Kyle Scott

PGA of Canada Teaching Professional @ashburngolfclub @Titleistca Fitting Rep in Atlantic Canada

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@AskCoachKev SEND!

[Matt Ginella @MattGinella]

Let’s start with: We’re all forever chasing 10 more yards.

Remember the decades of building the longest, hardest, next best test for a US Open?

USGA was in on the Chambers Bay and Erin Hills developments, dangling the carrot of a major all along.

There was an actual ranking of “the 50 toughest” - now called “challenging,” because, yeah, there’s a masochistic subset of the golf world, developers, designers and consumers, who think that kicks to the nuts and pocketbooks is somehow a sustainable business model (see Sawgrass, Doral, etc).

That was the cause. The effect?

All together now: “Grow the game!”

Thank God Tiger came along. Thank you, @TigerWoods. We all owe you. Tiger grew the game. But the game he grew was too hard, too expensive, took too long. Most who tried it back then didn’t stay.

But with Tiger came more eyeballs. And with more eyeballs came more money. And with more money, better athletes. The elite level and college game got a lot better. So did technology. Faster swing speeds.
More architecture, but not better.

(Thankfully, there was Mike Keiser, who saw through the smoke.)

For decades now we’ve been subjected to:

“Play faster.”
“Tee it forward.”
“Make it more affordable.”
“Simplify the rules.”
“Make golf cool!”

We’ve seen the launch of:

First Tee
PGA Jr. League
Drive, Chip, Putt
Youth on Course
Jr. caddie academies

And then…

Top Golf!
Short courses!!
Simulators.
White belts.
Flat brims.
Music.
Hoodies.
Instagram.
YouTube.

Golf got cool and inclusive?!

And then came a global pandemic.
Now what?!

Growth in the game like no one could’ve ever predicted, imagined or anticipated. Some came back or they tried it for the first time. And they liked it! Men, but more importantly, women. Boys, but also girls! A more inclusive culture has resulted in a more diverse clientele. Wins across the board! Golf has turned several sharp corners…

Record rounds, participation, growth and money.

I believe we can point to the 150th playing of the Open as an issue for the governing bodies. On a venue they once played in reverse, in thick tweed coats and balls stuffed with feathers. And they played the 150th in four days of summer sun, almost no wind, fairways rolling faster than the greens, and even though it will go down as one of the more compelling majors since I’ve been following golf, and in spite of the fact that the guy who chipped and putted the best won, the governing bodies pick now to hit the panic button?!

The fact is, you don’t hit it too far. And neither do you. Or you. And you, the guy who really rips it (Rory? Bryson? Brandon Matthews? Cam Champ?), you have one major championship since 2014 (Bryson at 2020 Winged Foot because he was 3rd in strokes gained off the tee, 3rd in strokes gained in approach, 2nd in strokes gained around the green and third in strokes gained putting on Sunday.)

Sustainability matters. Obviously. But some courses were built where they shouldn’t be and they were used to sell real estate. And again, see trend of short courses. The game, reclaimed water and grasses are evolving.

So, I ask you, why now? If you truly love the concept of “golf for all,” then why do anything? Why not celebrate the growth? Provide a respite from the noise that is the professional game. The idea of governing bodies loading the gun and aiming it at their own feet seems crazy. They’re adding to the negative discourse, polarizing the masses and bringing on lawsuits. Put that gun down and get out of the way.

If people are clamoring and fighting for a rollback, they can tee it back, play persimmons, shorten their shafts, lengthen their fairway cuts and the rough, tuck the pins, speed up greens and cap lofts on their longest clubs.

Meanwhile, we all fight age, time and physical restrictions. There is literally rollback built into the life of a golfer. Father Time is undefeated.

Why am I against a rollback to the golf ball? Because it’s unnecessary. And horrible timing.

[Matt Ginella @MattGinella]

This is so on brand for golf.

After trying for years/decades to “grow the game,” at the peak of that growth, in the midst of the dumpster fire that is professional golf, the governing bodies decide now…NOW?!…would be a good time to throw the amateur game into a cold plunge. Yet another divisive, polarizing, confusing and unnecessary gut-punch to the people who pay to play golf.

I hear the points of the purists, the ones who think that the ball goes too far sideways (🤨). The ones who think the courses built in the 1920s and earlier are irrelevant for the pros. The ones who say, “Just move up a set of tees.”

But for everyone else but the elite, the .02%, the ones who don’t pay to play, I feel the negatives, timing and the size of the segment of the game it’s going to impact—which will probably ignore it anyway—bums me out. The trend in golf is actually short, nine holes, par-3s, putting courses and simulators. The game is evolving organically. And if a course is too short for long hitters, there are ways to fail them back without putting this game through a PR nightmare. Persimmons, higher lofts, less clubs, fairway width and length of the grass.

