USGA and Bowling

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Steve Donahue in the Auburn Something-Or-Other writes about the USBC's lack of technology regulation in bowling. At times his comments echo the way some feel about the USGA:

The System of Bowling was defined in 1991 as the four components that had a direct affect on scoring. Those four components were: balls, pins, lane dressings, and lane surfaces.

Most of the specifications, parameters, and standards that were approved in 1991 for those four components then were based on what was available on the market at the time (especially for balls) and had been tested and approved for sanctioned competition in the “climate controlled” Testing and Research Center.

We were told each component of the System of Bowling would be reviewed periodically to insure that the integrity and the game's credibility is upheld so that a bowler's ability was the factor in scoring and not advancements in technology.

It reminds me of the “Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man are skipping down the yellow-brick road before they meet up with the Cowardly Lion and chanting, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my,” because they are afraid of the dark woods they are traveling through and what unknowns await.

Who is the USBC afraid of offending when evaluating and establishing specifications for the components in the System of Bowling?

The USBC can evaluate pins until the cows come home, but if they are not willing to set relevant specifications and parameters that will address the scoreability factor of pins instead of just issuing unbelievable statements that pins of today score the same as they did back in the 1960s, then it will just be an exercise in futility.

Hey, at least they USGA doesn't do that! Donahue then writes (apparently not aware of the USGA's recent complacency...):

Is the USBC afraid if they initiate more restrictive standards for pins, balls, lane dressings, and lane surfaces, that manufacturers will protest and get reversals on balls that were rejected in the past?

The USGA sets the standards for golf balls and equipment and they aren't afraid to rule that certain balls and clubs are illegal?

Why is the USBC so gun-shy?

 

Riviera Wants 2009 Presidents Cup

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Doug Ferguson reports that Riviera is begging interested in hosting the 2009 Presidents Cup.

"They're keenly interested in taking a look at this," said Michael Bodney, senior vice president of championship management for the PGA Tour. "It's all very preliminary, but they unsolicited wrote us a letter to host it."

"One thing they don't utilize are those lower tennis courts. There's a lot of room down there, and there seems to be enough room for a good TV compound."

One other issue was local interest. The gallery was noticeably thin during the '95 PGA Championship.

"You wonder about the L.A. market," Bodney said. "You've seen what's happened the last two majors, and that causes you to stand back a little bit."

Dawson To The Rescue

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At least when the USGA messes with a time-tested golf course, they try to act like it was someone else's idea. Preferably, a golf architect.

turnberry-lighthouse.jpgNot the R&A. Mike Aitken writes about the effort to inundate Turnberry with more driver-eliminating bunkers. Donald Steel is the supervising architect, but he's not the one making the decisions.

"There are a number of other changes in the pipeline which are yet to be finalised between ourselves and the Royal and Ancient," [Turnberry GM Stewart] Selbie added. "The discussions are ongoing. Obviously, there are going to be some changes to championship tees. Just adding length to the links is not necessarily the answer, although there are a couple of instances where we will be looking to add a little more distance around the 16th and 17th holes."

Concerned that Turnberry's finishing stretch, which brought out the best in Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in 1977, is not quite as testing as it once was for a new generation of players who all hit the ball further than their predecessors, the R&A is examining a number of options related to the positioning of tees and greens.

David Hill, the R&A's director of championships, said: "Peter Dawson, our chief executive, is due to visit Turnberry later in February and will have a look at three different options. As it stands, we think we could make the 17th even better."

Now, anyone can hang out a sign and call themselves an architect. Guilty as charged.

But is it really the job of the R&A Executive Secretary to meddle in course design?

Well, it beats doing something about the distance problem. 

Walker Cuppers at the White House

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President Bush hosted the victorious U.S. Walker Cup at the White House, with chaperones...

USGA incoming President Walter Driver (he officially takes office on Feb. 4), outgoing president Fred Ridley, Hall, Lewis and players Matt Every, Brian Harman, Billy Hurley, Anthony Kim, Michael Putnam, Kyle Reifers and Lee Williams entered the Oval Office in single file. (Three players from the team, John Holmes, Nicholas Thompson and Jeff Overton had prior PGA Tour commitments and did not attend). Bush greeted each one individually.

I wonder if Bush asked how long the Dulles baggage claim took? 

In this story, Brian Harmon talks about the president and the compliment he paid him.

“It was a real honor to be at the White House,” the Savannah native said from Washington before boarding a plane. “President Bush is such a great guy. He’s very down to earth. We actually talked some about Georgia football. I told him I think he’s doing a heck of a job.”

Dubai Progress Reports

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You know what this week's Dubai event means? Time for player-architects to make ceremonial design visits!

At IMG they call this synergy.

I know you've all been wondering about the progress of Ernie Els' signature design in Dubai. So there are plenty of quotes in this story from the Big Easy about how wonderful it is. But here's the money quote a man named U and whose last name is the real reason copy and paste was invented:

Accompanying the Big Easy on his tour, U Balasubramaniam, CEO Dubai Sports City, said:” It is a great pleasure to have Ernie back in Dubai and we are particularly pleased that he has been able to take time out of his busy schedule to take a look at the ongoing construction of his golf course. We are proud to have such a big name in the game of golf associated with Dubai Sports City.”

Yes, pleased he could take time out of his schedule to look at the construction of his course. The sacrifices.

Speaking of sacrifices, Vijay actually talked to reporters about his project.  Actually, these sound more like press release quotes...

The Fijian born star then flew to the site of his course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, which lies approximately 22km south west of Dubai city centre to review the initial course routing plan against the existing topography and wind direction, discuss tee and green heights, and review the proposed lake edge details and integration of the real estate components.

