There's no question that advancements in technology has made the game of golf easier for a wider range of players. More forgiving drivers, distance irons, distance measuring devices... the list goes on.
However, there are some strict golf equipment Rules in place to ensure that no one gains an unfair advantage - in fact, the Rules relating to equipment are 100 pages long.
Golf is a game of great skill and judgement, of course, something that has to be protected, right? Or would you be in favor of relaxing the Rules to make the game as easy as possible?
If so, what products would you buy? Here are just a few we'd create to make the game even easier. Leave your comments below with your genius product inventions...
SUPER FAST GOLF BALLS
Roll back the golf ball? No, no, no. We're going to roll it forwards... and forwards and forwards and forwards.
Picture it now: You hit a peach of a drive. Your Sunday best normally goes 250 yards, but this new golf ball flies past that in the air!
Pros aren't going to be allowed this ball - they hit it far enough already; this is a ball made exclusively for the club golfer, especially senior golfers and those with slow swing speeds.
In fact, maybe this ball can only be played when you've reached your pension age. Let's say 65 - the age where you can get your buss pass and super long golf balls.
SUPER SPIN WEDGES
There are Rules around the sharpness of groove edges, too, but when these are relaxed, club golfers will be able to produce crazy amounts of zip around the greens.
Super spin wedges aren't going to cure your chipping yips, but they will help you to spin the golf ball like a tour pro, even when the strike isn't anywhere near pure.
GREEN READING LASER
Let's face it, some of us are lousy at reading greens. The green reading laser - let's call it the GR1 - is a tiny device that sits on top of your putter and beams three different routes to the hole.
The red line to the hole requires a firm putt that removes all the break; the blue line takes some of the break at a medium pace; and the yellow line is your slowest putt that will take all the break.
It's cheating, of course, and totally removes the skill of reading greens - but you've still got to execute the putt.
GR2, when released, will cause a right stir, because the updated model will emit a laser showing you have far to bring the putter head back.
ON-COURSE ALIGNMENT AID
We're frequently told that one of the most common faults amongst average club golfers in poor alignment. The on-course alignment aid will fix this.
There's nothing to stop you using alignment sticks in a practice round to really embed sound fundamentals - but what if there was a device that you could use in a competition that lined you up perfectly?
As with the green reading laser, we're thinking some kind of visual aid as opposed to alignment sticks, something that makes it virtually impossible not to line up your shoulders, hips and feet perfectly.
MICROCHIPPED GOLF BALLS
This is going to cause a massive headache for ball brands, because a microchipped ball is basically impossible to lose, unless it sinks to the bottom of a lake.
The technology is already out there, although we're nowhere near the point of having a product that offers the same levels of performance as the best premium golf balls on the market.
Let's fast-forward 20 years. The price of a microchipped golf ball has come down considerably (they're currently very expensive), and the feel and performance is comparable to any of the best golf balls around.
Club golfers are so much happier. Sure, it's kind of cheating and an element of the game has been lost - but just look at all those happy faces.
VOICE COACH
The app knows your game inside out - it has all your shot data stored, so it can recommend what club you should hit. However, this is far more than just a golf GPS app.
'Voice Coach' knows how the course is playing, the weather conditions, how you've been striking the ball, whether you're in a position to play safe or you need to attack. It knows everything.
The standout feature of this revolutionary product is that it will tell you how to play the shot your are facing - and it will provide feedback.
It requires you to set your mobile phone up so that you can video the shot (it comes with a free tripod that can be easily folded up and put in the side of your bag) - the one downside, because this is bound to have an impact on pace of play.
THE PERFECT GRIP
There are a number of training aids that you can use in practice to help guide your hands into place on the club.
If golfers could get their whole set of clubs re-gripped with the type of grip trainer used in practice, it would be one less thing to worry about on the golf course.
Ribbed grips are legal, but these news grips will make it even easier for golfers to be consistent with their hand placement.
Rather than a raised ridge, as you get with the ribbed or 'reminder grip', we'd have a bigger, more pronounced piece of rubber on the grip, just as you get with the training aids, that makes it impossible for the golfer to 'get sloppy'.
What do you think? Are we missing any products that could make the game easier or more fun for club golfers if the equipment Rules were removed?
