On October 12, 2021, the USGA and R&A took another step in that direction. Effective January 1, 2022, a new local rule gives professional and amateur tournaments the power to limit driver length to 46 inches. Under the previous rule, all golf clubs excluding the putter were capped at a length of 48 inches.
What are the rules of golf for drivers?
The Rules of Golf regulate both game play and the equipment used to play golf. Rule 4 and Appendix II outline the rules as they apply to all clubs, including drivers. Disobeying Rule 4 can result in penalties, but you also need to be aware of Appendix II.
Are non-legal golf clubs allowed in junior golf tournaments?
In addition, the American Junior Golf Association follows guidelines and rules identical to the USGA regarding non-legal golf clubs. Rules prevent the use of these drivers at any USGA-governed event--the penalty for using a non-conforming club is disqualification. The USGA only evaluates clubs for tournaments in the United States.
How many golf clubs can you carry in a round?
There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry – for instance you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed. If you start a round with 14 clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one or break one while making a stroke.
What is Rule 4 of the rules of golf?
Rule 4 of the Rules of Golf regulates a driver's use during a round. You can't purposely change or adjust a club in any way; if you do, it becomes a nonconforming driver and you face a penalty.
What is a legal golf driver?
Legal driver length Clubs must be at least 18 inches long and cannot exceed the 48 inches. Lengths of putters is now a concern due to the proliferation of long putters in golf; however, the 48-inch limit of shafts in the Rules of Golf does not apply to putters.
What's the legal length of a golf driver?
Golf's governing bodies announced a new model local rule Tuesday that will reduce the maximum length of driver shafts from 48 to 46 inches. The rule, which goes into effect Jan. 1, will allow the various tours the option to implement a local rule (MLR G-10) that will cap driver length at 46 inches.
How many times can you use a driver in golf?
How Long Should A Driver Last? How Many Rounds? If you play thirty to forty rounds per year, a reasonable number for an average golfer, your driver should easily last five years. This includes range time and any mulligans/provisional balls you may need.
Are you allowed to carry 2 drivers in golf?
Topic Overview: You are allowed to carry up to 14 clubs for play (but you can have fewer). There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry – for instance you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed.
Are 48 inch drivers legal?
With the USGA and R&A placing a cap on driver length via a new local rule, which is slated to go into effect in 2022, professionals and elite amateurs will no longer be allowed to use a driver in excess of 46 inches — the current limit is 48 inches — at events that choose to implement the rule.
What is the biggest legal driver?
460ccBiggest legal driver head size: The maximum driver club head size that the USGA allows is 460cc. Also, the COR rating has to be under . 830. Biggest illegal driver head size: When it comes to drivers not allowed by the USGA, their head sizes can go up to 750cc, or more.
What makes a golf driver illegal?
First, what is an illegal golf driver? Any golf driver that doesn't conform to USGA and R&A rules is considered illegal. The most common type of illegal golf drivers offer a high COR. A COR value above 0.83 (legal max) will offer more distance for most golfers that use it.
When should I replace my golf driver?
3 to 5 yearsKeep in mind that 3 to 5 years of use is a general guideline and differs for all golfers. If you play 30 to 40 rounds per year then based on normal wear and tear you should consider getting a new driver every 5 years. If you play less than that, then you could wait for 5 to 7 years.
When should you not hit driver?
The only time you should dial it back is when there's a forced carry of some sort that you either can't carry, or you might accidentally roll into. “If you hit it under 270, you should probably hit driver almost everywhere that a hazard doesn't cross.”
How many drivers can you have in your bag?
According to the USGA, a golfer is allowed to have 14 clubs in his bag. This may include three woods (driver, 3-wood and 5-wood), eight irons, (3-9 iron and pitching wedge), and putter. These are the standard 12 clubs in many golf bags.
How many drivers can you carry in golf bag?
Officially, up to 14 clubs are legally allowed to be in a golfer's bag. Golfers have the discretion to choose how they combine those 14 clubs, such as Phil Mickelson famously playing two drivers in a few major championships throughout his career. But they are allowed no more than 14 during an official round.
Can PGA players change clubs between rounds?
A player is not allowed to replace a damaged club, except when it is damaged during the round by an outside influence or natural forces or by someone other than the player or his or her caddie.
What is the USGA list?
The USGA publishes a list updated every Monday. It contains club names and manufacturers as well as identifying marks on the club itself and contains pictures of each to help users identify non-conforming clubs. Please note this list applies only to clubs used in events played by USGA rules. See additional resources for the USGA listing of legal golf clubs.