Was at a course on Wednesday and overheard a few guys settling bets:

“Want to know what we all shot today? 90-90-90-92.”

They all laughed.

These guys were older. They weren’t playing from the tips. This announcement and all the negative discourse that comes with it isn’t fun or funny.

Looking forward to talking out both sides with @mikeclaytongolf next week for a Fire Pit podcast.✌🏼

[Matt Ginella @MattGinella]

Dear governing bodies of golf,

Rolling anything back for amateurs seems like a bad idea and definitely unnecessary. The amateur game is booming. Short courses are thriving. Golf is evolving. No one who pays to play is walking off any course complaining that they hit it too far or the course was too easy.

I believe the sustainability aspect will continue to sort itself out. As water costs go up, grasses evolve, courses can pivot, get reclaimed water, eliminate back tees, shrink the footprint and reimagine business models.

As for those who get paid to play? Bifurcate and sort it out amongst yourselves. Smaller drivers? Cap the loft of a driver? Persimmons? Less clubs in the bag? Tournament ball? Longer fairway cuts? Longer rough? It really doesn’t matter to me. I’ve always acknowledged, that at the elite level, the game they play is not the game I/we play. And if you disagree with that, if you think “we all play the same game,” then you live in a dream state and you need a wake-up call. It’s special when we can play the same venue, but again, it’s not the same game.

Tip it out, narrow the fairways, speed up greens, tuck the pins, putt everything out to support a family in front of a gallery and do it week in and week out and then you can say you play the same game. Until then, you have a lot of buckets to hit and cuts to make.

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@ichimokudoc $PBX 💎 Easy 10X - still very early 🚀

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@cryptomanran $ZOO has been on 🔥since the secret email from @harryyeh - Thanks for all do! 👊

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@QTGCs @cryptomanran Agreed - Phantom is great. Get yourself a phantom wallet, head over to the Aldrin Dex - load the boat with $SUNNY 🚀🚀🚀

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@Golfman_Canada @kingswoodpro @TimDMcCullum @pyoung_27 @Flagstick @CJ_Stevenson @Taggart7 @YoungerGolf @michaelgrange @acaseofthegolf1 @msfgolf @twhamilton @golfsussex @alexegangolf123 @AllenGratto @tmackinnon13 @Brownie27Bob @AcesConnorsGolf @tommyjdunn @cmartingolf @cscottgolf @ddebaygolf 1. Olde Town 2. Lunenburg 3. Osprey Ridge @macdonald_jeff @Dine_In @sweeter77

[Ken-Wo Golf Club @KenWoGC]

Ken-Wo Golf Club, clubhouse, office, pro shop and all grounds are officially closed. Due to COVID-19 and the declared State of Emergency in Nova Scotia. The gate is now up at the front entrance. Please respect the… https://t.co/p9slLxpuDk

[John Mills @JohnMil89552509]

Where's the leadership in the Canadian golf industry!!! Step up to the plate. Recommend that all courses do their part in the short term and close. let's do our part.! Enough with the selfish attitudes! Their will be a time for social distance golf later.

[James Foran @Jimmyjackhfx]

Fake news from @JohnKeefe_AUS last night about his 🦅 on #6. Maybe he needs a fitting from @KyleScottGolf for a @TitleistCA #TS3 and maybe his fake news will become reality #nicepar

[James Foran @Jimmyjackhfx]

Just a little deuce on #6 @AshburnGolfClub mens night #TS3 #Vokey #ProV1x

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@Jimmyjackhfx @jimmillsOI @mattghiz @Killamonjamie @jimmillsOI is staying humble during this convo. He put up some solid numbers yesterday with the TS. Wouldn’t want to be on the opposing squad #lasers #sent @Jimmyjackhfx @mattghiz @Killamonjamie

[James Foran @Jimmyjackhfx]

@jimmillsOI You will need to get the superintendent @FoxHarbrResort to tip the course out next year for the rematch with @mattghiz and I as I’ll have a @TitleistCA TS3 driver 😂#plus25yards #stillgoing

[Alex Egan @alexegangolf123]

Well I’m a believer. Can’t wait to get my new weapons. Thanks @TitleistCA @KyleScottGolf @Golfman_Canada watching for the Mail.#TSProject

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

Came to @bostonpizza New Glasgow to watch game 7 @NHLJets and not on one of the tv’s. Manager is MIA #dissapointed #findtheflciker

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

@D_A_Neville this guy looks familiar ? #goXgo

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

Before/After. Swipe ⬅️ to 👁 progression. 20 yard gains with 7 iron 🔥🔥 Before = struggling to… https://t.co/DoUkq8iYQY

[Kyle Scott @KyleScottGolf]

First session of the season with Mike, adding some rotation to increase depth on backswing. He… https://t.co/RNXsG2DvgX