About the Equipment Database

The Equipment Database identifies golf balls and clubs that have been submitted and evaluated for conformance to the Rules of Golf by the United States Golf Association and/or The R&A.

1) List of Conforming Driver Heads

2) List of Conforming Golf Balls

3) Clubs reviewed for Groove and Punch Mark Specifications (i.e., Informational Club Database).

Included in the Database are the 1) List of Conforming Driver Heads, 2) List of Conforming Golf Balls, and clubs reviewed for 3) Groove and Punch Mark Specifications (i.e., Informational Club Database).

Competition Committees can require, through a Model Local Rule, that a player’s driver or ball is included on the appropriate Conforming List and/or that their clubs conform to the appropriate specifications. 

1) List of Conforming Driver Heads

The List of Conforming Driver Heads identifies the models and lofts of all driver heads that have been submitted to the United States Golf Association and/or The R&A and have been determined to conform to the Rules of Golf. It is updated every Monday.

• The List of Conforming Driver Heads, Model Local Rule G-1, requires players to use only drivers with clubheads that have been evaluated and approved as conforming under the Equipment Rules (i.e., included on the List), and is recommended for use only in competitions limited to highly skilled players (that is, professional and elite amateur competitions). NOTE - Driver heads manufactured prior to 1999 are exempt from the requirement of this Local Rule.
• The Local Rule only covers driver heads. However, any driving club that a player uses must conform to all other rules pertaining to golf clubs.
• Each model is listed as a separate entry with corresponding lofts and identification markings that are essential to determining whether the driver head listed is the same as the driver head in question. NOTE - Only an image of the driver head's sole is provided in the List. If all markings of the clubhead do not match exactly to a club that is in question, it may be a different model. If you have any question regarding the conformance status of any club, please contact the USGA for further assistance.
• It is the player's responsibility to use clubs that conform to the Rules of Golf, and all relevant Terms of the Competition and Local Rules. Players and manufacturers should ensure that any modification of a driver head does not alter the playing characteristics in a way that makes it different from the sample submitted for evaluation which appears on the List.
• If a driver fails any on-site evaluation (such as club length, spring effect, groove dimensions), the individual club is considered non-conforming and must not be used to make a stroke by the player even if that model of driver appears on the List.
• Until further notice, there will be no expiration date for a clubhead included on the List. However, a clubhead included on the List may be removed if it no longer conforms to the Rules of Golf due to a subsequent Rules change, as an example.
• The List of Conforming Driver Heads can be downloaded here:
  • List of Conforming Driver Heads - Sorted by Manufacturer
  • List of Conforming Driver Heads - Sorted by Product Name

2) List of Conforming Golf Balls

The List of Conforming Golf Balls identifies golf balls that have been submitted to the United States Golf Association and/or The R&A and have been determined to conform to the Rules of Golf. It is updated the first Wednesday of each month.

• This List of Conforming Golf Balls, Model Local Rule G-3, requires players to use only golf balls that have been evaluated and approved as conforming under the Equipment Rules (i.e., included on the List), and is recommended for use only in competitions limited to highly skilled players (that is, professional and elite amateur competitions).
• Each ball type is listed as a separate entry in the Database. For each ball type the following information is given to the extent that it appears on the ball:
  • Pole marking(s): For identification, pole markings are defined as the major markings, regardless of the actual location with respect to any manufacturing seams.
  • Seam marking(s): For identification, seam markings, on the equator of the ball, are defined as the minor markings, regardless of the actual location with respect to any manufacturing seams.
  • Color of cover.
  • NOTE: Player numbers are not considered to be part of the markings. A single ball type may have player numbers of different colors and still be listed as a single ball type.
• Due to the complexity of the markings on some brands, players and officials should make sure that the markings on the ball correspond exactly to the description of one of the listed balls, especially when the List of Conforming Golf Balls Local Rule has been adopted. If there is any doubt, please contact the USGA for further assistance.
• Additional information provided by the manufacturer describing the ball construction, spin rating and the number of dimples is included in the Downloadable List (see below). The following abbreviations are used in various combinations to describe the construction of the ball:
  • Two-Piece (2P); Three-Piece (3P); Four-Piece (4P); Five-Piece (5P)
  • Solid Center (SC)
  • Single Cover (1c); Double Cover (2c)
  • Other (O)

The spin rating describes the spin performance of the ball (H-high; M-medium; or L-low) when struck using a driver and a short iron.

