Making golf quicker

by Rishi Narain


Now that the T20 format in cricket has proved that shorter versions of sports help gain popularity, it is time to look for quicker formats for other sports, particularly golf. Your friends who are golfers will admit that golf is perhaps the most challenging game to learn and an 18-hole round takes four hours to complete.

All over the world, there is a growing realisation that golf needs to undergo changes to attract the millennial generation (20 to 34 years old) who seek instant gratification and have many more entertainment options than any generation before them.

Some of the more serious changes to the regular club game (not for professional tournaments) being discussed at world forums are:

1 Making the cup larger. The cup into which the ball should be holed measures 4.5 inches across now, but can be enlarged to 9 inches to help golfers finish the game faster.

2 Creating golf balls which fly straight so golfers hit more shots on target.

3 Finally, playing shorter courses with less golf clubs.

Currently a complete set consists of 14 different clubs each designed to hit the ball at varying lengths and trajectories. And for kids to learn the sport easily there is SNAG golf which consists of plastic clubs with large hitting surfaces like oversize tennis racquets and bigger, softer balls that stick with Velcro to archery like circular targets.

The fact is that tournament professional players we watch on TV are hitting the ball longer and straighter than ever before, making the game look so easy. However, for the average player the game still is challenging. It’s difficult to hit that little white ball straight for 200 yards and also to hole putts from 6 ft away into that tiny cup given slopes and twists built into putting surfaces.

A ball which flies straighter or cups which are larger will help the average golfer master the game to some level quicker and complete a round of golf in less time. With these changes, a round could take only three hours to complete instead of the current four hours. With people getting busier than ever before, golf is likely to see several changes in the next few years.

I know from my experience that the above mentioned changes will definitely increase the popularity of the sport on a regular basis. Golf courses can always provide two options —the smaller cup and the larger one — and players can choose either of the two. The Polara ball (check polaragolf.com) is one such product designed to fly straighter. It is every golfer’s dream come true. Though not approved for tournament play, I give it a big thumbs up.