In his role as President of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA), Caspar Grauballe, principal of By Caspar, has contributed to an EIGCA press release on the impact of plans by golf’s governing bodies, The R&A and USGA, to ‘rollback’ ball technology to impact that balls which travel a greater distance have on golf courses.
“As golf course architects, we believe the reduction of hitting distances is vital to protect the game and reduce the environmental impact of courses,” says Caspar. “We are therefore very positive regarding the announcement made by the R&A and USGA on further limiting the distance of the golf ball.”
Caspar says that the proposed changes are fairly small, and unlikely to have a significant impact on the way courses are designed. “It will, however, protect the intended design strategies of older golf courses and ensure that historic courses will stay relevant and allow for the design of courses to be focused on a range of skills rather than simply focusing on distance. Hopefully these new limitations will reduce the need for lengthening courses and thereby reduce the future environmental and economic impact of golf courses. These are positive steps in safeguarding the future of golf and we sincerely hope that these new limits will have a positive impact for all golfers.”