Conforming drivers and putter grips get most of the attention when it comes to equipment and the Rules of Golf, but you’re bound to run into other on-course scenarios that could cost you shots (or the chance for an easier swing) if you don’t have the right information. Follow these four rules to steer clear of the gear police.
1. Don’t Drop The Ball
Taking a drop is part of golf – either the free kind for avoiding something like a cartpath, or the penalty kind for continuing on after hitting into a hazard. The amount of relief you get – one club-length or two – depends on the situation. When taking a free drop, you get one club-length, and penalty drops offer two. In either case, make sure to use your longest club as your measuring tool. It isn’t cheating to give yourself the most clearance you can, according to the rules.
2. Keep the Tool in the Bag
Adjustable drivers have become the industry standard, and it’s good fun (and good golf) to fine-tune your clubhead to suit the type of shot you want to hit. But Rule 4-2a is clear: you cannot adjust the playing characteristics of your club during a round. So resist the temptation to crank up the fade bias for that hard dogleg to the right. Save it for the practice range and, preferably, under the supervision of an experienced fitter.
3. Keep Your Hands to Yourself
Admit it. You borrowed your cart mate’s wedge to hit that chip when you otherwise would’ve had to walk all the way across the green to get yours. It’s convenient but also illegal, according to Rule 4-4a. You’re allowed to play with no more than 14 clubs, and they all have to come out of your bag. The only exception is when you’re playing in a team event. You can use one of your partner’s clubs, but only if the two of you combine to have 14 clubs or less.
4. Stay out of the Bullpen
Miss enough putts and it’s likely tempting to stop in the carpark to bring in a sub – especially when it’s adjacent to the next tee. But if you start a round with 14 clubs, Rule 4-4a says you can’t change them, unless one gets broken during the normal course of play. The only way to add something new is to start with fewer than 14. Then you can make that desperation purchase in the pro shop at the turn.
– Matthew Rudy
Can You Use a Homemade Club?
US Tour player Bryson DeChambeau, famous for using irons that are all the same length, continues to break new equipment ground. This time, it was with a putter he built to use with a sidesaddle technique. It’s perfectly legal to build your own putter, as long as it satisfies the specific conditions outlined in the Rules of Golf. Among the requirements: at least 18 inches in length, a lie angle of at least 10 degrees, no more than 10 degrees of loft and a head that isn’t longer than it is wide. For materials, it’s up to you, your imagination and your wallet.
