Legendary caddie Billy Foster believes golf has been destroyed by distance.
Foster says there is “no punishment” for not striking the driver purely and equipment now goes too far.
The R&A and USGA announced a proposed model local rule in March that could see distance decreased by 15 yards across elite levels of the game.
A number of tour players publicly rejected this but Foster told NCG’s From the Clubhouse podcast he wants “skills levels back” and blames the forgiveness and size of clubheads for the game’s rocketing length.
“To me, having seen the best players in the world for 40 years, I think the game’s been destroyed,” he said.
“It’s not getting destroyed, it’s been destroyed. You don’t see shot-making anymore, you don’t see guys shaping shots into flags and hitting it at the middle of the green then hitting a 10-yard cut to a back right flag and seeing who’s got the real quality.
“Bunkers out there at 300 yards, you couldn’t reach them 20 years ago, now they’re flying them. It’s completely changed. They just stand up now, tee it up and just bomb 310, 320, 330, 340 yards some of these guys.
“500-yard holes and they’re hitting driver wedge. They were hitting driver, 5-iron 20 years ago. It’s ruined it to a certain degree, but a lot of that is down to the forgiveness of the driver.
“The driver is too big. If you hit it out the heel with a persimmon, it would go 230 yards. Now, you do the same with one of these big metal things and it goes over 300 yards.
“There’s no punishment for not striking it purely and the ball doesn’t move half as much as it used to. All it does is make the good players and the fantastic players so much closer together.
