Troon Golf: "The anchored putting stroke is not the place to start."

Mike Bailey reports that the esteemed course management company has announced its opposition to the USGA/R&A proposed anchoring ban.

The rationale was no doubt influenced by Troon Golf CEO Dana Garmany, who has always spoken eloquently about the nightmares for course operators caused by ever-increasing distance advances.

Our belief is centered on a desire to give all level of golfers more reasons to play and eliminate barriers that push potential players to invest their time and resources towards other leisure activities.

 In essence, we believe in the USGA’s authority to look at the equipment and other aspects of the rules, but feel the anchored putting stroke is not the place to start. As Jack Nicklaus has said, if we want to lower costs and barriers to entry in our game, there are many places for the USGA or other governing bodies to take steps to shorten yardage and time, and eliminate costs in the game of golf.

 Above all else, we encourage golfers to have fun pursuing methods under the current rules of golf that help improve their skills and thereby increase their enjoyment of the game.

Of course, maybe the conspiracy theorists have it right that the anchoring ban was just a test case for the big fish that Troon would surely support: a reset to offset the recent distance leaps?

Comments

[joe]

Keep hoping. You assume that the usga and the r an a simply didn't have the confidence/prestige/balls to rollback the ball so they got a quick win with the anchoring ban. Now that they won this issue they will have established their authority and will throw it down with Wally and all his lawyers.

They eliminated anchoring WITHOUT using any statistics or data- they played on their authority as stewards of the game to blow past tim Clark. Big deal.

Wait till they actually have to win something in court using data. Or rather, don't wait, they won't.

[Michael]

I was somewhat dumbfounded this week when I heard a guy who I know can't regularly break 90 on any course in America refer to a course that plays 6,800 yards to a par 70 as "not bad for a short course"

Golfers I think are quite bad at self-awareness.

[GolfFan]

Anywhere is a great place to start. Perhaps this is the "Market Test" for a future ball rollback proposal.

Start slow, gauge your audience

[joe]

The constant shouting from almost all the journalists and right-thinking observers is that the ruling bodies have every right to defend the game from anchoring and that Timmy and the Tour are selfish liars who flout the usga because they are creeps. How dare they!
But for rolling back the ball, they need oh so much more than merely their moral authority....they need a little confidence.
Guys, either rolling back the ball is essential for the good of the game or it isn't. Either the usga has the authority to act for the good of the game- or they do not.
Do they really need a "market test" to act for the good of the game?
Why do they need this stupid anchoring sideshow in order roll back the ball?

[Chico]

Why not start here.If its going to be banned why wait till after the ball etc?