[KeepingItReal]

Is golf about to get a HOLE lot easier?

Read more: Head of PGA of America suggests quadrupling size of holes | Mail Online


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/su...e-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...