Has golf equipement really advanced so much?

I am not a person that spend a lot on equipment and rather blame myself rather than the equipment.

I have been wondering, companies keep coming up with new products. Is there really such a big difference?

how much have the score improved with the new equipment?

Not much perhaps, but probably ego and degree of happiness..

alot of articles have been written. Besides the pro v1 rubber ball revolution. Not much has improved with the new technology. Distance gains on irons has been done by re- writing 6 irons to become 8 irons today.averages Scores have not come down even for PGA golfers and amateurs. But hey who is complaining.

Not sure if graphite and steel fibre helped us layman improve too ? 

Some equipment has made the game easier. But overall, golf is still not an easy game.

Drivers and woods are easier now. I tried a persimmon wood driver once and wondered how the old pros drove 250 -300 yards with those things. I couldn't even get the ball into the air!

Likewise hybrids have made long irons redundant for amatuer players.

Irons have also been made more forgiving by technology. Although I feel that it is the one type of club that technology cannot change too much. Hitting fat or thin will still lead to bad results.

No short cuts to good golf. One has to commit time and energy to get good results.

Maybe it's just me but I could not hit an old 380cc Callaway ERC driver to save my life... Have always kept it to sort of remind myself that if players in the past could hit that club well, so could I... one day...

I think in terms of woods/metals, the change is more prominent. But of course not models that differ by one or two cycles - an RBZ stage 2 and SLDR performs almost identically to me at least...

And as Kwannick said it, hybrids have been game changers to the game...

my opinion

Depends , Not much changes on Irons.
The best improvement was from Persimmon Woods to Metal woods in the '80 and graphite shafts over the last decade.
Putter from cast/forged to precision milled.

Look around you, everything has improved!

Balls, those balls have improved. Just look at pro v dimples
Putter design, especially the mallet ones with high moi
Shafts, yes shafts have loads of tech in them. Carbon weaving, new material like Boron, butt tip flex.
Grips, not just cork but new rubber like those used in racing tyres
Golf tees, yes those small tees come with springs and teeth for added distance.

Even apparels have also improved.
No more full cotton shirts, but self cooling UV protected SPF40 and anti odour, body compressed shirts that comes with fanciful colours!
Next we may see a revolution in golf underwear design.

Yes everything has improved. Loads of tech in golf