• The List of Conforming Golf Balls can be downloaded here:
  • List of Conforming Golf Balls

3) Groove and Punch Mark Specifications (i.e., Informational Club Database)

Effective from Jan. 1, 2010, the USGA adopted additional specifications for grooves and punch marks in the impact area of irons, wedges, fairway woods and hybrids. The additional specifications are required for all new models manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2010 and may apply to any model, regardless of manufactured date, if the Committee adopts the Groove and Punch Mark Specifications, Model Local Rule G-2, which requires that the player's clubs conform to the Rules of Golf effective from Jan. 1, 2010.

The Database is designed to facilitate a search of irons, wedges, fairway woods and hybrids that have been submitted to the USGA and/or The R&A and evaluated to determine whether they meet the requirements of the Local Rule.

Most clubs in production prior to Jan. 1, 2010 were designed to comply with a different set of groove and punch mark specifications. Clubs that conformed to the Rules of Golf that were in effect prior to Jan. 1, 2010 will continue to conform to the Rules of Golf until further notice, unless the Local Rule is in effect. If the Local Rule is in effect, the clubs must comply with the specifications effective from Jan. 1, 2010.

The Database is intended for reference purposes only and must not be used to require that a player’s clubs are included in the Database when the Local Rule is in effect.

• There may be subtle differences in the markings differentiating two versions of the same model of a club (e.g., a pre-2010 and new version of the same model), or indicating two different models. Please note that these differences vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. As a result, if all markings of the clubhead do not match exactly the markings on the club in question, it may be a different model or version. If you have any question regarding the conformance status of any club, please contact the USGA for further assistance.
• For each listed club, the search result indicates whether that club’s conformance status with the groove and punch mark specifications meets the Rules in effect prior to Jan. 1, 2010 (“Meets Pre-2010 Rules of Golf” - Yes or No) as well as an indication of whether the club meets the Rules of Golf effective from Jan. 1, 2010 (“Meets 2010 Groove Rules” - Yes, No or ATR).
  • A status of "Yes" or "No" indicates that, based on the samples submitted, there was enough information available to provide a definitive answer regarding the status of the club or set of clubs. A player with an iron model that lists only one or two clubs within the set as “Meets 2010 Groove Rules” should not assume that the set conforms – as a result, further verification is necessary.
  • A status of “No” does not mean that the club does not conform to the Rules of Golf. Irons, wedges, hybrids and fairway woods available prior to Jan. 1, 2010, which conform to the Rules of Golf pre-2010, are permitted for use until further notice, provided that The Local Rule is not in effect.
  • “ATR” means “additional testing required”.  Any player who wishes to use such clubs when the Local Rule is in effect should have their clubs individually tested to determine their status. “ATR” is indicated in situations where the results of the official test samples were mixed within a set (e.g., some of the samples submitted within the set met the Local Rule, while other samples within the set did not), or the model did not consistently meet the Local Rule when tested.  In such cases, there is insufficient information available to determine compliance to the Local Rule.
• When an individual club or set of clubs indicates “ATR” the player assumes the risk that their clubs do not comply with the Local Rule. It is highly recommended that the player has the individual club or set of clubs tested to ensure they comply with the Local Rule.
• The edge radius requirements that are part of the 2010 updates do not apply to clubs with lofts of less than 25 degrees, and as a result, some searches may indicate that those clubs within an iron set meet the Local Rule, while the higher lofted irons within a set do not. However, the conformance requirements for Area divided by Pitch applies to all clubs, regardless of loft, other than driving clubs and putters.
• It is the player's responsibility to ensure that their clubs conform to the Rules of Golf, including all applicable conditions of competition. Players should ensure that any clubs used meet the applicable requirements. It is strongly recommended that any questions are resolved by the player in advance of the competition. To have your clubs tested by the USGA prior to the qualifying round or competition, please refer to the following link:  http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/grooves/player-club-testing-information.html.
• The Committee in charge of the competition may rely on the Database and presume that clubs listed as meeting the Local Rule may be used, without further field testing, unless the grooves and/or punch marks have been purposely modified (e.g., by re-grooving or sharpening). If a club is tested and fails any on-site evaluation for compliance with the Local Rule, that individual club may not be used to make a stroke even if that model is included in the Database as complying with the Local Rule.