USGA Annual Meeting Quick Roundup: Belly Putter On The Table, Distance Debate And The Nager Inauguration

There's a lot to parse from today's USGA meeting at the Hilton Post Modern Shopping Center and Executive Suites, Houston but I'll try to just highlight the bullet points for now because there's a loud group next door causing a ruckus on floor 13 and...wait, it's the Bluecoats/Grey Slackapoolaza After Party!

Who knew they'd leave the annual meeting and hit another open bar to regale themselves with tales of free drops and decisions that almost didn't become part of the swelling book! (Which reminds me, I hope Mrs. Driver...yes, that Mrs. Driver, found the lost jewels she called my room asking for! And no, I didn't ID myself and kindly suggested she was looking for two rooms over because I have to rest easily for that 5 a.m. wake-up call.)

Anyway, a few thoughts from lucky floor 13...

-- Anchoring the putter is very much on the table. Easily the takeaway of the day: The USGA and R&A  discussed the belly putter during last week's Far Hills meetings and in particular, the concept of anchoring. It wasn't long ago they were shrugging off the notion of players bracing a putter against their bodies, but according to new USGA President Glen Nager, the sudden market interest in long putters (check out this NY Times Adam Schupak story from Sunday), and to a lesser degree, the notion that some players view it as a form of cheating, has put the anchoring concept on their radar. (I have some great stuff from Nager on this, to be transcribed...).

-- USGA Inc turned a profit again! Praise Our Lord And Savior, Walter Driver. Yes, according to retiring Treasurer (what was in those parting gift bags?) Christopher Liedel, the USGA raked in $7.5 million in profit last year in spite of President Obama and his economy. Oh wait, that's from my cocktail reception notes. Anyway, Liedel said there was "an extraordinary effort at Golf House on delivering quality results" with $251 million in the "investment portfolio." The "financial house is in very good order," he said at the shareholder meeting. Here's the annual report if you don't believe me.

--Dan Burton, Chair of the Equipment Standards committee, announced to the group he can say "with great confidence our relationship with the golf manufacturing community is the best it's been in many years." That's a load off.

--New President Glen Nager is picking up on Jim Hyler's agenda of firm and fast, then multiplying it X 5. I feel Hyler doesn't get enough credit for pushing an agenda that old guard USGA presidents would have felt was outside the bounds of good taste for USGAers to be pursuing (that silly sustainability nonsense!). His tenture will be admired for years to come for having the courage to take on a tough subject in American golfing circles. But Nager sounds like he's going to take it a step further. Check out these comments from his address (these are the actual transcripted comments, not the prepared remarks):

But even Tee It Forward is also not alone enough. Golf courses today are wider, longer, lusher and more costly to maintain for a variety of different reasons. One owners, developers, and architects design courses with the elite player in the mind even though most of the golfers that play the golf courses can’t hit it the distances that the elite players do. Each week we watch on TV the exciting championships put on by the PGA Tour. Those golf courses are groomed for that one week. Then we go back to our golf courses and ask our golf course superintendents to maintain our golf courses to those same kind of pristine conditions. Most avid golfers better has been defined as more difficult, longer, rather than more enjoyable. And for equipment … we see golf courses being changed to accommodate changes in equipment and balls rather than adopting a paradigm of we should change equipment and balls to fit the way golf courses currently exist. For us to truly sustain the game, we’re going to have to consider changing some of these paradigms and reset expectations for great golf courses that are shorter, more smartly set-up, more affordable, and more fun for the average recreational golfer.

--Bifurcation is off the table, not that it was ever on the table. Here's Jim Achenbach on the b word being a no-no, with today's remarks killing John Solheim's concept for three balls and any other ideas folks might have about two sets of rules for pros and hackers.

--It pays to win the British Amateur.  Ryan Herrington noted the amateurs getting more exemptions into the U.S. Open, normally a news story except on a day like today when there was a sense the USGA is prepared to stir things up in the coming two years.

And I'll leave you with one more eye-opening portion of President Nager's address as transcribed by my colleague Ryan Herrington. This one's copied and pasted just for your Wally!

The good news, as Chris has pointed out, the USGA is currently financially stable and strong. Our revenues consistently exceed our expenses. We have a substantial reserve to protect us against unforeseen events and litigation in the market in the face of regulatory initiatives we might implement. and we are particularly fortunate to have a prestigious national championship, the U.S. Open, that generates each year substantial financial resources for us. But we also need to be careful not to play undue financial stress on the U.S. Open if we are to maintain its integrity and reputation. And our recent championship history shows, whether it came from tickets sales or merchandise sales we are not immune from the economic challenges that the entire world is facing.

Comments

[JJ]

Yes, I remember those days when we had bifurcation in golf balls. It was a mess. Not nice and neat like today with distance carefully tested and under control. Guys were sneaking off to Canada to buy those super long British balls. I am sure that many an event was won by someone cheating with the ball. We never want to go back to those dark days, even if it means plowing up the classic courses and seeing all our television golf at some tricked up TPC monstrosity. We are fortunate the USGA in its wisdom is looking out for the game and our best interests. Ha!

