Club Replacement Allowed During Golf Matches After Damage

USGA·R&A Announce 5 Golf Rule Changes Starting New Year
Allowed If Unintentional... Prohibited If Deliberately Damaged
Moved Ball by Wind Returns Without Penalty

[Asia Economy Reporter Tae-won Choi] What if a driver cracks during the first hole tee shot in a professional golf tournament?

According to the existing rules, the player would have to finish the round without a driver that day. However, starting next year, this rule will change. If a suitable club is available, the player will be allowed to immediately replace it with a new driver.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), which establish and manage golf rules worldwide, announced five changes to the golf rules effective January 1 next year on the 7th (local time). This is the first rule revision in four years since 2019. The changes are interpreted as measures to help golfers of all levels better understand the game rules and to align with changes in golf culture.

The most notable rule change is the replacement of damaged clubs during a round. Under current regulations, the number of golf clubs allowed in play is limited to 14. Once the round begins, even if a club breaks or the clubface cracks, replacement is not allowed. However, from next year, this rule will be relaxed, allowing players to replace the club with another. That said, if the player intentionally damages the club out of frustration, replacement will still be prohibited as before.

There will also be no penalty if a stationary ball moves on its own. Until now, if a ball resting on the field moved due to natural causes such as wind, the player had to continue play from the new position. But from next year, the ball can be moved back to its original spot without penalty before continuing play.

Relief for Back on Line situations will be simplified. Back on Line relief refers to dropping the ball near the original spot when the ball lies in a penalty area or an unplayable position. Under current rules, if the dropped ball moves closer to the target, it must be dropped again. However, from next year, if the ball comes to rest within one club length of the drop spot, even if it moves closer to the target, the player can play it as it lies.

Conveniences for disabled golfers will also be expanded. Until now, accommodations for disabled golfers were local rules decided by each tournament committee. But with this change, they will be included in the official rulebook and uniformly applied to all tournaments.

For example, currently, visually impaired players could only have assistants to help with ball marking and alignment if the tournament committee designated it as a local rule. However, with the rule change, visually impaired players will be allowed assistance at all tournaments regardless of the committee’s decision.

Penalties for not recording handicaps on scorecards will be eliminated. In amateur tournaments, golfers had to write their handicaps on scorecards using pencils or other writing tools. But with advancements in score recording applications and technology, records will be managed digitally. The responsibility for transparency and accuracy of records will lie with the tournament organizers.

Grant Moir, R&A Director of Rules, said, "We will continue to strive for a sustainable long-term future. We will enable more resources to be used digitally."

Thomas Pagel, USGA Chief Governance Officer (CGO), stated, "Golf’s popularity is increasing. Modernizing the rules to promote inclusivity and accessibility is a major step in the right direction," adding, "We hope that more people, including golfers with disabilities, will enjoy the game through this revision."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.