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Driver D-Day - Questions

Driver D-Day: Frequently Asked Questions

 
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.


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.


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.


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

(www.randa.org) by following the links to ‘Rules’,

‘Equipment’ and ‘Driving Clubs’.


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:

(i) 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.

(ii) the same model of driver is included on the nonconforming

list, but in other lofts.

(iii) 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.


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.

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.


Here's a link to the R&A Web site for a list
of the illegal / Non Conforming Drivers 

R&A List non Conforming Drivers after 1st Jan 2008


MORE QUESTIONS


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.


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

(www.randa.org) 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.

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).


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).
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