Is golf about to get a HOLE lot easier? Head of PGA of America suggests quadrupling

[KeepingItReal]

Is golf about to get a HOLE lot easier?

Read more: Head of PGA of America suggests quadrupling size of holes | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2616860/Is-golf-HOLE-lot-easier-Head-Professional-Golfers-Association-America-suggests-quadrupling-size-holes-improve-scores-increase-speed.html#ixzz30Q5WORRM)


The hole will be boosted from 4 inches to 15 inches in a pilot scheme - which is to be trialed at 100 courses across the country.


The new holes, which will be about the size of an average pizza, have the backing of Ted Bishop, the president of the Professional Golfers Association of America.

[zcaveman]

And I would probably STILL miss the putt!

Z

[elizabeth52]

I like it!

[justjim]

I'm not so sure about quadruple the size----double the size instead. If you can't make a putt with the hole being twice its size then.......

The USGA is very concerned about current participation----their primary concern is the "slow play" and the overall time it takes to play 18 holes of golf. Private Clubs across the country have fewer members and there are fewer golfers on public courses too.

[russtcc]

I think it would be great to trial the idea on a few of the executive courses to see if people would respond favorably. I've been reading about this in some of the golf magazines. It would speed up play and I can see it being more fun. Not sure what the right "new" size should be.

[Regor]

I think this is a stupid idea. Why not make tennis nets lower, goal posts wider, bowling balls bigger, ball fields shorter, etc? It's the way the game is played. I would guess that over 50% of the amateurs playing already give putts. If you don't reach the green in regulation, maybe they should allow you to just place your ball on the green. Or better yet, just sit in your cart and write down the score you think you should have got on the hole!

Banning anchored putters, then thinking of allowing larger holes??

Dumb, dumb!

[Cobh521]

Wow this would really improve my short game!

[dewilson58]

No Thanks

[Gat0r]

Taylormade is behind it.Cup would be 15" It's to draw more people to play golf and sell more clubs.

[TheVillageChicken]

PGA of America can't change any of the rules of golf, and the USGA and R & A, who do control the rules, will never go for this idea.

The good news, for Villagers who would like bigger holes, is that the possibility of a sinkhole occurring where a flagstick is currently placed is pretty high.

[Ceafolks]

This is not a new idea. It was tried ..briefly...in the early 80's. Two holes were cut on each green, one regulation and the other about twice regulation size. (Not the size of a pizza.) You then had a choice. There was a name for the "new" game. I don't recall what it was. Only one course in our area tried it. They found it to be a maintenance headache and they gave it up after about three months.

[Gat0r]

PGA is for it: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/sunday-review/a-birdbath-size-hole-and-the-future-of-golf.html

[rubicon]

This debat has been going for some time now. There has been a concerned in the golf Industry for the fact that 5 million people dropped golf within the last 10 years reducing their profits. Its why tiger meant so much to them marketing for equipment clothes golf lessons for their kids, etc.

The two obstacles as the professional viewed it were money and time. As to time, most is spent around the greens and hence the 15"hole.

Recently in Greensboro, NC Taylormade sponsored an event invited some pros and show cased the 15"hole

Purist are going to hate it. I am a high handicapper but a purest and I am going to hate it. the suggestion to make golf easier is an acknowledgement to the trophy generation

The challenge to golf always was that we knew you can't beat golf and it made us try all the more.

Finally why cut 15"holes I thought that was the reason for miniature golf?

[TheVillageChicken]

The 15" hole already exists in casual golf. It's called "inside the leather" or "gimme." In actual fact, it is more like a 30" hole.

[DeanFL]

If they make the hole bigger - perhaps bigger balls?

now c'mon guys...

[DDoug]

This is a joke right

[justjim]

Joke or not you can bet this idea is DOA. That said, Like others involved with golf, I am concerned about less and less golfers in this country. The courses are over built, too hard for the average golfer, too expensive and take too much time to play.

Its pretty easy to see why there are fewer golfers. There are folks much more informed than me and have much more at stake trying to attack this problem.

It's a little late now but any new courses should be built like the new courses in TV. I think they have done a great job trying to balance the various ages and skill levels of golfers here in The Villages. To cut down on time-----make nine holes the rule instead of the exception and make the courses shorter instead of longer for the average "joe/Jane" golfer.

[skyguy79]

This is a joke rightApparently not to some. What I want to know though is, just how many players are going to want to climb down into and out of the hole to retrieve their balls?

[gustavo]

I think it would be great to trial the idea on a few of the executive courses to see if people would respond favorably. I've been reading about this in some of the golf magazines. It would speed up play and I can see it being more fun. Not sure what the right "new" size should be.

I will quit playing golf if they do this. While your at it, tee it up in the fairway and rough.

