Arnold Palmer's farewell from the Masters this week - on his 50th consecutive appearance - comes with a wish for the future.

"I think the ball needs to be slowed down," said Palmer on Tuesday.

"I think the best thing that we can do, rather than continuing to extend the real estate and make the courses longer and longer and longer, we really need to look for a way to slow the ball down a little bit.

"As time goes on the problem is going to become more severe because these young people are growing stronger and equipment is going to get better.

"I think that if you're going to try to do something about the distance these people hit the golf ball slowing it down is where you have to go.

"You can probably lighten it a little. You can probably enlarge it a little."