Bifurcation and the golf ball for professionals only
Bifurcation
1. Division into two forks or branches (viewed either as an action or a state) – according to OED.
I came across this word while reading Lawrence Donegan’s post on two new golf balls made by Titleist to be made available only to professional golfers. they are new versions of their popular Pro V1 golf ball.
According to a Titleist tour representative, the golf balls “…have been designed to optimize performance for a small handful of PGA Tour players.”
Furthermore, this was written in bold. “These products are not in response to nor designed to address new groove rules and they are not planned to be sold commercially.”
Donegan then comments:
One of great things about golf – supposedly – is that everybody, from major champion to 24-handicap duffer, plays under the the same set of rules and using the same equipment. That “connection” between the pro game and the amateur game also lies at the root of golf’s appeal.
Obviously these two balls have been approved under existing rules but they are something new and different; they have been designed for the pros, will be played only by the pros and they will never be sold commercially to the paying punter. Isn’t that some form of bifurcation?
Yes. Yes I think it is.
Well, bifurcation it may be but I don’t think I will add it to my vocabulary!
Actually, this is quite a revelation that Titleist are going to produce golf balls only for the PGA pros. I welcome this approach and here is why: The problem with the golf equipment industry is that they are constantly trying to sell us their latest and greatest products. Their marketing tells us that this is the longest golf ball ever or the longest driver or that their product is used by some famous golfer. So, maybe this approach will change the game of golf equipment marketing to the masses…who knows.
Mick Euan Tait
Interesting take on it Mick. I like a bit of left field thought like that and agree with your line of thinking. It would be a shame if the game’s greatly diverged though.
I used to have bifurcation glasses. Now i have what they call Multifocals.
Is that the same thing?
The only time I use Titleist Pro V1 balls is when i have used the Multifocal glasses to find one in the rough – or I have accidentally trodden on one.
ROFL!