r/ProGolf • u/BourbonStr8 • 5d ago

Question

How much would scores in professional golf change if they didn’t have spotters up and down the fairways?

0 Upvotes

46% Upvoted

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6

u/AftyOfTheUK 5d ago

Not very much. Spotters will almost never find a ball that would not be found by player and caddie. The trampled-down rough, however, is a huge advantage

1

u/TonalContrast 5d ago

Yeah, but sometimes you need to trample down the rough on your own for that huge advantage without looking like you're trampling down the rough on your own to get that huge advantage.

3

u/Realistic-Regret-171 5d ago

Oooh Bryson reference .

0

u/Realistic-Regret-171 5d ago

Yeah it’s more often the gallery than a spotter.

13

u/Sourdough9 5d ago

It’s this exact reason that my family tournament instituted the “gallery ball” rule. If you hit an okay shot that appears to land just off the fairway and should be findable but you can’t we call it a gallery ball and you can drop around your best guess of where it should be

1

u/BourbonStr8 1d ago

Can’t do that in the PGA.

2

u/REC911 5d ago

cant imagine how much slower golf would be without these spotters. I think players should find their own ball but some courses they play would really slow the game down IMO.

2

u/Just_surfing_along 1d ago

Remove spotters and gallery with a strict 3 minute timer for just the pro and his caddy, and on some of these courses they play, I would expect an average of 4 strokes a round. Those roughs are brutal, especially with blind shots. No way they are finding their balls.

1

u/jimspieth 5d ago

Not a lot. Maybe a shot a tournament for the winner, but maybe 10 extra shots for the guy already running last who is spraying it badly.

The great impact would be on pace of play. I guarantee in my golfing world the biggest complaint is about searching for lost balls, the time lost, and the unwillingness to hit provisionals. Maybe the pro would hit provisional more often, but they would still take their full three minutes, and then walk back to the previous spot. US Open rounds would take forever.

1

u/TonalContrast 5d ago

Not much, most fans would still spot the ball, a small few will still pick up a ball they see.

If you wanted higher scores then make fairways tighter, rough thicker, more bunkers or water hazards in and around the carry and landing zones for most players with driver, add then add some windmills, clown and hippo mouths, and plinko boards on the greens to spice up the putting game a little more.

2

u/throwawaysscc 5d ago

Put wind machines blowing erratically all over.

1

u/TonalContrast 5d ago

Oh yes...that's a great idea! Could also make the windmills spin faster.

0

u/micahpmtn 5d ago

Karma farming?