Nick Faldo thinks banning long tees and lob wedges would restore skill to game

Golf legend Sir Nick Faldo has never been afraid to speak his mind — and now the six-time major winner has called for two dramatic equipment changes that he believes would restore skill to the game.

Speaking on the Sliced podcast ahead of the Ryder Cup, the 68-year-old insisted he would rather see tees restricted and 60-degree wedges outlawed than watch the sport roll back the golf ball.

Faldo, who rocked up at the State Banquet hosted by King Charles for US President Donald Trump earlier this week, put forward his case by contrasting today’s forgiving gear with the more punishing drivers of his prime.

The Englishman won his six majors (three Opens and three Masters) between 1987 and 1996. 

"In my day the sweet spot was the size of a pea," Faldo revealed on the Sliced podcast, which you can watch in full below. 

"If you didn’t catch it right out of the screws, you lost 25 yards with a hook or a slice. That’s what separated the top five percent. Now? The sweet spot’s the size of a coin. Anyone can do it."

For Faldo, modern equipment has stripped away some of the artistry that once defined the best ball-strikers in the world.

Instead of asking players to use a shorter golf ball, the former World No.1 would prefer to go after something far simpler: the tee peg.

"I’ve said it for years — why not ban tees? Imagine the Tour saying: this week, no tee pegs," added Faldo.

"Or set a maximum height, like seven-eighths of an inch. Suddenly you can’t launch a modern driver at 13 degrees from a perfect perch.”

At shorter courses like Hilton Head which hosts the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, Faldo thinks his concept would force players to rely on fairway woods or drivers off the deck.

"If a guy can still pump it 300 yards off the ground, fair play to him," continued Faldo.

"But try that on a windy Sunday afternoon under pressure — that’s proper skill."

Related:

• How will the golf ball rollback affect you?

Faldo also wants limits on club lofts. 

He thinks drivers should be set to at least 10 degrees, and wedges should stop at 56 degrees.

"That’s a rulebook tweak. It doesn’t cost a penny. No more 60s or 62s [degrees] making bunker shots automatic. Bring back creativity around the greens."

The six-time PGA Tour winner compared that to the looming golf ball rollback, which forces manufacturers to spend millions creating golf balls that deliberately go shorter.

Faldo quipped: "How do you market that? ‘Here’s our new ball, it goes 20 percent less.’ That’s cruel."

The 30-time European Tour winner pointed to Bernhard Langer to highlight why rolling back the ball could backfire.

"Bernhard once said when he made the cut, he was already hitting woods into par-fours. He told me: if they roll the ball back, I wouldn’t even play. I wouldn’t reach anything."

Watch Faldo's comments in full here:

While golf’s governing bodies seemingly remain focused on the golf ball, Faldo has thrown a curveball into the debate.

Strip away the tees. Cap the lofts. Force players to shape shots, improvise, and grind like the legends of old.

Would today’s power players still dominate without their towering tee shots and lob wedges? 

That’s the question Faldo wants the game to answer.

What do you reckon needs to be changed to help restore skill in the game?

Has golf really become easier than it once was back in the 80s and 90s?

Share your thoughts on GolfMagic Facebook.