The Professional Golf Association Of America

Golf has changed a lot since it first started in 1297, where a leather ball was hit into a hole and the fewest hits won. The golf clubs and balls have changed significantly and the number of options has increased as well. They have gone from wood drivers to drivers made of complex blends of elements that make the ball fly higher and farther. Since the golf clubs and balls have all been improved, it’s a surprise that some of the rules haven’t been changed to make the game more fair.

Imagine the sun bursting through the trees for the first time of the new day, the smell of freshly cut grass still potent to your nose as you tee the ball up for a round of golf in the cool mist of a spring morning. "That is what brings you back every time, the smell of the air, the coolness of the whether and the beautiful surroundings that make every shot enjoyable." (Suess, PI) This is the game of golf in its finest and most exquisite time to many people and many people it has touched in its long history. Golf is a lifestyle and not just games to people that are avid in playing. The game of golf has a history that is rich in technological advances and personal accomplishments, which through time has shown to shape

In, “Why Booming Distance is Ruining Golf,” the author, Ben Alberstadt, explores the idea of how “shot-making” on the PGA Tour is now non-existent and it has become all about monster drives and impressive approach shots. The author begins by stating some facts that show how driving averages are increasing at an unsustainable rate. In 2011 the PGA tour average driving distance was 290.9 yards and three years before that it was around 287.3 yards. Alberstadt continues with, saying that golf ball distances have also gone up which in turn is costing courses money. This

Golf. A sport that was dull and mundane twenty years ago, evolved when Tiger Woods came to the scene. I started golfing during high school and loved it for the single fact, Tiger Woods played it. Growing up I pictured golf as that once boring sport played by old white men lacking a fan base. Just like myself, many people hated the idea of watching golf, so the sport needed a change. Tour earnings were low, scoring was average, and young people did not want to pick up the sport. Tiger Woods came on the tour in 1997 and astronomically changed the view of golf. The “Tiger Effect” on golf is real and more people have been trying to work harder to get to that “Tiger” bench mark. He single handily brought golf to the limelight and made it interesting to watch this godly like figure tear up the greens while becoming an idol to young golfers around the world.

According to Robin Williams golf was created by Scottish people who wanted a deathly hard game. However at some point people realized that the game was more than a funny way of putting a ball in a hole. Over time, as the sport became more popular, people have found different ways of enhancing the game. As technology improved people found ways to utilize higher technology materials and also introduced many new systems to the game of golf. Yet some people say that golf has not changed due to technology, they say that it is still a matter of getting the ball into the hole. Technology has changed the game of golf.

To me, a very important question is, “How traditional can we keep the game of golf?” The game is evolving at every aspect. They are evolving the golf ball and making it better by making it fly longer in the air and landing softer on the greens. Along with the ball, the clubs are being made better and better making the ball go farther sometimes by even 50 yards. Each year, the irons are being made with better grooves which make the ball come off the club better and farther. While golf equipment is changing, the rules of golf are not. The rules of golf have been here since it’s existence. Another question that concerns me is, “Why can the equipment change in golf, but not the rules?”

Several decades ago, golf was considered to be the game for the Royals. The people belonging to the elite society played gold during their leisure time. It required a widely spread area where people lavishly played along with other people and made the most out of their time. With time, things have evolved, and golf has become a universally played game. Educational institutes are adding it to their curriculum where children are taught to play the game. There are professional institutes imparting training to adults and accordingly making it a sport that is chosen for international tournaments played between countries.

Fourteen clubs - four wedges, six irons, a rescue, a three wood, a driver, and a putter - this is golf. It is one of the most mentally challenging sports in the world. It can fool beginners who are deceived by its simplicity. Golf is often underestimated by those who have never attempted to play the sport. While it has often been known as a “rich man’s” sport, in recent years this perception has begun to change. There are a number of other generalizations made when talking about golf, yet these are most always from those who have never experienced, played, or followed the game. One should question how a critic with no knowledge of the activity could state whether or not golf should be considered a sport. Golf is a sport, regardless of what any critic has to say. Studies and experimentation, along with the experience itself, reveal all of the athletic aspects that make golf better than most sports.

The first change to Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is to implement a suggestions menu that allows the user to see which club and how each of the top five golfers in the world would approach the current shot. This will help the user learn the game of golf because each shot has a different lie. Whether it is on the fairway, first cut, rough, or sand trap, each requires playing the shot in a differently. Beginning golfers may not know about this and play each shot the same way. Good games allow players to customize the game to fit their learning and playing styles. Games often have different difficulty levels and many allow problems to be solved in multiple ways (Gee & Morgridge, 2007). Incorporating different ways to allow the user to hit their shot will increase the learning experience because of the expanded options to select from.

“Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad”, a

What makes golf the phenomenal sport it is today? Is it the game itself? Some say golf started in fifteenth century Scotland by men hitting a pebble with a wooden stick. Currently, graphite drivers routinely send the ball soaring 300 yards. Perhaps it was the golfers who made the game great. Arnold Palmer brought golf to the masses in the 1950’s and Jack Nicklaus has set records that have yet to be broken. However, today sports commentators, pro golfers, and weekend duffers, generally agree the game of golf has been changed forever with the arrival of Tiger Woods.

26 million US-Americans play golf. Their number is expected to grow 1 to 2 percent annually through 2010.

The competitive force that seems to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness is the bargaining power of the golf’s governing organizations. USGA and R&A limitation to the innovations affects the whole industry from the technology advancement manufacturers to the declining numbers of golfers. The restrictions to the high technology advancement of golf equipment decline a large number of recreational golfers. The manufacturer who tried to continued produce the equipments that against USGA’s rules had face with the failure because golfers did not dare to buy any products that against the USGA’s regulations. USGA and R&A limitation to the innovations force the overall industry and each company to find its own strategic in order to compensate with the USGA.

Changes in golf equipment over from 1992 to 2003 led researchers to chart the best way to ensure victory in PGA tournaments. In the article, “PGA Tour Pro: Long but Not so Straight,” Erik Heiny affirms the notion that “a high greens in regulation percentage and a good short game are the keys to low scoring averages and high earnings,” and he claims that as “drives go farther, the importance of driving accuracy is becoming less important”(Heiny 11).

To me, a very important question is, “How traditional can we keep the game of golf?” The game is evolving at every aspect. They are evolving the golf ball and making it better by making it fly longer in the air and landing softer on the greens. Along with the ball, the clubs are being made better and better making the ball go farther sometimes by even 50 yards. Each year, the irons are being made with better grooves which make the ball come off the club better and farther. While golf equipment is changing, the rules of golf are not. The rules of golf have been here since it’s existence. Another question that concerns me is, “Why can the equipment change in golf, but not the rules?” Throughout the years golf has changed in the aspect of equipment but not the rules.