Tiger Woods: "8000-Yard Golf Course Not Too Far Away"
Woods says 8,000-yard golf courses may be coming soon
The 14-time major winner recently appeared on a US Podcast and emphasised how today's golf ball goes too far
Tiger Woods: "8000-Yard Golf Course Not Too Far Away"
Tiger Woods appeared on a podcast with basketball coach Geno Auriemma recently and was surprisingly firm in his opinion on today's golf ball.
The 14-time major winner, who famously hit the ball so far that golf courses, like Augusta, had to be significantly lengthened in what was referred to as 'Tiger-proofing'.
Woods was averaging 298-yards off the tee in 2000, 2nd on the PGA Tour's driving distance stats.
That would rank outside of the top-100 this season.
Bubba Watson currently leads the Tour's Driving Distance stat with an average of 337-yards off the tee.
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"We need to do something about the golf ball," Woods said on the podcast.
"I just think [the ball] is going too far."
"With the game progressing as it is, I think the 8,000-yard golf course is not too far away.
"That’s pretty scary — we don’t have enough property to start designing these types of golf courses, and it just makes it so much more complicated."
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He also spoke on bifurication, which is where pros and amateurs use different golf balls.
"The USGA’s already looking at it. They’re doing some research on what would the world look like if you rolled [the ball] back 10%, 15% and 20%."
“I don’t see (bifurcation) happening in the near future, but at least there’s talk about it now.
"So with that being said you don’t want to [take away] amateurs’ [ability] to hit the ball further and straighter. But with the tour pros, you might want to roll the ball back."
Jack Nicklaus, the only man to have won more majors than Tiger Woods, has similar opinions to Woods on the golf ball.
Last year, Nicklaus blamed the lengths that today's golf ball travels on golf course closures in the States.
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"Fact is, more golf courses have closed in the US in each of the last 10 years than have opened," Nicklaus said.
"This is thanks in great part to changes in the golf ball and the distance it travels. Courses have had to change along with it. It's now a slower game and more expensive than before, and that can't be a good thing."
The 18-time major winner thinks that golf balls should be designed to suit courses, rather than the other way round.
"I think we need to develop a golf ball to suit the golf course, rather than build courses to suit a golf ball.
Whether it's a ball that goes 50%, 75%, or 100%, you play a ball that fits the course and your game."
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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