1. Clubs

a. General

Appendix II, 1a states that:

In defining what is meant by the term ‘club’, this Rule makes reference to the three main forms a club traditionally takes, i.e., woods, irons and putters. The words ‘wood’ and ‘iron’ do not necessarily refer to the material the club is made out of, but rather to the general shape of the clubhead. A ‘wood’ club is one where the head is relatively broad from face to back, and it can be made of materials such as titanium, steel or wood. An ‘iron’ club is one where the head is relatively narrow from face to back, and it is usually made of steel. By definition, the loft of a putter must not exceed 10 degrees and a club with a loft greater than that is normally regarded as an iron club. Putters are permitted to have negative loft.However, a loft of less than -15 degrees would not be considered “traditional and customary in form and make” (See Design of Clubs, Section 1a(i)).

The Rules and guidelines rarely distinguish between ‘wood’ and ‘iron’ clubs (see Design of Clubs, Sections 5b, c and e for examples of where there are distinctions), but there are various instances throughout the Rules where certain specifications do not apply to putters, or at the very least where exceptions may be made for putters. These differences in the Rules will be highlighted appropriately throughout this Guide.

As a consequence of these differences, confusion often exists as to which rules apply to “chippers,” i.e., iron clubs which are specifically designed to be used just off the putting green with a putting stroke. For clarification on “The Status of a Chipper,” see Decision 4-1/3 in “Decisions on the Rules of Golf” and Design of Clubs, Section 1c.

Appendix II, 1a goes on to state that:

In explaining this part of the Rule, it is easier to divide into the following four sections:

(i) Traditional and Customary Form and Make.

The phrase “traditional and customary form and make” does not mean that clubs must look the same as they did 100 years ago. If so, steel shafts and metal woodheads would not conform to the Rules. As noted in the introduction to this guide, it is not the purpose of the Rules to stifle innovation.

In practice, the “Traditional and Customary Rule” is rarely used — having been largely superseded by the “Plain in Shape” Rule (see Design of Clubs, Section 4b). However, it is still applied in those cases where the Equipment Standards Committee decides that a particular design deviates from traditional appearance and/or construction standards, but which may not be covered by a more specific provision within the Rules.

(ii) Club Composition.

The purpose of this provision is merely to stipulate that multiple shafts and heads are not permitted. It also highlights that it is not necessary for a club to have material added to the shaft for gripping. The attachment of gripping material to the end of the shaft is a permitted exception to the “External Attachments” Rule (see Design of Clubs, Sections 1a(iv) and 3).

(iii) All parts must be fixed.

This is interpreted to mean that no part of the golf club should be designed to move, nor should it be promoted as doing so. Therefore, if any part of a club were to incorporate moving powder, pellets, liquid, vibrating wires, rollers, tuning forks, or any number of other features which could be considered a “moving part,” it would be in breach of this rule.

The shaft is not considered to be a moving part, even though it may flex during the swing.

(iv) There must be no external attachments.

This Rule does not allow the attachment of aiming bars or weights, or anything which could potentially have an effect on the performance of a club. In some circumstances, permanent additions to a putter head may be considered a permissible appendage and, as such, could conform to the Rules provided the head satisfies the “plain in shape” requirements under Appendix II, 4a (see Design of Clubs, Section 4a). However, such additions must not be temporary in nature, non-durable or easily removable.

Exceptions to the “external attachments” Rule include decals for identification and tape to protect the shaft from being scratched or worn. Two other notable exceptions to this Rule are (a) the permission to apply lead tape on the shaft or head (see also Design of Clubs, Section 1b and Decision 4-1/4 in “Decisions on the Rules of Golf”), and (b) the use of a suction cup at the end
of the shaft of a putter to assist with retrieving the ball from the hole (something which has traditionally been permitted). This exception does not extend to permitting the attachment of tee-pegs at the butt-end of a grip or clip-on ball markers or pitch-mark repairers during the stroke (although some ball markers/pitch mark repairers that have been integrated into the grip, are permitted).

The inclusion of the phrase “except as otherwise permitted by the Rules” is necessary to allow, for example, material added to form a grip (see Design of Clubs, Section 3).

b. Adjustability

Appendix II, 1b states that:

In order to preserve the integrity of Rule 4-2 (Playing Characteristics Changed), this rule clearly states that it must not be too easy for a player to make adjustments during the course of a stipulated round. This is interpreted to mean that adjustments must require the use of a special tool, such as an Allen key or a Phillips screwdriver. It must not be possible to make the adjustment just by using the fingers, or something which would normally be kept in a golfer’s pocket, such as a coin or a pitch-mark repair tool.  

The above restrictions have been included in the Rules in order to encourage the player to make all of the necessary adjustments to his clubs before teeing off, and to protect him from either unwittingly or purposely making adjustments during a round.

(ii) Adjustability for weight.

