Another Step Forward In Stopping Distance

In a Tuesday announcement regarding potential equipment changes under consideration, the USGA and the R&A have taken another step in the ongoing discussion/battle regarding the impact of increased distance on the game.

Whether the proposals put forward for discussion – one regarding the length of drivers, one focused on golf balls and another revising testing for clubs with 35 degrees of loft or less – will lead to monumental or minimal change remains to be seen.

But it’s apparent that definitive action to limit distance is on the horizon.

To be clear, the proposals are just that – ideas that could address the issue that has divided the game as driving distances, in particular, have continued to increase in recent years. It is another step in a process established by the game’s ruling bodies in conjunction with the golf industry as part of the 2020 Distance Insights project.

The organizations put forth three potential changes to equipment rules while also introducing Areas of Interest, inviting discu...