AHas equipment technology become too good?

[Bobblehead]

After the Skins game last week, Jack was saying how golf balls and drivers had now made many courses obsolete.

I've also read how in tennis the new rackets have such a huge sweet spot that it has taken some of the required skill away and changed the game into more of a power game.

Major League Baseball doesn't allow aluminum bats. Should perhaps the elite tours put tighter limits on the equipment that can be used?

In tennis I don't see it as much of an issue, but in golf, where the course is integral, perhaps the US PGA and the R&A should mandate 'older' technology to bring more of the courses into play. I still think the PGA money list would look similar to how it does today (I'm sure a few players would suffer, but they all still "putt for dough"), but it would mean many of the older courses could still be viable PGA courses.

Is it just a sign of the times, and courses should follow the lead of other venerable courses such as Augusta and add some length to some of the holes? Or should some of the equipment be reigned in to keep the driving distances more reasonable to what the course was designed for?

(Edit: stupid title that I notice after I press submit)

[Gravitykillr]

I think with Golf they just need to start putting hazards in the area's where they are driving the ball, putting a sandtrap all the way across the fairway and not just at the sides, same with the greens put traps in front of the green and the sides. Make the game a little more more challenging right now it's just hit it straight or close to straight on your set, put a few traps in the middle of the fairway at 280-315 yards and maybe it'll change a bit

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Agusta has said they will consider an Agusta-spec ball for use at the Masters, regardless of what the PGA thinks. Makes sense to me, since there's only so much you can do to the equipment.

I'd hate to start adding traps to the middle of the course and turning it into target golf. That'd be like adding pillars in front of an NHL net....

[Bobblehead]

But outside of Augusta, what other course has the power to mandate something like this?

And how will Titleist like this?

[habernac]

I've thought of this as well. I recently upgraded my circa 1986 clubs with some that are about 6 years old, the difference is staggering.

Maybe baseball actually has something here, keeping the bats wood and there hasn't been any new ball technology to make them go farther.