If we had no cars nobody would die in car accidents.
We are blessed to have HD TV to give us a detailed close-up of a golfer’s expression after sinking a putt to win the Open, or a Slow-Mo of each particle of sand explosively carrying a ball out of a bunker, enabling us to count the revolutions of spin. WOW! I spoke about this very issue with Gary Williams on The Golf Channel a while ago. Click here to view.
We can zoom into any incident, seeing what we have never been able to see before. However, we need to be very careful how we apply this technology.
Golf is probably the only game where we call ourselves on infractions, which separates it from all other sports. We need to respect and protect this as being the matrix binding the integrity of the game.
We may be better off leaving the judgement of an infraction to the player and the official on the site, rather than trying to get it right as determined by microscopic investigation — allowed to us by today’s technology, but which may never be extensive enough to be definitive –– and lengthy discussion which may lead to confusion and ambiguity for all who watch, compete and love the game and use this technology for its convenience and entertainment value.
For those who administer the game, we need to re-examine how we best use today’s technology to provide entertainment but not affect the uniqueness of our game.
Congratulations to Dustin Johnson: a great golfer and a worthy champion.
21 thoughts on “Today’s Technology: Pros and Cons”
The USGA has its’ place in the organization of tournaments (although their set ups are questionable; Chambers Bay?) and course agronomy. As soon as they wade into the Rules and interpretations of the Rules they expose their own smug and self satisfied arrogance. It’s supposed to be for the good of the game, not for the good of the USGA. I resigned when they took my wedges away, making the game less enjoyable and more difficult because the pros could spin a 5 iron!
Dustin Johnson saved their skin by pulling away from the field. I wonder what they might have done in the face of such outcry had he only finished one stroke ahead. We will never know. Never trusted them, never will!
It might be time for the PGA to step up and make their own Rules. The NFL, MLB, NHL, or NBA doesn’t let the the NCAA make their rules.
Sure, the NCAA games (or non-college amateur versions) may have come first, and their pro versions may have used it as a base model, but the pro leagues allowed themselves to adapt, evolve, separately from the college game. All without becoming something unrecognizable.
The USGA sucks. They are a group of high handed, holier than thou jerks and I see no really good reason for their existance as an organization. Their super slick greens cause a ball to move, but it can’t possibly be their fault, so they blame AND punish Dustin Johnson. Pppphhhhtttt! They can put their rules where the sun doesn’t shine as far as I’m concerned.
franklygolf 
The USGA has its’ place in the organization of tournaments (although their set ups are questionable; Chambers Bay?) and course agronomy. As soon as they wade into the Rules and interpretations of the Rules they expose their own smug and self satisfied arrogance. It’s supposed to be for the good of the game, not for the good of the USGA. I resigned when they took my wedges away, making the game less enjoyable and more difficult because the pros could spin a 5 iron!
Dustin Johnson saved their skin by pulling away from the field. I wonder what they might have done in the face of such outcry had he only finished one stroke ahead. We will never know. Never trusted them, never will!
It might be time for the PGA to step up and make their own Rules. The NFL, MLB, NHL, or NBA doesn’t let the the NCAA make their rules.
Sure, the NCAA games (or non-college amateur versions) may have come first, and their pro versions may have used it as a base model, but the pro leagues allowed themselves to adapt, evolve, separately from the college game. All without becoming something unrecognizable.
The PGA can do the same.
The USGA sucks. They are a group of high handed, holier than thou jerks and I see no really good reason for their existance as an organization. Their super slick greens cause a ball to move, but it can’t possibly be their fault, so they blame AND punish Dustin Johnson. Pppphhhhtttt! They can put their rules where the sun doesn’t shine as far as I’m concerned.
Didn’t the Pga adopt the idea that if it can’t be seen by the naked eye(Ergo no HD) then the ruling was final . no look backs thus moving right along.
Agree!