Thousands of golfers could fall foul of new driver regulations that kick into play on January 1st.
The rule, clamping down on the spring effect of drivers, was designed to tackle rampant technology which has seen many of the top players hit the ball huge distances.
With driver d-day just a few weeks away, golf's governing body the R&A has put together a Q&A to assist golfers in discovering whether their drivers will be legal or illegal come the New Year.
It's the hot topic dominating club-house talk around the UK and golfers in any doubt are also encouraged to check with their local PGA professional who will not only give great advice but perhaps find you a suitable replacement.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions compiled by the R&A designed to shed more light on the new rule.
Q.1 Will the new Rule on drivers be applicable to amateur, Club level golfers?
Yes. The new Rule will apply to all golfers, of all abilities, in all forms of play. This includes Club level golfers playing in their Club competitions and medals.
Q.2 Can individual Golf Clubs decide to allow the use of non-conforming drivers via a Local Rule or Condition of Competition?
No. A Committee has no power to waive a Rule of Golf (see Rule 33-1). Local Rules and Conditions of Competitions can only be introduced under the terms of Appendix I.
Q.3 Is it up to the Committee to ensure that I am using a driver which conforms to the new Rules?
No. It is your responsibility to ensure that your equipment conforms to the Rules of Golf.
Q.4 Where can I find out if my driver will conform after 1 January 2008?
The R&A has compiled and published the following lists based on the 2008 Rules:
List of Conforming Driver Heads
List of Non-conforming Drivers
These can be accessed from The R&A's website by following the links to 'Rules', 'Equipment' and 'Driving Clubs'.
Q.5 I am a Club level golfer and my driver is not included on either of the published driver lists. Does this mean that I cannot use it after 1 January 2008?
No. As long as there is no strong evidence to suggest that your driver does not conform to the new Rule, you may continue to use it (but see Q6). Examples of strong evidence would include the following examples:
- Your driver includes a marking on the head which is similar to markings only found on drivers from the same manufacturer which are on the non-conforming list.
- The same model of driver is included on the non-conforming list, but in other lofts.
- Advertising material claims that the driver is manufactured to be contrary to the Rules for 2008.
In the avoidance of any doubt, you should contact the manufacturer of the club or The R&A.
Q.6 I am a low handicap golfer competing at Club level, but I am also planning to enter County and National level competitions. My driver is not on either of the published lists. Can I use it after 1 January 2008?
Using this driver in Club competitions would be permissible as long as it satisfies the criteria detailed in the answer to Q5.
Using the driver at County and National level would not be permitted if the Committee in charge of those events had decided to introduce the Driving Club Condition as a Condition of Competition. This Condition requires that the driver the player uses is included on the List of Conforming Driver Heads.
Q.7 What is the difference between the Rule on drivers and the Driving Club Condition?
The new Rule on drivers requires that the driver does not exceed a characteristic time of 239 microseconds (plus tolerance of 18 microseconds). This is the limit on a club's spring effect.
The Condition requires that the driver the player uses not only conforms to this Rule, but is also included on the List of Conforming Driver Heads. The Condition is an additional requirement which can be introduced by Committees in charge of elite level competitions. It is not recommended for use at Club level golf.
Q.8 Why is the use of the Condition not recommended for use at Club level golf? If all drivers had to be included on the Conforming List, wouldn't this make it less confusing for Club level golfers and easier for Club Committees?
Applying the Condition at Club level could take drivers out of golfers' bags unnecessarily. There are many small manufacturers and club component manufacturers around the world who do not submit their products for a ruling and it would be unreasonable to prohibit the use of these clubs even though they may and probably do conform to the Rules.
Q.9 If I am a Club golfer and I would like to know the conformance status of a driver not on the List, what can I do?
In the first instance, you can contact The R&A through the 'contact us' section of The R&A's website and ask whether the driver has been submitted to them for a ruling. It may have been submitted and ruled non-conforming for another reason.
If it has never been submitted, you could contact the manufacturer and ask them to confirm that the club was manufactured to conform to the 2008 Rules. You could also request that they submit a sample of the club to one of the Governing Bodies (The R&A or the United States Golf Association) for a ruling.
Finally, as a last resort, you could send your club to The R&A for testing. Whilst The R&A would not be able to list the model as a result of this 'unofficial' submission, you would be notified as to the conformance status of the club.
Q.10 I purchased my club in 1996 and I cannot find it on either of the published lists. Will it conform after 1 January 2008?
All models of driver manufactured prior to 1999 are assumed to conform to the Rules for 'spring effect' and are deemed to be on the Conforming List - provided they have not been modified post manufacture or previously ruled not to conform for another reason. Any pre-1999 drivers which have been submitted and do not conform to the Rules for 'spring effect' are included on the Non-conforming List (for 2008).
Q.11 My driver is a 'copy' or 'clone' of a popular model which is on the Conforming List. The markings on my driver are slightly different, but can I assume my club also conforms? It is unlikely ever to be submitted.
In the absence of any strong evidence to suggest that your driver does not conform, you should continue to use it in the belief that it does conform. However, due to the difference in the markings, you cannot regard it as a 'listed club' (i.e. a club on the Conforming List).