Tiger Woods: "8000-Yard Golf Course Not Too Far Away"
Woods says 8,000-yard golf courses may be coming soon


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The 14-time major winner recently appeared on a US Podcast and emphasised how today's golf ball goes too far
Tiger Woods: "8000-Yard Golf Course Not Too Far Away"
Tiger Woods appeared on a podcast with basketball coach Geno Auriemma recently and was surprisingly firm in his opinion on today's golf ball.
The 14-time major winner, who famously hit the ball so far that golf courses, like Augusta, had to be significantly lengthened in what was referred to as 'Tiger-proofing'.
Woods was averaging 298-yards off the tee in 2000, 2nd on the PGA Tour's driving distance stats.
That would rank outside of the top-100 this season.
Bubba Watson currently leads the Tour's Driving Distance stat with an average of 337-yards off the tee.
Related: How far do average golfers hit it? These statistics may come as a surprise...
"We need to do something about the golf ball," Woods said on the podcast.
"I just think [the ball] is going too far."
"With the game progressing as it is, I think the 8,000-yard golf course is not too far away.
"That’s pretty scary — we don’t have enough property to start designing these types of golf courses, and it just makes it so much more complicated."
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He also spoke on bifurication, which is where pros and amateurs use different golf balls.
"The USGA’s already looking at it. They’re doing some research on what would the world look like if you rolled [the ball] back 10%, 15% and 20%."
“I don’t see (bifurcation) happening in the near future, but at least there’s talk about it now.
"So with that being said you don’t want to [take away] amateurs’ [ability] to hit the ball further and straighter. But with the tour pros, you might want to roll the ball back."
Jack Nicklaus, the only man to have won more majors than Tiger Woods, has similar opinions to Woods on the golf ball.
Last year, Nicklaus blamed the lengths that today's golf ball travels on golf course closures in the States.
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"Fact is, more golf courses have closed in the US in each of the last 10 years than have opened," Nicklaus said.
"This is thanks in great part to changes in the golf ball and the distance it travels. Courses have had to change along with it. It's now a slower game and more expensive than before, and that can't be a good thing."
The 18-time major winner thinks that golf balls should be designed to suit courses, rather than the other way round.
"I think we need to develop a golf ball to suit the golf course, rather than build courses to suit a golf ball.
Whether it's a ball that goes 50%, 75%, or 100%, you play a ball that fits the course and your game."
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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016. He graduated in Sports Journalism in 2016 and currently manages the Golf Monthly news, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Elliott has interviewed some huge names in the golf world including Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, Bernd Wiesberger and Scotty Cameron as well as a number of professionals on the DP World and PGA Tours. He has also covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as three Open Championships including at Carnoustie in 2018 when he was inside the ropes with Tiger Woods. He has played 31 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Old Head and Alwoodley. He currently plays at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 4-6. His golfing highlight is making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, and he has made one hole-in-one.
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Honma TR20
3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max
2 iron: Mizuno MP-18 MMC Fli-Hi
Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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