We ran test (one many thing 'unscientific' but perhaps it's instructive)
I would not agree that it was "instructive" as it wasn't at all just a test of spin rates, etc. The balls had degraded (they were old). Your player was not given much time to adjust (he swung as fast or faster than many players that averaged well over 244 with that equipment in the 90s, yet hit it 244). The balls were not using modern aerodynamics.
My point is that if you double the spin rate, the ball doesn't really curve much more, and it doesn't go as short as you think it does. Plug some spin into a launch optimizer sometime - you'll see it doesn't change things as much as you probably think. And… the tour guys (reps, engineers, players, fitters) would reduce that spin pretty quickly.
And Garland, I played the Tour Balata, then the Professional. And even if I hadn't, it doesn't change the facts at play here re: spin.
It was 'instructive' to me in three ways. The heavy shorter club he swung 3- 5mph slower slower. 2/ you had to see it but he was hopeless with the wood. (And it wasn't as if he was playing poorly. He flew to Europe the next day and had a 2nd and 3rd in the 3 subsequent weeks including the British Masters)
3/ Even though the balls were old and 'degraded' he flew one 272 yards. Not bad?
And whilst he wasn't familiar the club a couple of days later I played with Brady Watt (semi-final of the US Am Matt Fitzpatrick won) and he barely missed a shot with the same club -and he'd hardly ever hit a wooden club.Brady has a more solid swing than Lucas whose swing is more compatible with a more forgiving modern driver.
Not that he couldn't learn - he's obviously really good - but it was 'instructive'
Either way, I don't really care why the ball is going further. There are multitude of reasons - and if Nicklaus, Weiskopf, Norman and Snead were playing now they'd unquestionably be hitting it 315+y.
The point of the article was the effect it has on golf courses and my view it's a detriment to the point of game - that the hazards are less relevant because good, young players just hit over them and holes envisaged as drives and long irons and now far from that.
At some point the game has to decide is it wants all ladders and no snakes - and surely no one here wants to see the primary 'snake' as 'narrow fairways bordered by long grass'