Since the 1960s, golf equipment has undergone a continuous revolution driven by materials science and engineering. Graphite shafts arrived in 1973, dramatically reducing weight and allowing higher swing speeds. Metal woods replaced persimmon wood heads in the 1980s, increasing forgiveness and distance.

The 460cc titanium driver — the large-headed, extremely forgiving driver that modern golfers use — was unthinkable in 1960. It produces driving distances that would have seemed impossible to golfers of the previous generation.

This distance increase has created a genuine debate in golf: modern equipment and athletic training have made courses designed in earlier eras relatively easy for elite players. The 7,000-yard courses that were championship tests in 1960 are now warm-up walks for professionals hitting 350-yard drives.

The USGA and R&A have struggled to respond — lengthening courses, firming greens, and now seriously considering whether to regulate ball distance. The equipment revolution that started with the gutty ball in 1848 has never stopped, and golf is still figuring out how to manage it.