Rollback Alliance

“I’m worried about the game. I think we have lost our way in so many aspects. Golf is too expensive. The courses are too long. We have equipment that is really designed for the recreational player, but which produces unhealthy distance for the elite players.” – @FrankNobiloGC

"Professional players and the equipment companies have their reasons for being anti-rollback and are entitled to those opinions. Most of them, however, are driven by competing interests, most of which are personal. That rarely exists on the other side of the debate, unless you think architects are about to get rich from a rollback. When met with facts, looking through a lens for the betterment of the overall game, how is this still a debate?" - @AdamWoodard on Crushers GC speaking out against rollback for today's newsletter

@feedtheball @KVanValkenburg The precedent set at St. Andrews has wide ranging & deleterious effects across the game. Well-intended but ill-informed changes at any golf club will be justified against the standard they set at TOC. Allowing carte blanche for pet projects & changes by the "invincibly ignorant"

I don't generally write about golf architecture but the changes to The Old Course reminded me of endless plastic surgery on actors. At what point does the mask become the face? @fried_egg_golf thefriedegg.com/articles/takea…

@feedtheball It's somewhat disturbing that the body that has the power to regulate the distance the ball travels instead decides to lengthen its own course.

@TheOpen … But the presumption, absent such clear and convincing reasons, is that historic courses should not be changed architecturally. I can think of no course where that burden of proof is higher than The Old Course.” @Otey71 on @GolfClubAtlas back in 2012. Prophetic words.

@TheOpen "I think a useful way to think about such issues is in terms of burdens of proof. Before deciding to change a historically significant course, proponents of changes must overcome a presumption against changes. There might sometimes be good, convincing reasons to make changes…

Work will begin next week on a carefully planned programme of enhancements and restoration to the Old Course ahead of The 155th Open in 2027. More here: go.theopen.com/OldCourseResto…

Just in case you weren't paying attention, average driving distance on PGA Tour for 2025 at 303.7, up 14.1 yards from 2015. That kind of 10-year gain is reminiscent of the early 2000s. For what it's worth.

The same company that said we can't bifurcate the game because amateurs want to play the same equipment as the pros has a CPO "Customized Performance Option" program that is unavailable to amateurs. I think this qualifies as a bad faith argument.

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“The game has been waging a battle against the inventor, and the architect has come to its assistance. The one aim of the inventor is to minimize the skill required by the game: he tries to invent something which will make skill less necessary; he appeals to the skill-less player and offers him something ‘much easier to play with.’ The inventor has been allowed too much license, and but for the countering influence of the architect the game would have been entirely emasculated.” ~ John Low, a century ago, before the AI McTwistyface

Best video you'll watch this week.... Bob MacIntyre explaining to Andy Murray how he PURPOSELY tries to miss the middle of the face on certain tee shots 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Powerful message about the golf ball rollback from @USGA President Fred Perpall today. The further the ball goes, the more time it takes and the more it costs to build and maintain golf courses.

Coming tomorrow @fried_egg_golf, a Q&A with a guy who knows his way around Oakmont. One of the great voices in the game

Jack Nicklaus today on modern equipment: "I mean, the golf ball goes too far. It has gone too far for a while. Then they continue to lengthen things. But to me, lengthening only does a couple things: One, it takes longer to play. It costs more money, it costs more money, it costs more money. The whole thing, it just gets expensive."

Asked Rory if playing Philly Cricket in the rain and wind on Friday, when the ball wasn't going as far, gave him a better sense of how the golf course was meant to be played. "If the golf ball just went a little shorter, this course would be awesome."

.@PReedGolf on modern club technology and a potential equipment rollback

Baseball & golf aren’t the only sports with equipment problems. Regulatory inaction = dumbing down of sports. It’s unfortunately commonplace these days Andy. Below, Barry Richards compares his cricket bat of yesteryear with one used today.

Golf has had a torpedo bat problem for 30 years, the issue is very few influential people have spoken out about it over the years the way so many baseball folks have in one week.

TOUR pros hit 1980s persimmon woods 👀 Calvin Peete was the most accurate in golf history with these clubs. Here are the results ⬇️

@lyonsden215 @LouStagner Tim, @GeoffShac wrote this book 20 years ago. Two decades of screaming the solution can wear on a guy! amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS…

@LouStagner Lou, any idea why a guy like Geoff Shackleford is so pro rollback? I normally like his writing but on this topic he is always busting the players and Tour as a bunch of spoiled cretans trying to ruin the game. Treats all anti rollback opinions as being shills for ball makers.

The PGA Tour might just say ‘NO’ to the golf ball rollback. (Good - they should!) The PGA Tour isn’t sitting quietly while the USGA and R&A try to roll back the golf ball. They’ve been doing their own research, and let’s just say… a lot of players aren’t happy. Here’s the deal: Tour players are on the same page. The Player Advisory Council (PAC) appear to be unified in their stance. Plenty of guys think this is a bad idea. Brian Harman and Lucas Glover aren’t holding back. They say the rollback won’t fix anything and might even make skill matter less. Testing proves it’s not equal. Harman says shorter hitters lose the most distance, while bombers like Rory McIlroy won’t be impacted as much. The Tour could fight back. If the Tour and PGA of America officially oppose this, the USGA and R&A have a real problem on their hands. This might be a tipping point. Glover is pushing for the Tour to take a stand and walk away from the rollback altogether. The Tour and the PGA of America should say no to any rollback. Thanks for stopping by USGA, but we're all good. Read the full article below 👇