rather well when I see the opposite. It certainly may be old stuff but it’s never seen the light of day, which in my book is not the same old stuff. Over the last 5-6 years I have been advised by various club Chairman’s that they are not happy with the R&A. On the golf side I have taken their lead as to the unhappy state that seems to exist between them and the R&A as I have my own complaints re their performance on more than one off course issue.
Pete
Things take time to change, it will not happen overnight, but we have no feedback, no actual representation nor is there any sign of actually communicating with the golfing world. Ivory Towers certainly spring to mind.
There is no acknowledgement on any serious issue, it’s ignored or dismissed and if we do not like it well it’s basically tough, we can’t do anything about it.
I believe the issues need to be accepted that there are indeed issues. We need to know what the current and future intention is. In fact how are they going to protect the game of golf.
A simple acknowledgement that things are being seriously looked at and that action or programs are in place to try to resolve them.
I am not against technology, far from it but I am not pro equipment that improves a player’s score. Improvement comes from skill not new equipment. In Old Toms day consistency did not appear in golf until the introduction of the gutty ball. That single thing allowed the game to mature, clubs that worked with a ball, that no longer suffered in the wet, be it from the morning dew, rain of damp conditions. We have had consistency in golf equipment for 112 years plus, so why are we still allowing balls and clubs to reduce a players score.
But of course change will take time, it just that we need to see some acknowledgement that they are looking at the problems rather than dismiss them as non-existent.
Melvyn