This weekend, the Masters — one of golf’s most famous tournaments — will be played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. It’s been an annual event since 1934 and the golf course has been updated many times over the years to keep pace with developments in sports technology. But now some golfers are wondering whether updates to the golf ball have pushed things too far.
Using a modern golf ball, players are able to drive the ball much farther than players could when many courses were designed. At the Augusta club, which opened in 1933, players are hitting the ball far enough to fly over obstacles intended to make the course difficult.
The improvements in the golf ball have raised an interesting question in the sport of golf: When has technology improved so much that it threatens the fundamental way we play a sport? In golf, there are strong opinions on both sides of golf’s “distance debate” — to learn how the golf ball contributed to the current state of affairs, make sure to watch the video above.
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