The R&A and USGA have announced that the golf ball will be rolled back for both professional, elite amateur and recreational players to "reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf's long-term sustainability".
Pros will use the new balls in 2028, while recreational players won't have to start using them until 2030.
The new balls will see a reduction in distance of 13-15 yards for the longest hitters, 9-11 yards for the average touring pro and 5-7 yards for an average female pro.
Recreational golfers are set to lose "5 yards or less" according to the governing bodies, who say that impact on regular golfers will be "kept to an absolute minimum." The 5 yards or less figure is based on a swing speed of 93mph for males and 72mph for females, so presumably those with faster swings will see a bigger loss in distance and slower swingers will see less distance lost.
The golf ball will be rolled back by changing the testing procedures. Currently golf balls in testing cannot travel more than 317 yards (plus a 3 yard tolerance) with a testing swing speed of 120mph, a spin rate of 2520rpm and a launch angle of 10 degrees. The overall distance will remain the same for testing from 2028 onwards but the swing speed will be upped to 125mph with a lower spin rate of 2220rpm and a higher launch angle of 11 degrees.
While the testing procedures will be changed in 2028, golf balls released in 2027 and earlier will still be allowed in play until January 2030 to allow golfers, manufacturers and retailers time to adjust, the governing bodies say.
The news means that 'bifurcation' in golf will not be going ahead as previously planned, where pros and recreational golfers use different equipment. The PGA Tour and manufacturers were against the plans for change.
Martin Slumbers, R&A CEO, said: "We are convinced that this decision is one of the key ways of achieving a sustainable future for golf, protecting the integrity of the game and meeting out environmental responsibilities. The measure we are taking has been carefully considered and calibrated while maintaining the 'one game' ethos deemed to be so important to the golf industry. Importantly, it also keeps the impact on recreational golfers to an absolute minimum. We are acting now because we want to ensure that future generations can enjoy the unique challenge of golf as much as we do."
Mike Whan, USGA CEO, said: "Governance is hard. And while thousands will claim that we did too much, there will be just as many who said we didn't do enough to protect the game long-term. But from the beginning, we've been driven to do what is right for the game, without bias. As we've said, doing nothing is not an option - and we would be failing in our responsibility to protect the game's future if we didn't take appropriate action now."
Updates from:
Huge news today confirmed after days of speculation - the golf ball is being rolled back across the entire game. We'll have updates and reaction throughout the day.
A BIG DAY FOR GOLF
The day has arrived where plans for the golf ball to finally be rolled back have been confirmed. There's no bifurcation this time - everyone is going to get shorter.
For pros, the new balls will be in play in 2028, and for amateurs it'll be 2030.
Follow along all day for updates and reaction - and there's already been plenty.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
A rollback has been spoken about for years, and there's a number of reasons why it's happening.
The main one is due to sustainability, where longer hitting meant longer golf courses were necessary - meaning more water, more resources, more equipment, more staff and more money to maintain.
There's also a design element, too, where the world's best players were no longer playing the courses in the way they were originally designed to be played. That has also required more costs as bunkers have had to be moved and holes re-designed.
The R&A say:
"The R&A and the USGA are guided by an overarching principle to continue to preserve the fundamental elements of golf – protecting the integrity of golf courses, including their overall length, and ensuring that a variety of skills are needed to be successful. Longer golf courses require additional resources such as water, the cost of renovating or moving elements like tees and bunkers continues to rise and other long-term impacts have been identified as a result of increased distance. The governing bodies believe that if the sport is to enjoy a sustainable long-term future then these economic and environmental impacts have to be kept under control."
MANUFACTURER REACTION:
Here's the reaction of David Abeles, TaylorMade CEO:
"As a brand that prioritizes improving product performance for golfers of all skill levels, the decision to proceed with the golf ball rollback is disappointing. While appreciative of the opportunity to have a seat at the table and a voice in the debate, we feel like the rollback is simply disconnected from what golfers believe is best for the game.
Throughout the decision-making process, the USGA provided a platform to express our views, provide new data sources, and engage in candid discussions. In the spirit of collaboration, we acknowledge and respect the rules that form an integral part of our game’s fabric, even when we disagree with them. Looking ahead, as the new golf ball standards come into effect in 2028 for professional golfers and 2030 for amateurs, we assure everyone, at every level of our game, that we will be well-prepared to navigate these changes.
Our commitment to innovation remains unwavering. As with every product we make, we will work tirelessly to find alternative pathways to make them better and we will continually push the performance boundaries within the parameters set by the rules."
PGA TOUR REACTION TO GOLF BALL ROLLBACK:
Via No Laying Up on X:
The PGA Tour rejected bifurcation, which has led us to a rollback for everyone. They also “do not support” the current rollback for everyone as proposed. pic.twitter.com/nJDC6whej7December 6, 2023
OUR DEPUTY EDITOR'S THOUGHTS:
I understand why they have gone down this route. I like how progressive it is in that the players who hit the ball furthest, and are causing the biggest ‘problems’ with golf course sustainability, will be affected the most versus recreational players that will likely only losing a few yards.
But I can’t help but feel other options on the table may have been less disruptive and achieved the same goal - reducing tee heights, letting fairway grasses grow longer, reducing MOI limits on drivers - to name but a few.
MORE ROLLING BACK TO COME?
As well as the golf ball being rolled back, there could well be more to come - particularly with drivers. The governing bodies said that will continue to monitor the forgiveness in drivers to make sure that centre-strikes are rewarded.
The governing bodies will, according to the R&A:
Continue to monitor drivers and explore possible additional options related to distance. Specifically, we will research the forgiveness of drivers and how they perform with off-centre hits. This is an ongoing review and we will seek input from and continue to work with the industry, including manufacturers, to identify driver design features that can be regulated as a means to reward centre impact position hits versus mis-hits.
WHAT OUR EDITOR SAYS:
As I sit here on a sunny but very cold December afternoon, I can't help but think about those playing recreational golf today and how almost all of them could do with a few extra yards… That’s why my immediate reaction is disappointment.
Golf is hard, really hard. For millions of avid amateurs, upon whose shoulders the game is built, any rule that reduces distance (however small) will make the game harder. As we all think about ways to grow interest in our game, rolling back the distance of the ball feels counterproductive.
RORY MCILROY HAS SAY:
"I think it will bring back some skills in the pro game that have been lost"
"I think this change will make the game more skilful again" 💬World number two golfer Rory McIlroy has backed the new changes to rules regarding golf ball specifications which will see a reduce in distance they travel 🏌️👇 pic.twitter.com/XamHvgVhBADecember 6, 2023
BRIDGESTONE GOLF STATEMENT:
"While we would prefer that any new rules did not impact recreational players, we believe further commentary is no longer productive."
Bridgestone Golf statement regarding USGA/R&A distance roll back announcement: pic.twitter.com/L290S6nJtXDecember 6, 2023
