In late December 2023, the golf rollback was introduced for the first time. A quick rundown of what this proposed rule means is basically making it so that all golf balls have a distance cap. This proposal is going to take place in early 2028 for professional golfers, and in 2030 for recreational golfers. As expected, this proposal has much controversy behind it, as people have their own opinions. After more than nine months of feedback on the proposal, the governing bodies announced on a Wednesday that they will be moving on with a proposal that will affect the game as a whole.

This rule has many pros and cons, and people have strong opinions on this topic. Some pros might be that it makes the game more strategic, and also possibly more challenging too. Now, challenges can pose a threat to many people’s game, but they will pose this challenge to everyone, not just one person. Traditional courses nowadays can’t keep up with the hitting distance change, and this rule can help much with courses around the world. Also, this rule can make golf more entertaining as it can help highlight skills beyond just pure distance and power. One more pro can also be how this could make it so that all people start to focus more on traditional skills, for instance, like shaping shots. 

The cons to this rule are a big problem too, as it could negatively affect all people already playing the sport. People question the practicality of enforcing such a change and whether it will achieve the desired outcome of possibly reviving the older tournament venues. Critics argue that this rule would take the enjoyment away from the game, and that it could ruin some people’s game and how they play courses. This rollback rule will take away 5-15 yards of distance, which doesn’t seem too bad, but professionals play to the exact yardage, and changing that can affect so many factors.

This proposed rule can also affect the golf ball manufacturers. This industry is huge, and the change in distance allowed can, and most likely will, be bad for the market. It will force manufacturers to redesign golf balls, potentially leading to increased costs and R&D expenses. A surge in the demand for the new balls will affect many, and demand for old golf balls, before the rule takes place, will also increase as they will be phased out. 

I believe overall this rule is not great for the game, but at the same time, relatively necessary for it too. I think this rule can change the game forever for either good or bad, but applying this rule at a limit, I believe, would be good. Too much rollback, in my opinion, can negatively affect the future of the game, but the right amount can give a needed switch to everyone.