As things stand, golf’s governing bodies are clearly unsure what the best solution is to combat the distances that the top players are hitting the ball these days.
Initially, the golf ball rollback was set to be brought into play in 2028, but that has now been pushed back to 2030.
The sheer distances that the best players in the world carry the ball now is a huge problem regarding the long-term sustainability of the most prestigious golf courses on the planet.
And now Nick Faldo and Rory McIlroy have made it very clear just how simple the solution to that problem really is.
The Englishman and the Northern Irishman, who both have six major championships to their names, are huge proponents of finding a way to ensure that the world’s most-loved old golf courses remain relevant.
Faldo and McIlroy recently spent some time together at Royal Birkdale and conversation between the duo quickly turned to the golf ball rollback.
Rory McIlroy agrees with Nick Faldo’s alternative to the golf ball rollback
Faldo posted a video to his official X account explaining how the solution to players carrying their drivers too far nowadays is as simple as they come.
“There has been a lot of talk about the golf ball rollback after the US Open,“ Faldo said.
“We’ve been talking about it for decades, and now we’re going to be thinking about it until 2030.
“Hopefully you know I’m a big fan of trying to bring back the skills, the ball-striking skills, to our game.
“I now believe the answer is right under our noses.
“It’s this fella, the one inch tee. Recent testing, in one of the golf magazines, really caught my attention.
“They tested all the different length tees, 2 and 1/4 inch was the optimum, the one inch tee flew 25 yards shorter than the optimum length tee. Less ball speed, less carry.
“So that would be a wonderful fix, wouldn’t it? As simple as that, go to the one inch tee. Give it some testing. All I’m asking is to do some testing.
“Let’s give it to the pros, get it on the range, get some feedback.
“I asked a leading player whether he would consider doing that…“
“Yeah, I would,“ McIlroy replied.
Faldo then asked: would you endorse that?
“I mean, I would,“ he responded.
“I mean, the tee shot I just hit here into the wind was probably off of a one inch tee.
“It’s a multifaceted solution where I think you can look at the tee. I think you can look at the ball, and you could look at all sorts of stuff.“
Nick Faldo’s one-inch tee idea would save so much money
Faldo explained how his idea could save golf’s governing bodies, and indeed the manufacturers, a great deal of money.
“You give everybody who tees it up 18 tees,“ the six-time major champion said.
“You need 10,800 little tees for the week, right?
“See, for the week, at a regular tournament, that’s going to cost 50 bucks.
“So, the little tee would solve an awful lot of problems, wouldn’t it?
“No more expensive retooling, so important for our game, our history, and these fantastic old golf courses, that they stay relevant to the longer hitters.
“So it could be, I really believe, as simple as, buying a big bag of one inch tees for the pros.“
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