Typical 21 century thinking, lower the bar so everyone feels good about being mediocre.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

PGA of America can't change any of the rules of golf, and the USGA and R & A, who do control the rules, will never go for this idea.

The good news, for Villagers who would like bigger holes, is that the possibility of a sinkhole occurring where a flagstick is currently placed is pretty high.

A representative of the PGA of America sits on the USGA Rules Committee.

The USGA doesn't have to do anything. Clubs that want to try this out have every right to. Obviously scores wouldn't be acceptable for handicap purposes, as those rounds would not be played under the USGA Rules, but for those who do't care about such things and are only interested in whacking a ball around a field might enjoy it. If a course owner feels that he can get more people playing by doing this why not. Rounds

If USGA is interested, they could make an adjustment to the slope system to that course altered in this manner would have their ratings reduced accordingly.

It might speed up the game, but scores could not be compared. It would be like comparing candle pin and ten pin bowling scores. They are almost two different games.

Another idea would be, in conjunction with enlarging the hole, to reduce the par of each hole by one. Thus a par 72 course would then become a par 54.

[fndrbndr]

Today is MAY the 1st---Not APRIL 1st?!

[ugotme]

TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!

As Regor said and implied - let's adjust EVERY sport so everyone will score well!

If basketball only had a 6 foot high basket - I COULD DUNK!!!!

C'mon - the game is the game. No one promised that you would shoot in the 60's or low 70's but it is a goal.

No larger bowling balls Regor BUT they will now have 20 pins and if you knock down 10 WOWIE - It's a strike!

Sorry, but I am not a good golfer but this is just plain STUPID (IMHO of course).

:loco:

[TheVillageChicken]

In my collection of golf balls are several old Penfolds, also known as the English Small Ball. They effectively make the hole larger. My father played nothing else but these little guys. I also have a few of the ill fated Top Flite Magnas, which were for reasons unknown to me, were larger than normal.

[robertj1954]

I view those proposing this change to be from the same school of thought that advocates everyone wins, their are no losers in sports. Sports is meant to be competitive, challenging and not everyone can be a winner. I make my share of 3 putts and curse the hole cuts with the best of them. But it is golf and is designed to be a difficult game. I would not be happy with increasing the size of the holes on golf courses.

But, Perhaps as a compromise they can designate some of the level 1-2 courses for bigger holes. That might make everyone happy.

[rubicon]

The reason for the 15 hole is to speed up the game but will it? If some players come to the realization that less time can be spent around the green will that allow them more time getting to the green? I suspect some of us will spend more time with our set up, practice swings etc.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

In my collection of golf balls are several old Penfolds, also known as the English Small Ball. They effectively make the hole larger. My father played nothing else but these little guys. I also have a few of the ill fated Top Flite Magnas, which were for reasons unknown to me, were larger than normal.

The British ball (1.62" ball) actually flew farther and was less affected by the wind, and yes, as you say, the hole is relatively larger, but this is not a serious factor as the smaller ball sits down in the grass more and tends to bounce a bit more when putted.

The Magna ball, which is perfectly legal, by the way, was an attempt to make the ball go straighter by reducing spin. It also putted better as was less affected by imperfections in the putting green.

Back in 1979 a company introduce the Polara golf ball which had an uneven dimple pattern. This would actually cause the ball to straighten out in mid flight. The USGA amended the rule on golf ball construction in order to make this legal. Now a ball's dimple pattern must be consistent over the entire surface of the ball.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I spent a lot of time studying slow play over the past 40 years. It's a major problem in the business of golf and everyone is looking for a solution. what I found and I believe that statistic by NGF will show is that higher handicap players tend to spend a lot of time getting to the green, but tend to chip and putt very quickly. Better players tend to get to the green quickly but spend a lot of time lining up chips pitches and puts.
Knowing that, I don't see where enlarging the hole would help speed up the game for the average player. And I don't think that better players would be interested in seeing the rule change.
By the way, for those who say this is not done in other sports, have you ever seen bumper bowling? They place bumpers in the channels for children and beginners so there are never any gutter balls. I see nothing wrong with for children and beginners in order to let them have fun and learn the game. Maybe the same thing could be done in golf with two holes on each green. They have forward tees for higher handicap players and I have met some terrible players that can drive the ball a mile. It seems that the only advantage given to higher handicap players is length and sometimes very little of that.
Of course we have the handicap system but maybe a two hole system wouldn't be a bad idea.
I wouldn't be against it as long as other measures were put in place.

[tom yahr]

A dumb ideal!!! If people want an easier game take gimmes when they are within two feet. Don't screw up the game for golfers who want a challenge and like the way it is played. Or make up your own game...just don't call it golf.