All clubs may be designed to be adjustable for weight, provided the adjustment mechanism conforms to the conditions described previously and in Appendix II,1b of the Rules. Examples of what would and would not be permitted are illustrated below.

As noted in Design of Clubs, Section 1a, with respect to adjustments for weight, the only exception to the conditions described in (i) above is the addition or removal of lead tape. This is a practice which pre-dates the introduction of the adjustability rules and is permitted on ‘traditional’ grounds. Of course, the addition or removal of lead tape during a round is not permitted (see Rule 4-2a and Decision 4-2/0.5 in “Decisions on the Rules of Golf”).

(iii) Other kinds of adjustability.

Only putters may be designed to be adjustable in ways other than weight. For example, a putter may be designed to be adjustable for lie and length. Again, these adjustments must require the use of a special tool, not just the fingers or a coin, etc. If, as is often the case, a screw is used to fix the mechanism, the putter must, for all practicable purposes, be unusable without the screw being in place and tightly fixed.

When assessing the conformity of an adjustable putter, it is important to remember the third condition listed in Appendix II, 1b, and to ensure that the putter cannot be adjusted into a position which does not conform to the Rules. For example, a putter which is adjustable for lie must not be adjustable into a position where the shaft diverges from the vertical by less than ten degrees (see Appendix II, 1d and Design of Clubs, Section 1d), or any other position which would render the club non-conforming.

c. Length

Appendix II, 1c states that:

This Rule is straight forward and the measurement of woods and irons is well described and illustrated in “The Rules of Golf.” The measurement of length for putters can be illustrated as follows:

Please note that the Equipment Standards Committee has adopted a position that clubs designed for chipping, including modified wedges, must be no longer than standard length clubs of similar loft.

d. Alignment

Appendix II, 1d states that:

This Rule is particularly relevant to putters, and it exists mainly as a means for disallowing croquet or pendulum style putters (with vertical shafts) and shuffle-board style strokes (see Figure 4).

For most putters, the “normal address position” is determined by the geometry of the head. The head would be placed on a horizontal flat surface, with the sole touching that surface at a point directly below the center of the face. The shaft angle is measured with the head in this position (see Figure 5).

If the putter head shape or weight distribution is very asymmetric, it may be necessary to make a subjective judgement as to where the effective center of the face is, and then to sole the club directly below that point. The position of the head in this instance may not always be the position that was intended by design. Nonetheless, in some cases, a judgment must be made based on whether the club could feasibly and effectively be used (see Figure 6).

The same subjectivity may also be needed when confronted with a putter which has a very curved sole (see Figure 7). As before, the Equipment Standards Committee takes into account not only the manner in which the putter is designed to be used, but also the way it could feasibly and effectively be used, given the geometry of the head as well as other unique characteristics of the overall design. This interpretation is particularly relevant to long-shafted putters with very curved or multi-planed soles — however, standard length putters of approximately 34 to 38 inches may also be subjected to this assessment.

It should be noted that all putters can usually be positioned in such a way that the shaft diverges from the vertical by less than 10° or even to a position where the shaft itself is vertical. Also, it is unusual for the sole of a putter to be completely flat all the way from heel to toe. When faced with a ruling of this kind, the decision should not be based on whether a player uses the putter with the shaft in a position of less than 10° — but whether the putter design facilitates a player placing the shaft in a position of less than 10°.

If the overall design of a putter is such that the player can achieve a “pendulum” style stroke, it would be ruled contrary to the intent of Appendix II, 1d, even if the shaft angle does satisfy the 10 degree Rule when the putter is in its “normal address position.” In assessing whether a putter can be used effectively in a “pendulum” style manner, the combination of the following features must be considered:

• length of shaft

• position of shaft attachment to head

• angle of shaft in toe to heel plane and front to back plane

• shape and weight distribution of head

• curvature and shape of sole

• intent of the design

Even though each of these putter features, when considered separately, could conform to the Rules, the combination of the features might lead to a non-conforming decision.

This is an extremely good example of an area where tournament officials should take care not to make a decision unless they are 100% certain they are correct. If, after examining the club and carrying out all of the appropriate consultations, it is still not possible to give a definitive ruling, a Duration of Competition or Duration of Round Answer should be given (see Field Procedures — Guidance to Rules Officials Concerning Questions on the Conformity of Clubs at Competitions).

The determination of a feasible “normal address position” is highly subjective and in terms of those putters actually submitted to the USGA, the job of
making rulings is easier because it is possible to compare them with previous submissions and rulings.

Appendix II, 1d goes on to state that:

The intent of this rule is to prevent center shafted clubs (see Design of Clubs, Section 2c — Attachment to the Clubhead).
The measurement is illustrated in Figure 9.

As provided in the Rule, in most cases, the shaft of a putter may be attached at any point on the clubhead.