Perhaps nothing has altered or influenced the game of golf as much as Tiger Woods than technology.

It's widely acknowledged that the guardians of Augusta National tweaked and redesigned several holes in an effort to Tiger-proof its once-impregnable, hallowed course.

Woods, who began his quest for a fifth green jacket at the Masters on Thursday, dropped Augusta National to its knees, overpowering par 5s with long and precise drives and short irons on his way to a record 12-shot victory in 1997.

While notorious long-ball hitters Woods and Bubba Watson are physically gifted, the high-tech equipment inside their bags have made some PGA courses almost obsolete. As a result, course designers are lengthening public, private and championship courses in hopes of creating some semblance of a defense against ultra-powered drivers and long-distance golf balls.

"I believe the changes at Augusta were made because of equipment and the balls," said Scott Guza, an assistant club professional at Hunting Hawk in Glen Allen. "Basically, it's a combination of the two that have forced everyone to make golf courses longer."

While swing speed and technique are important in achieving distance off the tee, Taylor Made's newly designed four-piece ball has made it somewhat easier to get optimum distance with a swing speed of 80 to 100 miles per hour.

In contrast, Titlelist's best-selling Pro V1 requires a swing speed of at least 100 mph for it to reach opitimum distance, says Guza. In an effort to keep pace with Taylor Made, Titlelist soon will introduce its own four-piece ball.

Still, there may not be enough land to keep the balls in play as technology continues to whet the appetite of distance-craved amateurs and professionals .

"Technology has altered the game tremendously," said Craig Wood, a teaching instructor at First Tee of Richmond, "and I can't emphasize how much."

There is an ongoing debate about how much technology has improved the game, particularly for high-handicap amateurs. Wood and Guza agree there are signs that technology only marginally enhances the performance of the average golfer.

Technology, though, has boosted the confidence of some amateurs, making an oft-frustrating sport seems less intimidating.

There are newly designed wedges that make it easier to cope with bunker shots and green-side chips. The evolving development of hybrid clubs lessens the fear of sweeping a ball buried in three-inch deep rough or nestled in a fairway divot.

"The new hybrids can hit the ball out of more trouble, like deep rough and get nice distance," Guza said. "The belly putter is making it easier to grasp the concept of improving your putting stroke, so you can worry more about speed."

Yet, high-quality equipment hasn't necessarily created high-quality play.

"With all the technology, we're finding that handicaps haven't changed much over the past several years," Wood said. "I guess people are hitting the ball farther.

"The overall benefit is better, but the overall scores haven't improved much, which is kind of strange. People aren't scoring better, but they are playing better -- and, maybe, having more fun -- because of the new and improved equipment."

Most clubmakers and club professionals say researchers have mostly emphasized the development of drivers, in part, because club manufacturers are reaping significant profits from the sale of drivers and fairway woods.

"The high-tech equipment gives greater potential for improvement," Wood said. "The driver has improved more. The added weight and cavity-back [irons] have made the game somewhat easier to play for some amateurs."
Ralph N. Paulk at (804) 640-6851 or rpaulk@timesdispatch.com.