What does "nonconforming" mean in the USGA?
The USGA refers to these drivers as conforming--they do meet testing standards established by the USGA in 1998 and revised in 2004. Any driver that does not meet these standards are referred to as nonconforming and are inelligible for use in any competition that conforms to USGA rules.
Can you use non-conforming drivers on the PGA?
Non-conforming drivers cannot be used during any sanctioned event on the PGA, LPGA, Nationwide or Champions Tour. In addition, the American Junior Golf Association follows guidelines and rules identical to the USGA regarding non-legal golf clubs.
Does the USGA evaluate clubs?
The USGA only evaluates clubs for tournaments in the United States . The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews has been following the same procedures for conformity as the USGA since the revamping of the Rules of Gulf in 2008.
What drivers are over the USGA limit?
Drivers deemed over the USGA's limit for springlike effect included the first versions of the Nike Sumo2 and a single version of the Callaway Big Bertha 460 driver (the 13-degree HT model). At least two others were being investigated at press time.
Who is the USGA technical director?
Dick Rugge, the USGA's senior technical director, began an investigation of the problem when another manufacturer offered evidence that several rivals were producing a percentage of their clubs over the limit.
What are the rules for golf drivers?
The Rules of Golf regulate both game play and the equipment used to play golf. Rule 4 and Appendix II outline the rules as they apply to all clubs, including drivers.
What is Rule 4 in golf?
Rule 4 of the Rules of Golf regulates a driver's use during a round. You can't purposely change or adjust a club in any way; if you do, it becomes a nonconforming driver and you face a penalty.
What is the clubface of a golf club?
Any face that creates significantly more or less spin than a standard steel face or acts like a trampoline to "bounce" the ball a greater distance is not allowed. Faces that are grooved or "punch-marked" are allowed, but rules regulate the size and depth of these marks.
How long is a golf club shaft?
A club's shaft length must be greater than 18 inches but not more than 48 inches.
Do drivers have to have the same shaft?
General. Drivers must conform to most of the same rules as the other clubs. For example, drivers need to be "traditional," with only have one head and one shaft. It's possible, however, to have a club without material added for a grip.
Can you have holes in a driver's clubhead?
The driver's clubhead is where most manufacturers become experimental, so it's also regulated. You can't have holes of any type in the clubhead – apart from the shaft's mounting hole, of course – and protrusions or depressions in the head's body must not extend onto the face.
How many clubs can you carry in golf?
You are allowed to carry up to 14 clubs for play (but you can have fewer). There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry – for instance you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed. If you start a round with 14 clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, ...
How many clubs can you use in a golf round?
If you start a round with 14 clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one or break one while making a stroke. But you can continue using a damaged club or have it repaired if possible.
How many clubs can you share?
When you have a partner, you can share clubs, provided that the total number of clubs between the two of you is no more than 14. For example, if you have 6 clubs and your partner has 8 clubs, the total is 14 and you can share.
What is the purpose of the golf club rule?
The purpose of this Rule is to penalize a player that purposely modifies his or her club during a round – for example to a flatter lie, a greater loft, an alternative weight distribution or changing the head or shaft, regardless of whether the club has been designed to be adjustable.
How many necks does a golf club have?
The most important points to remember here are that a club must only have one neck, that it must be “plain” and, in order to restrict elaborate shapes and curves, the length of the neck is limited to 5 inches (127 mm). The interpretation of a “plain” neck is clarified as follows:
What is a putter club?
A putter is a club with a loft not exceeding ten degrees designed primarily for use on the putting green.
How many grips does a putter have?
putter may have two grips provided each is circular in cross-section, the axis of each coincides with the axis of the shaft, and they are separated by at least 1.5 inches (38.1 mm).
When the clubhead is in its normal address position, the dimensions of the head must be such that the distance from the
When the clubhead is in its normal address position, the dimensions of the head must be such that the distance from the heel to the toe is greater than the distance from the face to the back.
How to tell the depth of a groove on a golf club?
In order to judge the depth of a groove on a club, the disc should be placed onto the face with the ridge running along the inside of the groove. The user should then apply pressure to the disc, on both sides of the ridge, to see if the disc will rock from side to side.
What is Rule 4 in golf?
Purpose: Rule 4 covers the equipment that players may use during a round. Based on the principle that golf is a challenging game in which success should depend on the player’s judgment, skills and abilities, the player:
