The Masters needs a standard ball less than any other event.They are arguably the ONLY classic course left on Tour that has remained stable in in the way(club selection and strategy) that the elite play it.
They are the original "stadium golf" course. designed, redesigned and maintained around one event, and closed for nearly half a year to accomodate that. Change at Augusta is one of its traditions, and while I would prefer to have seen it played in its original, strategic simpler form, I have no problem with recent cahnge, as change has gone on since the First Masters in 1934.
While they may not be "making" any new land in Augusta, they certainly still sell land there and Augusta continues to gobble it up at its perimimeters, having bought an entire subdivision and relocated an entire major thoroughfare on its western border, as well as having bought an entire hole from Augusta Country club to the east.
So while we all romantically and whimsically hope Augusta will "figure it out"(re equipment), they really don't have to as they remain and continue to rise as the top major as other courses either are played at bastardized disfigured classics or worse at modern big scale monstrocities that normalize the 340 yard drive and the 5 1/2 hour round.
Augusta's stock goes up every year while the others at best remain stable.
The US Open at at iconic Shinnecock in the golf and wealth richest area of the world draws a ticket price of 1/25th of a golden ticket to Augusta.
As far as baseball and Aaron Judge,he is a giant of a man at 6-7 and 282 pounds, as is DJ in the golf world.
No one is suggesting that stadiums and courses change to accomodate their physical superheroes.
It's cool when our superheroes do things other players can't.
It's the fact that the rank and file are now distance superheroes compared to even 10 years ago, much less 25, and watching a Tour event consists of watching less and less drivers (despite the fact we're all fed the BS that we love the long ball)
Is it fun to watch a driving iron go where drivers used to go and are all that's needed-something that negates the very advantage we speak so highly of.
Baseball can easily control this via the ball(and the bat), and does.
Golf need to wake up-Augusta did long ago and solved it in a "sustainable" manner (for them)-where $$$ is abundant and land is cheap(comparatively).
That's a sustainable solution for them-and a totally unsustainable solution for the rest of the golf world.
Augusta would be foolish to change the status quo-it's the very thing that continues to elevate them as the rest of golf's governing bodies flounder.
I have to go now-I'm off to my paid staff manufacturing seminar/demo day where I'm told to bring my free/paid to play 6 month old equipment in and they will replace it with a driver and fairway wood that produce demonstratable (today on Trackman)several more MPH of ball speed.
and all this time I thought I was getting taller.....
Joe-very good points. "advances"......
which cost more and make the game less fun.
Ironically, the pros used to comment on how tough the tight lies were around Augusta's greens-which haven't changed much over the years.
They are now probably some of the least tight lies you see now around top tier clubs-and look comparatively inviting to pitch and chip from.