Technology in golf has come a long way, and even everyday golfers are benefitting from the advancements in superior equipment. We may not be able to record the scores of those on the PGA Tour, but we can be the best versions of ourselves out on the golf course this weekend thanks to the evolution of technology in the sport.
Equipment
With the amount of money in the sport and the sheer number of top-notch professionals, the equipment advancements have tried to keep pace. The driver has changed a significant amount over the years, and the aerodynamics of the club head has been designed to achieve a greater amount of speed and accuracy. The club heads are much larger than they had been, and the designers made them even lighter to maximize the distance on drives.
One of the most underrated features of a golfer’s equipment is the shoes he or she wears on the course. With the amount of torque the body takes on a hard swing, it is important to have steady footing. Additionally, walking a full 18 holes four days in a row is no joke, so the pros need a comfortable shoe that will get them through what usually amounts to more than four miles of walking per round.
Television
For years, people believed golf was difficult to watch on television because of the slow pace, but it has become among the most-watched sports in the United States when it comes to the four major tournaments. The TV product has improved immensely, and that’s good news for viewers. Until recently, fans had to rely on the cameraman to be able to locate the ball soaring through the air. Now, broadcasts use ball-tracking technology so fans have a clear view of any shot attempted.
Calling in rules violations
It is always fun to imagine what future generations will think about something we are doing now and think it is completely crazy, and this might be one of them that stopped a few years ago. Before 2018, you could be watching a PGA Tour event and call in to report a rules violation that could impact the tournament.
One of the most interesting cases of this came in the LPGA Tour when a viewer sent an email accusing golfer Lexi Thompson of misplacing a marked ball on the 17th hole on Saturday of a major tournament. This information was not relayed to Thompson until Sunday at the 12th hole, penalizing her four strokes. She eventually lost in a playoff
In that example, a sports organization took a slight step back technology-wise, but that’s probably a good thing in this case.
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