Is (say) a DS-5 with modern balls/equip the same as a DS-1/2 with hickories?

[Thomas Dai]

A thread inspired by a hickory player who wondered if a basic/poor layout course in poor condition when played with old era hickory equipment/balls would be the equivalent challenge of a decent modern course in good condition played with modern equipment/balls.
Thoughts?
Atb

[Tom_Doak]

If 'DS' is meant to refer to the Doak Scale, it has very little to do with "challenge", so it's not relevant to your subject header.


Every course is significantly more challenging with hickories, I believe.

[Thomas Dai]

Appreciate that the DS is not challenge related but in attempting a comparison I needed a reference point to use in lessor echelon courses vrs higher echelon courses in relation to the equipment being used. Likely part of the reference would be how would modern equipment fair on lessor echelon courses and vice versa. For example using modern equipment to play a lower echelon course, say one that’s short and scruffy with limited architectural merit, might make playing less challenging, less thrilling, less fun, but the same lessor echelon course played with yee olde equipment could bring back the challenge, the thrill and the fun on the same piece of land in the same condition.
Atb

[jeffwarne]

The game has far less challenge with modern equipment on a modern course with modern conditioning.


Rugged, unforgiving, inconsistent equipment that allowed far shorter distances, while playing out of erratic lies in the "fairway", rough that's actually rough, bunkers that are hazards,and greens that required judgement of varying surfaces, an often inconsistent roll/bounce and a truly solid strike, all would conspire to make scoring far more difficult.


Sure "modern" courses are longer,perhaps some made difficult by the contrived water features cluttering the properties but the advances in distances gained by elites, has far exceeded course expansion.


assuming that was the question.


Some older courses(or sets of tees) would be far more fun with older equipment, but often procuring it can be expensive and cumbersome-and it can become a bit of an arms race with a lot of older/older style equipment not being anywhere close to equal or inexpensive.
A 85% ball could have the same effect for distance,but (for some),wouldn't provide the same joy as hickory,blades or persimmon

[Thomas Dai]

Nicely put Jeff and the enhancement is spot on as well.
Atb