On May 23, the final round of the 5A girls high school championship was played at The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden. During the round, an unusual equipment ruling arose. A player thought her 3 wood might be just a little too much club for her intended shot. She used a tool to alter the loft of the 3 wood to a 4 wood to make the distance just right. Rule 4 in the Rules of Golf deals with changing the characteristics of a club during a round. Rules of Golf Committee member Mike Rice was on the scene and helped the player with the ruling.
Unfortunately, purposefully changing the characteristics of a club by altering the loft during a round is not permitted. The Rules demand that the altered club be immediately taken out of play and the player incurs a two-stroke penalty. Fortunately that’s the only penalty the player incurred: If she had made a stroke with the altered club or not taken it out of play, she would have been disqualified.
CONTINUED: After my post on 5/24/17, I received a number of emails and phone calls about changing the characteristics of a club during a round. The central theme was, “What if the head of my driver becomes loose during my round, can I tighten it.” Rule 4-3 allows a player to repair a club that has become damaged during the normal course of play (ie, not in anger by slamming the club on the ground). The loft and any other adjustable characteristics must be set to what was in place at the beginning of the round. If the driver head cannot be tightened down, the club may be replaced with any club. Great question.
As an additional resource to this Rule, here are some examples of the top 5 questions we encounter regarding clubs:
Q: If my club head becomes lose during a round, can I fix it?
A: Yes, you may repair a club during a stipulated round if it was damaged in the normal course of play.
Q: If I do damage my club in anger or not in the normal course of play, what should I do?
A: That club is now non-conforming and most be declared out of play (Rule4-2a)
Q: What does “unfit for play” mean?
A: A club is unfit for play if it is substantially damaged, e.g., the shaft is dented, significantly bent or breaks into pieces; the clubhead becomes loose, detached or significantly deformed; or the grip becomes loose. A club is not unfit for play solely because the club’s lie or loft has been altered, or the clubhead is scratched. This is a direct quote from the Note under Rule 4-3a.
Q: I have older clubs and they’ve become worn out over the years with knicks and bumps, when would those become non-conforming?
A: Per Rule 4-1, clubs that conform with the Rules when they were brand new are deemed to conform through normal wear and tear.
Q: If I lose my club or my caddie loses my club during a round or it is left behind a few holes back, can I replace it?
A: No, Decision 4-3/10 states that the club was not damaged in the normal course of play so it may not be replaced.
