Opinion & Analysis

Rory McIlroy weighs in on Distance Insights Report

Published

6 years ago

Feb 13, 2020

This week at the Genisis Invitational, the new (and again) world No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy had a full-length press conference and covered a number of topics from the tournament’s elevated status, to becoming tops in the world again during a week when he didn’t hit a single shot in competition.

It was only a matter of time before someone in the room asked Rory about the newly released USGA Distance Insights Report, and it was Mike James, the Sports Editor for the LA Times, who did so.

Below is the exchange

Mike James – Rory, where do you see the discussion after the distance insight survey evolving and where would you like to see it end up?

Rory McIlroy – How long have you got?

Mike James – I have lots of time.

Rory McIlroy – You know, I think the biggest thing that came out of the report for me, a lot of the stuff about the ball going too far and technology, it really pertains to 0.1 percent of golfers out there. So look, if they want to try to contain what we do as touring professionals, I’m all for that.

Selfishly, I think that that’s only a good thing for the better players, but for the game in general, I think one of the best things that came out of it was the sustainability aspect and the fact that architects building these golf courses, and not even architects to a degree, but also the people that are giving the architects the money to build these golf courses with this grand ambition of maybe having a Tour event one day. Building these golf courses on these massive pieces of land, having to use so much water, so much fertilizer, pesticides, all the stuff that we really shouldn’t be doing nowadays especially in the climate we live in and everything that’s happening in our world. You look at what happened in Australia, you look at what happens in this state every August, September, October time with fires and global warming.

I think golf has a responsibility to minimize its footprint as much as it possibly can. For me, I think the sustainability aspect of what they’re trying to do is very important and that’s the one thing I would definitely stand behind.

The takeaway

The most interesting comment from Rory was around the idea of continued construction and alteration of golf courses in an attempt to appeal to just having the potential opportunity to host a professional golf event at the highest level. Land-use and its relationship to the growing cost for the average golf consumer is one of the biggest arguments in the golf architectural community.

Building these golf courses on these massive pieces of land, having to use so much water, so much fertilizer, pesticides, all the stuff that we really shouldn’t be doing nowadays especially in the climate we live in and everything that’s happening in our world.

When we consider almost all other professional sports and their historic fields of play, they already take up a designated amount of land. Yes, they are building newer and larger stadiums, but generally in city centers and around public transit, in the name of sustainability (and profitability, yes).

I. like many, believe that at some point growing the footprint of the game has to stop, and that professionals at the highest level ought to be introduced to a potential greater challenge. Rory is one of the most reflective and thoughtful players on tour, and it will be interesting to see if his influence will cause more players to reflect on their positions.

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

5 Comments

Funkaholic

Feb 14, 2020 at 9:47 am

I am 100% against bifurcation, the USGA has managed to make the pros suffer at every US Open, they need to make the courses more challenging not longer. Leave some of the uber wide and long courses just for show but let’s make the pros work for it. Let’s narrow the field so the pro game isn’t dominated by the bomb and gouge crowd an make shot making an art again. Big drives are fun but, I would rather watch a wedge wizard at work and guy who can shape shots into tough pin placements.The game should not be all about the .1%, it is the amateur aspect that has always made golf and everybody should continue to play by the same rules and with the same equipment otherwise, what is the point. I think bifurcation will kill the pro game. As for the slow play aspect, it is a problem for both, how about the marshals start doing their job in both areas of the game, that is how you speed up play.

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- Nack Jicklaus
  
  Feb 14, 2020 at 11:29 am
  
  I agree 100% with all of this!
  
  Reply Report comment
kevin

Feb 13, 2020 at 8:33 pm

If climate change was such a huge problem rory and others wouldn’t simply be looking to cut 30-40 yards off a hole and roll back the ball. they’d be asking to eliminate pesticides, eliminate the use of watering rough, eliminate the fertilizers. they want to pretend they are uber concerned while at the same time not giving up the lush green perfectly manicured fairways.

augusta had to buy a plot of land and a road to move tees back. so yes, its past time to roll the ball back for pros.

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Chill Pill

Feb 13, 2020 at 7:27 pm

Climate change………..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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gunmetal

Feb 13, 2020 at 5:37 pm

Nailed it. I’ve always wondered why the USGA and R&A are so concerned about distance yet they base their conclusions while only look at the top .01% of players.

Modern courses are WAY too expansive and long. Climate change is real, but the catastrophic predictions are probably overblown, but 100% agree that courses are too big and long. Way too many resources used to sustain them and many of them don’t even let you walk!

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