[g_r_c]

nice work, Geoff!...some really good stuff in there

as far as associations (USGA, PGA, GCSAA, etc), they're killing (or already have killed) the game of golf as we knew it...simple as that...

[Papa Bing]

Good work Geoff. NMA - no more anchoring.

[No Longer Used to be Former S&T Convert]

Loud group, blue coats, open bar isn't that the Back Nine's gig.

Glad to see that "anchoring" is on the table.

[Jay Townsend]

@Papa Bing

Love the "NMA"

[fan]

If all they pass is the NMA decision, I will be happy.....for now.

[kenoneputt]

If the USGA bans belly and long putters, it will be the final straw in bifurcation. The guys who have been using them for more than 20 years will revolt.

[Ed]

USGA's profitability was cut in half last year. Championship revenue went up by double digits but Champ revenue (including the all-important broadcast rights) minus the expenses required to run those events declined by $10 million.

I know all you guys think making money is either evil or, at best, unimportant, but this aint good.

less profit means less money for all those grow the game projects you guys love. less mony for green section grants, and less money to use regulating the larger, better capitalized and singularly motivated equipment companies.

[Chuck]

Great report Geoff! That is some of the most encouraging rhetoric I have heard in a long time. Like since, uh, the Joint Statement of Principles.

Two quotes:
~ "We have a substantial reserve to protect us against unforeseen events and litigation in the market in the face of regulatory initiatives we might implement," and;
~ "[W]ith great confidence our relationship with the golf manufacturing community is the best it's been in many years."

I look forward to many more years of "the best" relations between the USGA and the golf manufacturing community. Funny, how a substantial reserve for litigation in the face of potential regulatory initiatives can improve relations.

[mike]

I think the USGA needs to get some visionary people in charge and not re-actionary people. Waiting until the manufactures start full lines of product and than trying to change the rules turns the subject into a big uphill battle that could have adverted when the trend was first starting years ago. Granted there is a new president in charge so time will tell which side of the fence he is on.

[Ringer]

"We see golf courses being changed to accommodate changes in equipment and balls rather than adopting a paradigm of we should change equipment and balls to fit the way golf courses currently exist. For us to truly sustain the game, we’re going to have to consider changing some of these paradigms and reset expectations for great golf courses that are shorter, more smartly set-up, more affordable, and more fun for the average recreational golfer."

There's the money quote. Potentially far more important than anything involving belly putters.

Bifurcation, when it comes, won't come from the USGA or R&A; it'll come from the Tours.

[Brad]

I wish the Masters would take the lead in this and stand up and say 'these are the 2 or 3 balls that can be used if you want to play in this event'. That would certainly shake things up and possibly get the ball rolling, so to speak.

[Papa Bing]

Kenoneputt - we're not talking about banning long putters. We just want NMA.

[Chuck]

Brad; you might think so; yet another progressive development in golf coming from Augusta. I'd like very much to see Augusta get the ball rolling, as it were, on rolling back golf ball performance. But who is "Augusta" these days? Fred Ridley? Walter Driver? I don't see it happening, at least not any time soon. And by the time it happens, ANGC might just buy up all of Augusta CC and make 13 a 600-yarder in order to keep up.

[Ed]

Anybody think its significant that the new President of the USGA spent his career arguing complex litigation?

[Jonny]

I agree with all Geoff except the Hyler worship. He stepped on a lot of necks with his tactics. The "beloved volunteers" nor "firm and fast" are true priorities of his. He just stands behind things he think will make him look good or enhance his "legacy." I saw nothing but crocodile tears in his exit.

[I Have My Doubts]

Do we really believe there's is even the slightest of chances that anchoring the putter will be banned? If so, in what time frame?

[hogan]

What would Yager know about the "average recreational golfer."

[golf fan]

Hyler and Nager are just puppets of Walter Driver., one of the more egomaniacal people one will ever come across!

[AP]

Their most significant equipment decision in the last decade was to limited the tee to 4", all while Rome has burned over the ball, the clubs, and, yes, the belly butter. Sadly, the cattle are roaming the range.

[Dean. Melbourne, Australia]

I would love to see equipment rolled back a bit. Nothing wrong with game improvement clubs that allow recreational golfers to enjoy the game but at the top end of the game, equipment is ruining the great courses. Let's stop altering Augusta, Pebble Beach, Royal Melbourne and St. Andrews to name a few. How did the long putter get this far? If you can't use a normal putter, go and practice more! Anchoring or whatever you call it just isn't golf! The only ones complaining about it being banned are just lazy! Golf 'IS' a difficuilt game and the equipment companies are getting away with ruining OUR game for their financial windfall. Long putters look stupid and should be banned!