During 2025, there were a few updates on the golf ball rollback that is to be implemented in the coming years. The move is an effort to keep the sport up to date with modern pros in a simple and cost-effective way, without requiring massive overhauls. The new balls, however, have not been exactly popular, and there has been some pushback this past year.
Why The Rollback
The reason why the sport is having trouble keeping up with the pros is that they are simply getting too good. Specifically, the courses themselves are feeling too small with the range some of these pros are getting. Aldrich Potgieter is a prime example of this; he just joined the PGA this year and was already pushing the limits before he joined. This is what the rollback is trying to solve.
There are a few options to address this. Either do nothing and risk fans losing interest in anything that isn’t the green, completely overhaul any course that would host a PGA event with costly renovations, or regulate the equipment in a way that limits the range. The rollback is going for the third option. There are courses going through renovations, like St Andrews Old Course. However, the governing bodies of the sport are leaning more towards the equipment regulation angle.
Player Opinion On The New Balls
The players who were a part of the tests for the new golf ball are not fans of it. Both Ben Griffin and Brian Harman could immediately see and feel the difference with each stroke. The new balls certainly worked for them, but they are doubtful that they can work for harder hitters like Rory McIlroy and the aforementioned Aldrich Potgieter.
Rory McIlroy doesn’t understand the anger towards the new balls. He believes that the sport will only benefit from the golfball rollback by reintroducing pros to skills that were used decades before. That it will keep the courses from needing to outgrow their spaces, and keep the sport interesting.
Concerns Outside Of The Pro Circuits
A concern that comes up when talking about the golfball rollback is how it will impact amateurs and recreational golfers. Derek Sprague with the PGA of America expressed this concern to GolfDigest back in May.
“I don’t know one recreational golfer that wants to hit it shorter.” Derek Spraugh said, “We’re really concerned about the 28 million golfers in this country, and since I took that stance back in January, a number of people have reached out, a number of amateur golfers, recreational golfers have reached out and have the same concerns that we do.”
Another concern has been the bifurcation of the sport between pro and casual games. McIlroy comes in again with the opinion that the sport already is bifurcated. He argues that it’s just fine to have this pro-casual split. In fact, McIlroy argues that it’s beneficial to have that split. Nearly every other sport has it anyway.
Golf Ball Rollback Is Still Coming
Despite protests, the golf ball rollback is set to fully kick in by 2030. The pro players tend not to be a fan of the new balls, but the alternative can be far more costly. As 2030 draws closer, golf ball rollback will come up more and more often. The concerns surrounding it will also become louder and louder.
Main Photo Credit: © Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
