LPGA star Charley Hull has sparked a heated debate in the golf world with her candid critique of modern golf, claiming that advancements in technology have stripped the game of its creativity and strategic depth.
The 29-year-old Englishwoman expressed nostalgia for the era of Seve Ballesteros, when shot-making and imagination defined the sport.
Ballesteros, a five-time major champion, was renowned for his flair, improvisational recoveries, and ability to sculpt shots under pressure.
“I wish golf was like that because I think it was way more interesting back then rather than these days, it’s all about how far you hit the golf ball,” said Hull back in May at the AIG Women’s British Open preview day.
“Back then, it was all about how to shape the shot and create all the shots and everything and play blades and all that. I think golf was 10 times more interesting.”
Hull, who made a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2, and is known for her fiery personality and aggressive playing style, argued that modern equipment, particularly drivers, golf balls, and launch monitors, has homogenized professional golf.
“I think now it’s become more of a power game,” she said when asked about her prior comments ahead of the AIG Women’s Open. “And where it’s become — the technology has advanced so much everyone can just hit it straight and far, and it’s kind of taking the art away from it.
“Whenever I watch golf, I watch golf and all that lot, like who won the British Open in the 1970s and that. I find it way more interesting back then.
“Like I wouldn’t really watch golf now really.”
Hull’s comments come amid growing discussions about the impact of distance in golf. Data from the LPGA shows that average driving distance has increased by nearly 20 yards since 2000, with top players like Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson regularly exceeding 270 yards off the tee.
The R&A and USGA’s 2023 decision to implement a golf ball rollback — reducing distance by about 15 yards for elite players starting in 2028 — aims to address this trend, but Hull remains skeptical.
Asked if she could imagine herself in the 1860s, playing golf with “little feathery balls,” Hull responded, “I’d love that. I think it would be so much fun.
“I think the to be fair, I think golf back 20, 30 years ago, say 19 — up to like 2000s, it was more of an art. The players, even the men, would have to hit draws and fades and stuff it in.”
Hull acknowledged that technology has benefits, particularly for amateurs, but insisted it has dulled the professional game’s spectacle.
h/t Golfweek
