Tom- Unfortunately, the increased cost of water and fertilizer to ensure a thick and consistent rough more than offset the savings in fewer mowings. Even so, I agree that for the less than 1/10th of 1% who earn their living playing the game growing a thick and consistent rough is a better answer than forcing illogical equipment rules down the throat of the 99.9% who do not.
So when can we expect Mohi protesting out in front of Golf House on a freezing NJ day wearing his shorts? I will have the camera ready. Thanks for giving a voice to the little guys. Congratulations on your Hall of Fame induction. Christon Clark --- Tom Wishon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I completely echo the words that George initiated > here and strongly urge > you all to write to the USGA to protest this latest > rule proposal to > change scoreline configuration. > > > > I suspect that many of you and most all golfers do > not really understand > the ramifications of this rule proposal should it be > enacted. Thus I > would like to list some of the things that are going > to create problems > for all of us in the clubmaking side, whether we do > it full time or part > time as a passion. And the problems are not just > for we in the > business, but for all golfers as well who love the > game. > > > > 1. The USGA has no clear decision yet made in this > proposal for > what to do with all of the current models of > clubheads in play and being > offered now for sale. They have only talked about > maybe > "grandfathering" all current clubheads for some > undecided period of time > so these clubs could be used in play for HANDICAP > purposes. But at the > same time, they are saying that if this rule goes > into effect, it will > be a decision of EACH CLUB or each organization that > controls > competitions at every golf course as to whether they > want to enact the > rule as a condition for their local competition. > That means golfers > could be a situation where they can play regular > golf and post scores > with their current clubs, but when the club > championship or even weekend > sweeps are conducted, each course committee can say > NO YOU CAN'T PLAY > TODAY WITH THOSE CLUBS. That's BS. > > > > 2. It has not been made that clear that the USGA's > big expensive > research study they conducted on the effect of > scorelines on shotmaking > did say that the current U grooves ONLY INCREASED > SPIN WHEN USED WITH > URETHANE COVERED BALLS. They do nothing different > than a V groove for > Surlyn covered balls. And it so happens that 75% of > all balls sold in > the industry today have a surlyn cover. So that > means if you have > golfers who feel compelled to play by ALL the rules, > they'll have to > change clubs for no reason whatsoever other than > because the USGA > included them in this fiasco of them being worried > about the "bomb and > gouge" style of play on the tour today. > > > > 3. There is a much easier solution to the USGA's > concern over bomb > and gouge on the tours. Grow the rough longer and > players will > automatically learn not to hit driver everywhere. > Primary rough on the > tour has not changed for several decades. It was 4" > as a maximum 30-40 > yrs ago and it's that way today, despite the fact > the average swing > speed on tour is +10mph higher than it was 20-30 yrs > ago. Try to hit a > shot on the green from 4" rough with an 80mph iron > swing speed and you > can't do it very well - do it with a 90mph iron > swing speed and you can. > But the USGA wants to blame current U grooves for > this "problem", yet > they already admitted the U grooves' effect on spin > only happens with > urethane covered balls, which is what all the tour > players use and only > 25% of us regular golfers use. > > > > When this all was starting to brew, I wrote the USGA > to suggest the > longer rough solution. They responded and said they > did not think this > was best because, 1) it cost more to groom longer > rough on the courses, > 2) members of tour event course would be more > greatly inconvenienced to > have to play their course under such conditions in > the weeks leading up > to the tournament. Are you kidding??? Mowing the > rough fewer times is > more expensive than mowing it more? And as far as > the members go, 98% > of them can't play from even 2 or 3" rough because > they don't have the > swing speed and strength to hit the ball from rough > of that length. > Besides, every course that hosts a tour event or > USGA major gets MONEY > and STATUS for their "trouble." If they don't like > the inconvenience, > the members can vote to not host the event. > > > > We golfers and Clubmakers cannot VOTE to say no we > do not think this > rule is good for the game or for golfers in general > because the USGA > does not allow golfers to vote on the rules. So all > we can do is > protest, and that is precisely what we all need to > do. > > > > TOM WISHON > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of GEORGE HUSON > Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 10:44 AM > To: ShopTalk@mail.msen.com > Subject: ShopTalk: rules change > > > > I wish everyone would take a moment to contact the > USGA on the proposed > rule change on the groove design. This is one bad > idea! I don't think > it will change one thing with the pro's scoring. > Since old clubs will be > outlawed for USGA competition in Jan 2009, what are > we supposed to sell > next year? I highly doubt that our suppliers will > have "legal" heads out > next year. Does the USGA really believe that > customers will want to buy > clubs next year that will be non-conforming in 2009? > What are they > going to do, list every club made for the last 10 > years as > non-conforming on their web site Jan. 1, 2009. > > > > The really bad part of this is most of the experts > think it will not > change the average score on tour, which is what the > rule is for. I hope > all the major companies get together and sue the > crap out of them. I > know if I just paid $1,000.00 for a set of irons > that are not legal in > less then 2 years, I would want my money back. > > > > George Huson > > ByGeorge Custom Clubs > > The Club Doctor PCS Certified Class "A" Golf Equipment Professional 260-837-CLUB www.the-club-doctor.com Prescribing relief for your equipment pains.®
