"They have truly outdone themselves" - LA Golf CEO Reed Dickens slams the USGA for rolling back the ball

LA Golf CEO Reed Dickens has slammed the USGA for rolling back the golf ball, arguing that the organization is hell-bent on making the game more difficult for amateurs.

Earlier on Wednesday, December 6, the USGA and R&A announced a highly controversial golf-ball rollback. This means that the ball will only be considered legal after being tested under controlled conditions, requiring a swing speed of 125 mph and hitting the ball at an 11-degree launch angle with 2,200 rpm of spin.

The shot must not exceed the Overall Distance Standard (ODS) of 317 yards of aggregated carry distance and roll. This rule will come into effect in 2028.

On Friday, December 8, the LA Golf CEO released a statement criticizing the USGA and R&A's latest decision.

"I have said for years that the USGA wakes up every morning and tries to find new ways to make golf more difficult and less fun for amateurs, and they have truly outdone themselves with the ball rollback," he wrote.

"This decision flies in the face of any rational view of the data around average swing speed, driving distances, and the most recent golf course designs. (Swing speeds have remained flat for several years and golf courses have actually gotten shorter, in spite of their statements to the contrary)," Dickens added.

Dickens remarked that the governing bodies couldn't resist making frequent, unnecessary changes and regulations merely to justify their existence. He added that, although LA Golf, like other OEMs, would be unaffected by this rule, everyone needed to speak up against it.

"It is important for every major stakeholder to speak up when a governing body takes steps to make the game more difficult for amateurs, when over 80% of amateurs have never broken 100 and the average male can only drive the ball just over 200 yards," he continued.

"While bifurcating the rules for professional players makes sense, we can only hope the USGA takes another look at the data from the perspective of the every-day player's experience," Dickens added.

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“I don’t understand the anger"—Rory McIlroy backs USGA and R&A for the golf-ball rollback

Earlier this week, Rory McIlroy responded to those opposing the golf-ball rollback. He expressed his inability to comprehend the anger towards the decision, emphasizing that it wouldn't impact the average golfer.

Instead, he believed it would bring the game back on a 'path of sustainability' and contribute to bringing specific skills back into the professional game.

"Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game is already bifurcated. You think we play the same stuff you do?" McIlroy explained in a lengthy social media post.

"They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks," he added.

The four-time major champion has been one of the few golfers to support the golf-ball rollback, while the likes of Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm are against it.