Sunday, November 15, 2026
In 1980, the first year the PGA Tour kept driving statistics, the Tour averaged 256 yards. Last year the average was just under 300 yards. If a professional now is hitting the ball 270-280 yards, it is unlikely we will see them on TV on the weekend. In one year alone, 2002 to 2003 the average increased almost 10 yards! Let’s dive in and look at why this might be happening now.
The first thing we need to consider - the very top of the list - is the men and women who are hitting those distances. Athletes are simply bigger, stronger, and better trained than ever. This is not just in golf. There are 10 or more pitchers in baseball who can throw 100+ MPH. Sprinters now run 100 meters at the speed they used to run 100 yards! Quite simply, we cannot discount athleticism in golf. Trainers have identified the specific musculature, joints, and range of motion needed specifically to propel the golf ball and are now training young athletes as early as their teens. In addition, many bigger,stronger athletes are choosing golf as their game. Not too long ago, football, baseball, and basketball were the exclusive pursuits of young athletes. Now, young men and gals are choosing golf. Who can blame them? Why get your body beat up when golf is near injury-free? A 6’2” golfer was rare at one time. Today, there are many that size, and taller.
Next (and almost as obvious) is equipment. Technology has created a revolution in our game unlike ever thought possible. If we compare the golf clubs and balls hit now to those when the game first came to America, it is not even the same game. It resembles the early days in no way, shape, or form. But even if we go back as recently as 20-25 years, the game is still so very different. What happened?
The elephant in the room is the GOLF BALL! The ball the pros are playing now flies enormous distances and, even more importantly, does NOT SPIN anywhere near the old BALATA golf ball. Spin is the absolute killer of distance.The new Urethane Elastomer covered ball started with Titleist when they first introduced the Pro V1 ball. That golf ball revolutionized the game of golf. The old Balata covered balls were a liquid core center wrapped in rubber bands. They were unable to transfer energy nearly as well as the solid center balls used today. The new ball is a two-piece ball with a urethane cover and a rubber center. It can carry as much as 20 yards further and spin as little as 1000 RPMS less in addition to launching higher.
The Golf Club.Drivers were, for a long time, made of wood. Mostly Persimmon wood. The new drivers are made of metal.Persimmon drivers were much smaller, had a smaller sweet spot and, not unlike the balata ball, were much less efficient at transferring energy than the metal of today. Today’s drivers have increased in size, sweet spot, and they obviously maximize distance. Perhaps the only advantage of Persimmon was gear effect, but it is a small tradeoff. It should be noted,too, that between wood and the modern driver, we had early metal drivers that were much smaller in size, sweet spot, and made mainly of stainless steel. The modern drivers are far superior, using titanium and carbon fiber with adjustable, much larger heads, and are lighter in weight. Bottom line: there simply is no comparison.
Agronomy. The advances in golf course conditions also need to be considered. Fairways can be so finely mowed and cut to much lower heights, allowing, of course, for the golf ball to travel considerably further after landing. In addition, fairways are firmer thanks to advanced watering systems and knowledge of how and when to water. Add it all up and voila…we get much more roll out. This is more a factor in amateur golf, as professionals are not always interested in roll out. If I could carry the ball 300+ yards, I might not want it to roll out either. It might roll into trouble!
Finally, we must consider launch monitors. Monitors have come into use in the last 20 years and accuracy is now astounding. The granddaddy in this field is, for me at least, TRACKMAN. Some of my other teacher friends prefer Foresight,but my experience with Trackman has been more effective. These technologies are so advanced they can trace every single aspect of golf club and ball data. The obvious advantage, for high-level players particularly, is they can fine-tune their equipment and tailor it to their swing and ball flight. Launch too low - adjust. Spin too high - adjust. And, perhaps even more helpful, they know exactly where they are hitting on the face, the initial direction of ball flight, the amount of curve to the golf ball, the path, angle of attack, swing plane, and more. Imagine knowing to the foot how far every club in your bag will carry!
Add it all up and what do we have? The highest level of golf that has ever been played, the longest the ball has ever been driven, and the best scores ever shot! What may be the future of the game in the hands of this technological revolution? Who knows? That is an issue that the USGA and R&A are debating yearly at least. The downside (if there is one) to distance is we are running out of real estate in an effort to construct golf courses long enough to present any challenge to the professionals while still making the game enjoyable for the amateurs. 600-yard par 5s are now easily reachable for the elite players! I’ve been around golf for 60+ years and never dreamed I would utter those words. Oh, well sit back and enjoy the ride. I’ll finish by using an example the great Gary Player used not long ago: The first hole at Augusta National is a 445-yard dogleg to the right. I’m sure you all know it. Gary said: “It will not be long before that first green is driveable.”
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