Singh said: 'We have an incredible canvas to work with for my course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. I am honoured that Nakheel has given me and my design team the opportunity to showcase my design skills and commitment. I take this responsibility very seriously, and clearly I'm not the kind of person that settles for second-best.'

'My courses are designed by Vijay Singh, not for Vijay Singh,' he continued. 'The Water course will be a challenging test of golf, but it won't be unfair. This golf course will stand the test of time and will be a worthy addition to the best courses in the world.' 

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Vol. 4

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pgatour.jpgThe PGA Tour average drive dropped another yard to 287.1 after the Buick Invitational. And for further proof the guys need to hit the gym before Scottsdale, there were only 3 drives of 350 yards (or more), bringing the tally to 459 through four events.

There were 2059 drives over 350 in all of 2005.

That's two weeks in a row without a 400 yarder! Now that's progress.

And if you are wondering why these growing numbers are followed, a full explanation is available here.

The Future of the European Tour (And Golf)

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ET_logo_rotate.gifJohn Huggan looks at the impact the new PGA Tour TV deal will have on the European Tour and his general thoughts on why the Tour had a hard time getting an ideal package.

Despite the tedious and prolonged protestations of certain equipment companies apparently unconcerned with a big picture that isn't painted solely by their own bottom lines, maybe the public really is jaded by the one-dimensional crash-bang-wallop nature of a modern game in which shot making, imagination and flair have taken distant back seats to power.

It happened in tennis, so it can happen in golf.

So as the sublime touch of John McEnroe has morphed into bashers like Andy Roddick, so Tom Watson will become Bubba. I know which I'd prefer to watch.

"I Have A Theory"

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It'll never be confused with Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" proclamation, but the mid-fourth round car wreck at Torrey Pines prompted Gary McCord to note that the play looked "like my buddies at home," which then had Peter Kostis announcing "I have a theory, I have a theory."

You keep building golf courses like this thing and you're going to breed a generation of 6'5" 240 pound golfers where power is everything. This golf is brutal...

Bobby Clampett chimed in at this point to remind us that the course is 7,600 yards at sea level, so we didn't get to hear Kostis expand on the theory. 

So, was he...

A) Going to say that the architects and developers are to blame for the current state of course setup and the way golf is played (flogging/ugly)?

B) Going to say that architects are to blame for the power game? 

C) Going to say that the emergence of 6'5" 240 pound players is the result of equipment that provides significant benefits for those who are taller and stronger? 

I'm guessing answer was NOT (C). So let's add architects to the better athletes/agronomy/workout programs/grooves/loft etc... rationale for doing nothing that might impact the sacred ball-driver synergy.

R&A Getting Into the Groove(s)

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John Huggan talks balls and clubs with Peter Dawson, who, through some form of divine intervention, actually displays a moment of wisdom:

"The longest average drive has moved up about 20 yards in the last ten years," conceded R&A secretary Peter Dawson. "There is no doubt about that. The advent of the ProV1-type ball has most to do with it, along with the bigheaded drivers. So do I think that the game at the top level - this elite few - would benefit from the ball being a little bit shorter? Yes, I do."
Ah but the fun only lasts long enough for Dawson to wheel out the latest distraction. That would be this nonsense about grooves. 
Speaking exclusively to Scotland on Sunday, Dawson identified a possible loophole through which golf's administrators may - without upsetting litigious equipment companies- discourage the mindless blasting from the tee that is such a feature of today's game. Last year the top three players on the PGA Tour - Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson - finished 188th, 147th and 161st respectively in driving accuracy. To them, power is apparently all that matters.

"We are considering coming at the distances the elite hit the ball from the other end, if you like," Dawson revealed. "One of the things I don't like to see - and I know it is a view shared by many golf administrators - is this disconnection between driving accuracy and success. The top players don't care about hitting the fairway. And part of the reason why they don't care is the level of control they can get even from the rough with modern wedges and balls.

"And that is why we are having a very hard look at the grooves on club-faces right now. The key is the sharpness of the right-angled edge on every groove. The sharper the grooves, the more spin a good player can potentially put on the ball. It is an effect you see on so many short shots."

You see, the narrowing of course to offset regulatory complacency on distance did not work. And since you cannot further narrow a 22-yard wide fairway without even the most clueless observer noticing the lunacy of it all, well, then something else must be done.

Anything to not address distance. Anything.

I think they'd actually contemplate shrinking the hole before addressing optimization of launch conditions, which is odd since an appropriate policy/test would not impact average golfers. As for the other Band-Aids they are considering so they don't have to lose face and tackle the only issue that matters...

Dawson is also asked what will hopefully be an issue that goes about as far as the pleas to reduce the number of clubs in the bag (that's hopefully no where...). This would be the 60 degree wedge.

"The loft is an interesting issue," he admitted. "I know Tiger is one who has mentioned a 56-degree limit. But the best 60-degree wedge I've ever seen was made in the 1960s. So that is not new, and is not on what I would call the active list.

Is this actually something people are discussing? Eliminating the 60 degree wedge? Oh lordy!

"Ultimately, we and the USGA will decide these groove-related matters. But there is no point in us going over the top out of the trenches if no-one follows us. There are other stakeholders who need to be reasonably content with whatever is done, if anything. For change to be made, it has to be reasonably supported by the tours, the elite players and the manufacturers. And it must not be too damaging to the average player."

Huggan replies...

Speaking of you and me, Dawson needn't concern himself too much. The notion that re-grooving your 60-degree wedge is automatically going to knock six shots off your next round is unfortunately not one in which it would be wise to place too much faith. Even science can't make up for bad technique.

Oh balls.