Titleist question the maths behind golf ball rollback

12/12/2023 17:29

The game’s largest golf-ball maker Titleist has commented on the governing bodies’ golf-ball rollback.

Acushnet, Titleist’s parent company, has expressed worry that the rollback “overly impacts golfers” and fails to represent the views of those closest to the game.

Acushnet CEO David Maher responded to the USGA and R&A unveiling their proposal for new ball-testing conditions to take effect in 2028 for professionals and 2030 for recreational players.

"Many important stakeholders do not see distance as a problem the way the governing bodies do," Maher said, "and therefore come to differing conclusions about how to proceed to ensure the best possible outcome for the sport."

The governing organisations’ amended testing standards require manufacturers to test new balls at 125 mph clubbed speed, 2200 RPM spin rate, and 11-degree launch angle. (The current parameters are 120 miles per hour, 2520 revolutions per minute, and 10 degrees.) According to the statistics of the USGA and R&A, typical professionals and exceptional male players should expect to lose 9-11 yards off the tee. The loss will be 5-7 yards for LPGA players and 5 yards or less for most male recreational players with mid-90s clubhead speed.

Maher believes the notion that advancement of golfing technology including various balls is causing sizes of golf courses to swell is not supported by independent data, which instead suggests that newer courses are on average smaller than those constructed in the past.

"We note that the mean of the fastest 1% of measured clubhead speeds on the PGA Tour was flat from 2019-2021 and declined in 2022 and 2023," Maher's statement read. "The mean of the fastest 5%, 10%, 20% and 50% of measured clubhead speeds has been flat since 2017. We consider that the average course playing length on the 2023 PGA Tour is less than 7,200 yards, just as it has been every year since 2004. We also note that U.S. golf courses built during the period 2010-2020 averaged 6,652 yards — 274 yards shorter than those built between 1990-2010, which is at odds with the notion that equipment has forced courses to expand."

Titleist believes more could be done in other areas to make the game more equitable for those who don’t hit the ball miles.

"We believe that further collaboration and cooperation with the R&A, USGA and other stakeholders is critical prior to moving forward with such a significant equipment regulation change," the statement said.

"We continue to advocate for stakeholders to convene to have a meaningful examination of this decision and its consequences, and to discuss alternatives as we look to protect golfers' enjoyment of the game and the health of golf courses around the world to ensure golf's promising future."

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