How Many Putters Do You Own?

Rules for the Game of Golf

Stop me if you have heard this one!

A man is talking to his wife at the breakfast table. “Hon, I need some new spoons before the weekend.”

She looks up from her oatmeal, squints her eyes and twists her lips. “What in the name of peace are you goin on about?” she snarls.

“The club is starting a new tournament called an “open” and I want to play,” he says as he prepares to dodge her coffee cup. “I know we are saving up for that trip to your mother’s this summer, but I really need those golf clubs. I also need a new cleek.”

Needless to say, that summer vacation in 1577 wasn’t interrupted, and the golfer did not get his new clubs.

Those spoons would have been a good addition to his set of clubs that already included a longnose, a couple of bulgers, some niblicks and a very old cleek. If you visit your local sporting goods store or order online, you probably will need to ask for a driver, fairway woods, irons, and a putter to complete your version of the same set of golf clubs as our past relatives. Don’t forget your high tech, can’t be cut, or cracked, whatever color you want golf balls to hit into the water at your favorite course when ordering.

We certainly have seen a dramatic change in the equipment we use in this game for several hundred years. There may have been lots of changes prior to the early 1900’s but even more since that time. Just look at what the advancement of steel, fiberglass, aluminum, and graphite have provided to the design and technology of making a golf club in the past 50 years. I cannot wait to see what’s on the market tomorrow.

As we open the 2023 Rules Book, Rule 4 provides what, when, where and how we are allowed to use this equipment. It also tells us that we need to use “conforming equipment” when we are competing so that we don’t violate the rules. So, what is conforming to the R&A/USGA? You must investigate the Equipment Rules for these answers. For now, we will concentrate on the information in the Rules of Golf Book for our review.

Rule 4.1 Clubs – The clubs are conforming when they are new or have been changed during the current round of play. In other words, you may use the equipment you choose for a single round that is conforming when the round starts and throughout the round even if the equipment is damaged in any way during that single round. You can also repair or replace the clubs if they are damaged. You will have a problem if your clubs are damaged because of abuse. Although you may continue to play with them, you cannot replace them. You also must never have chosen more than fourteen clubs for use during the round. Do not lose a club…you cannot replace it either!

Now about the golf ball…yes, you can play with any color ball you want. There is a laundry list of conforming balls on the USGA list so it shouldn’t be hard to find one that is right for you. If you ever crack or break a golf ball, cancel the stroke, and replay the shot. You may also want to see how old that ball is! For anyone who is still in the dark about this fact, you may borrow a ball from anybody at any time if you run out of your own supply.

Speaking of technology, did you ever think you could look at your watch and know how far it was to the hole from your golf ball? Distance measuring devices have come a long way. Since 2019, the DMD has been included in the actual rule, instead of requiring a local rule for its’ use. The rule allows you to gather information on distance and/or direction. There is still a penalty assigned to the use of a gauge for measuring elevation or gradient scales.

Preparing to make a stroke has a new emphasis in the rules. For a long time, players were able to use a club or an alignment apparatus to assist in setting up your stance and alignment during their pre-shot routine. Once the player was ready, that equipment would be removed before they played their shot. That opportunity has been eliminated so that the player or anyone else may not lay anything on the ground to assist the player or create a potential advantage for the player.

The rule also concerns the use of gloves and gripping agents, artificial devices such as audio and video equipment, and medical reasons for using certain devices and swing aides. As in all rules, there are differences between when it is allowed and when it is not. Be aware of these subtleties and know when to ask the committee whether these items apply to your competition.

There is a definition for equipment that appears in the rules book. It states that anything used, worn, held, or carried by the player or the player’s caddie that may be used for caring of the course, such as rakes, is equipment only while they are being held or carried by those mentioned. Objects, other than clubs, carried by someone else for the player are not equipment, even if they belong to the player.

The evolution of equipment will continue if there are players wanting to hit the ball straighter, longer, and higher. So, if you aren’t satisfied with your bag of sticks now, just wait a little while longer and save up a little more money!