Is the Golf Ball the Key to Fixing Distance, Pace of Play, and Cost?
As golf courses grow longer and costs rise, slowing the golf ball could improve pace of play and sustainability.
Written by SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio host Jim McLean
Golf courses today are undeniably longer and more difficult, with narrower fairways and faster greens. Nearly every course renovated in the past 20 years has been lengthened. The primary driver behind this trend is distance.
While it’s true that equipment has improved, training has advanced, fairways are faster, and club fitting is more precise than ever, the single factor that could most easily reduce distance is the golf ball itself.
If the ball were slowed down, would that lead to faster rounds? Almost certainly — it would be a major factor. And why does pace of play matter? Because slow play is one of the biggest threats to the game. The other major issue is cost. Does a longer course cost more to maintain? Absolutely.
A larger golf course footprint requires significantly more resources. Lengthening existing courses often pushes tee boxes far beyond their original design, forcing players to walk farther and slowing the game. Compare that to other sports — basketball, football, hockey, and tennis typically last about two to two-and-a-half hours and are played on consistent field dimensions. Golf, on the other hand, has expanded its playing field, and rounds now take considerably longer than they did 30 years ago. While other sports have taken steps to improve pace, PGA Tour rounds often exceed five hours.
So what would slowing the golf ball mean for the average player? Would they lose distance? Not necessarily.
According to recent data, the average amateur golfer drives the ball just over 200 yards, with an average swing speed of about 82 mph. The question becomes: could a ball be engineered to maintain distance for that 82 mph golfer while reducing distance by 10–20% for players swinging at 115–120 mph? If the answer is yes — and many believe it is — the implications would be significant.
Shorter golf courses could once again become the norm. Driving ranges wouldn’t require as much land. And the game could become more manageable for everyday players. Today, thousands of golfers can hit the ball more than 300 yards, and even recreational players occasionally reach that mark. The real concern isn’t just distance — it’s distance without control.
The introduction of the Titleist Pro V1 around 2000 was a turning point. It represented a major technological leap, allowing many players — especially those with higher swing speeds — to gain noticeable distance almost overnight. However, slower swing-speed players saw far less benefit.
That’s because modern golf ball performance scales with swing speed. As swing speed increases, distance gains increase disproportionately. The most dramatic gains tend to occur at speeds above 105 mph, where modern driver and ball technology combine to maximize energy transfer.
While lighter shafts, improved clubhead design, and better athlete conditioning all contribute to increased swing speed, the modern golf ball — with its lower spin and reduced curvature — encourages players, particularly younger ones, to swing harder.
In many ways, the modern ball has benefited elite players more than the average golfer. As a result, many classic courses have become outdated.
It’s worth noting that even with older equipment, great players like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods could hit the ball tremendous distances. However, distance was less uniform across the field, and higher spin rates placed a premium on accuracy. Keeping the ball in the fairway was essential.
Today, driving ranges are often too short, and par-4 holes exceeding 500 yards are increasingly common. For the average golfer, the game has arguably become more difficult. Meanwhile, well-funded private clubs can absorb the costs of additional land and maintain faster green speeds — often around 11 on the Stimpmeter.
According to the USGA, a significant percentage of golf facilities operate at a loss, and course closures have outpaced openings in recent years. Rising land costs, water usage concerns, and environmental pressures all contribute to the challenge.
Golf ball technology is remarkable, but course architects have long warned about the consequences of excessive distance. Designers such as Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross, and Pete Dye all expressed concerns that distance could undermine course strategy.
Golf remains a great game, but it faces serious challenges moving forward, particularly in terms of time, cost, and sustainability. This is why governing bodies like the USGA have begun to address the issue, though some argue the response may be coming too late.
