Jack Nicklaus Thinks USGA Will Change Golf Ball; Learned to Be Patient Closer

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: February 8, 2014

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Jack Nicklaus received the National Golf Course Owners Association Award of Merit recently in Orlando. At the dinner where the award was presented, he commented on several topics, including the golf ball. He believes the USGA is close to making a change to roll back the golf ball distance.

"I don't think the rules are right about the golf ball," he said. He pointed the finger at the ball manufacturers who lobby for length.  

The ball, Nicklaus said, is making almost all courses obsolete. According to Nicklaus, Augusta National is the only property that can spend what is needed to continue lengthening their course. "Nobody else has that kind of money," he added.   

He's not just talking about courses like Merion GC, which was thought to be too short to host a U.S. Open but did in 2013.  

"The game has changed so much because of the golf ball. If they would switch back, all of the 17,000 courses that are obsolete would be championship courses again," he suggested.

Nicklaus said that, early in his career, most drives were in the 220-230 yard range, and now, many professionals and amateurs are able to get beyond 300 yards.

He said he has played with all kinds of different golf balls and equipment over the years. Prior to the worldwide acceptance of the large ball, he used to switch to the small ball to play overseas. He also changed equipment playing abroad, using Slazenger instead of MacGregor.    
 
The golf ball was not the only USGA topic touched on by the Golden Bear.   

Taking the long putters out of the game at this point is "like throwing deck chairs off the Titanic," Nicklaus said.  But he added, "They are the ruling body. If they say using the long putter is not a stroke, I support them."  

When it comes to his career, Nicklaus noted that, while he had 58 second place finishes, he didn't enjoy any of them.

"But sometimes they stic...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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