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.
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"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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