There are equipment Rules that most golfers are aware of – You can’t carry more than 14 clubs, you can’t share clubs with a playing partner, you can’t replace your wedge during a round if you snap it over your knee in anger.
But there are some more subtle gear specific Rules that you could be breaking without even knowing about it.
Here below we highlight five equipment-based rules that you may not be aware of. Have a read through and see if you know them all… It could save you a stroke or two, or perhaps even a disqualification!
1. Don’t Leave Stickers On Your Driver
Don’t leave these on there!
(Image credit: Tom Miles)
If you’re testing clubs or being custom fit, it’s likely you will have seen the pro place tracker dots or fiducials on the face of the club to give an indication of performance.
You might think these are so minimal as to make no difference if you were to leave them on. You might be right, but you can’t leave them on the face according to The Rules.
They say that those stickers could change the club’s playing characteristics, making it non-conforming and that would be in contravention of Rule 4.1a. If you make a stroke with a club that has fiducials left on, you’ll be disqualified.
If you go for a club fitting, be sure to take those stickers off!
2. Substituting a ball damaged on a previous hole
You can’t substitute a ball damaged on a previous hole
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
Rule 4.2b(2) says a ball may be substituted while playing a hole if it can be clearly seen it is cut and cracked and this damage happened during the hole being played.
But what if the damage happened on the previous hole? Here’s a possible scenario – You’ve played a second shot that leaks right towards out of bounds. But it bounces back violently off a stone wall and ends up, miraculously, inches from the hole.
You tap it in and then go to the next feeling lucky. But you don’t feel so lucky when you strike it from the following tee and it flies strangely. It’s clearly been badly cut by hitting the wall, but you didn’t notice until hitting your drive.
Not only can you not replace it, but you also can’t even lift it to inspect the…
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