distance debate

Written by

The ten top newsmakers for 2023

Each moved the needle – now what lies ahead?

Golf’s internal wars

Golf’s internal wars

Looking ahead to 2024

A lengthy matter

A lengthy matter

Golf in London uses up nearly as much land as all other sports put together.

Drawing lines in the sand blown away by timidity and time

Drawing lines in the sand blown away by timidity and time

The need for an elite golf ball for certain competitions could have been alleviated if the USGA and R&A acted sooner. M. James Ward outlines…

McIlroy backs shorter ball proposal with majors on his mind

Rory McIlroy backs ‘unpopular’ shorter ball proposal with majors on his mind

The Northern Irishman said he could choose to play it in PGA Tour tournaments even if not adopted on the US circuit.

Golf's "Dirty Word" Unveiled

Golf’s ‘Dirty Word’ Unveiled

The USGA and R&A golf ball announcement could prompt a major civil war among the sport’s key stakeholders. M. James Ward examines the possible ramifications…

Justin Thomas in action

Justin Thomas: Prospect of shorter ball being used in elite competition ‘so bad’

The R&A and USGA announced the proposal of a Model Local Rule to give tournament organisers an option to use balls which travel around 15…

Martin Slumbers during a press conference

Governing bodies aim to ‘bring the game along with us’ in shorter ball proposal

Advances in fitness and golf equipment technology have seen players hit the ball further and further in recent years.

Golf's governing bodies have proposed a new local rule to give tournament organisers the option to require the use of a distance-reducing ball

R&A and USGA propose rule to bring in option of using distance-reducing ball

The Model Local Rule (MLR) is intended for use only in elite competitions and, if adopted, will have no impact on recreational golf.

A Masters Golf Ball

A Masters Golf Ball… far-fetched or far-reaching?

Much has been said and written regarding the issue of modern-day golf balls flying so far. However M James Ward has a radical solution to…

Key questions 2022 1

Key questions, answers awaited in 2022 – Part 1

A number of critical challenges face the broader golf community

A tighter rein - Distance insight report

A tighter rein

It seems reasonable to surmise that amended regulations could be in effect at elite level