Golf On Steroids

Eric Rozenman in the Chicago Tribune says golf has its own steroid issue to deal with.

Chicago-area golf fans can witness routine drives at this weekend's Western Open at Cog Hill that would have been impossible barely a decade ago. That's because golf's on steroids. Not the players, the equipment.

We'll let this next reference to Augusta National Country Club slide because it's leading to a slick analogy.

Monster drives have changed the game so much that long par fours that used to call for a mid-iron second shot to the green now take a mere pitch. Four years ago, William "Hootie" Johnson, then chairman of Augusta National Country Club, which hosts the Masters, mused out loud about requiring a low-octane ball. Honorary club members Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer applauded, but Johnson backed off, lengthening the course instead.

That, of course, is the opposite of the Indianapolis 500 model. As engine technology advanced, race officials imposed power restrictions rather than change the event to the "Indy 600."

And...

The royal and ancient game of golf is undergoing the same extreme makeover suffered by auto racing when dragsters displaced sports cars: bigger, louder, but less sporting.

And...

Golf needs to end the distortion caused by ever more juiced equipment. The game must re-emphasize skill over technology. Today's "live" balls are live enough--and metal woods, like metal bats, belong in the minor leagues.