'ADAPT or die' was the headline in an Australian newspaper last week following a discussion with golf great Jack Nicklaus over how improving technology in the game continued at such a pace that one day soon many courses will be become obsolete.

Nicklaus is of the belief that advances in technology, particularly in the production of golf balls, are slowly but surely ruining some of the world's finest championship courses.

Lay-outs of a lesser reputation, in many cases, have already been rendered toothless.

But Nicklaus isn't just complaining, he's actually taking matters into his own hands.

On a course in the Cayman Islands recently, his company designed a ball specifically tailored to the lay-out - one that travels only half as far as normal.

According to reports, the combination is working well.

And it's a scheme that perhaps one day might have to be adapted here in Bermuda.

Much like the Caymans, our inability to lengthen courses because of a shortage of land leaves the local game increasingly vulnerable to the hi-tech equipment now on the market.

In the last eight months, course records have fallen at both Mid Ocean Club and Ocean View, to Michael Sims and Dwayne Pearman respectively. And while both might have been superlative efforts, there's little doubt that the equipment both of those players now use helped their cause.

Even the average player is driving the ball further than ever, and on Bermuda's relatively short courses, it's making the game that much less challenging.

Belmont, currently under construction, will measure barely 6,000 yards when complete. Tucker's Point, due to open in April, won't be much longer, although it will have been reduced to a par 70 from the 71 of Castle Harbour.

For both there's perhaps an argument that a ball designed to travel less distance would enhance the course.

Nicklaus insists the transition doesn't have to be difficult or expensive.

"We produced a golf ball for a course down in the Cayman Islands," he told The Age newspaper. "They didn't have any land so they wanted a golf ball that went half as far as normal.

"What it really cost us was $5,000 for the tooling needed to build the ball for that course. That's not very much money when you talk about the millions of dollars spent in developing the golf ball each year."

Winner of a record 18 Grand Slam titles, Nicklaus is more concerned, however, about how the world's top courses are suffering under the technology boom.

And he's warned that modern course designers would have to adapt to that technology or face their courses becoming obsolete.

"Royal Melbourne is a wonderful golf course and you've got so many other wonderful courses down here (in Australia), it's a shame to see the golf ball controlling the game . . . the way it has at Augusta and other courses in the United States," Nicklaus told The Age.

"But it's going to. If you're going to keep up with what's going (on) in technology, you really don't have a choice - you have to adapt to the technology or become obsolete.

"We probably have less than 25 golf courses in the US now, with the equipment today, that are legitimate championship golf courses. You have the same situation in Australia.

"But if the golf ball was brought back 10 percent we'd have several thousand."

Nicklaus complained the advance of golf ball technology had not been limited over the past 20 years when it should have been. He cited the recent example of Augusta, the US Masters venue,, which has been lengthened by 285 yards for this year's tournament - with nine of its 18 holes affected.

"What's happened is they (the manufacturers) have learned how to make a rock into a golf ball that can play. The old rocks we used to have as driving range balls used to go a long way. They've now made them very playable and done a wonderful job - too good a job really, that's the problem."