The U.K.'s R&A and the U.S. Golf Association (USGA), which manage golf rules
Announced on the 7th (Korea time) that the performance regulations for new golf balls were finalized.
Above all, the team decided to put a limit on the distance of golf balls. In other words, when a ball is hit with a swing speed of 125 miles per hour, an angle of launch at 11 degrees, and a backspin of 2,200 rpm, the distance of the ball must not exceed 317 yards (allowed with 3 yards of error). The new rule will apply from 2028 for professional golfers and 2030 for amateur golfers.
The R&A and the USGA predicted that if the new regulations are applied, male players including the PGA Tour will be reduced by 9 to 11 yards, and female players such as the LPGA Tour will be reduced by 5 to 7 yards.
For regular golfers, the reduction in distance is expected to be less than 5 yards. Longer hitters, the greater the distance loss. R&A and USGA predicted that players with a ball speed of more than 183 miles per hour (295 kilometers) would reduce their driver's distance by 13 to 15 yards.
The USGA interpreted that about a third of golf balls currently on the market are "unavailable" if the new rules are applied after 2028.
Most of the premium golf balls for tours such as title-list Pro V1, Bridgestone Tour B, Srixon Z Star, Callaway Chrome Soft, and TaylorMade TP5, which are popular in Korea, will be banned from 2028.
The two organizations had planned to apply the shot distance restriction only to elite golfers, including professional golfers, but decided to change the original plan and expand the scope to general amateur golf. "There were concerns over dualization of golf rules. This led to the regulation of golf balls for amateur golfers," the two organizations said.
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are in favor of such distance restrictions. They claim that too much shot distance has destroyed the environment and golf's unique charm has disappeared.
On the other hand, most players have negative opinions. They say that the regulation is similar to blocking dunks in basketball. They believe that fewer long balls will hurt golf's popularity.
Some point out that restricting the performance of golf balls by amateurs is not effective. Most amateur golfers are agonizing over their short distances. As a result, analysts say that the number of unauthorized golf ball users who do not comply with golf regulations will only increase.
The two organizations are also looking into the performance of drivers to reduce the shot distance. The government plans to impose restrictions on increased tolerance due to the spring effect of the head face and wide sweet spot.
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