When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
"She had bought the wedges and had been told they were conforming."
/It took a while, but the rush to make the groove rule applicable to 2010 USGA events without a simple way to test clubs has finally created an unfortunate situation, reports E. Michael Johnson.
Groove Rule Changes Ushers In Youth Movement!
/2010 Masters Saturday Clippings
/"No spinning the numbers: Grooves rollback a minor factor so far"
/Letter From Saugerties, The Grooves So Far
/Dear Geoff:
"You can never have too much interaction of information amongst stakeholders in any endeavor"
/Can You Feel The Love This Afternoon?
/Sadly, I'm going to miss this one. But there's always the transcript.
Teleconference With PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem and
PING Chairman and CEO John Solheim
"Notice Regarding USGA Forum on Equipment Rulemaking"
/"We'd be foolish not to consider it, although it is extremely controversial."
/E. Michael Johnson raises all sorts of interesting questions in considering whether manufacturers should offer non-conforming lines of equipment.
"We've looked extensively at possibilities in the nonconforming category," said Nate Radcliffe, metalwoods development manager for Cleveland Golf. "We'd be foolish not to consider it, although it is extremely controversial."
It's a category?
Now, 10 years later, might Callaway revisit nonconforming clubs? "Some think we may be likely to go down that path," said Dr. Alan Hocknell, Callaway's senior VP of research & development, "but one thing we hold highly at this company is authenticity. Playing by the rules is perhaps the most authentic part of golf. I'd say we're more likely to stay inside the rules than go outside them."
Which isn't to say Callaway hasn't looked at the landscape. Hocknell said the company has done consumer research and found golfers split on the topic. Then there's the business aspect. Any company entering the nonconforming arena is likely to be branded by its competition as making clubs for cheaters. "To have our brand positioned that way would be a huge risk," said Hocknell.
Two questions. Do you think this is a good idea for the game and would it be wise for manufacturers to go down this path?
It doesn't bother me much since the game is bifurcated with the groove rule change and if nothing else, just think, we wouldn't have to listen to the manufacturers whine about the big, bad USGA impacting quarterly profit margins!
“Everyone wants to be a pro, so why not act like one?”
/"Both parties acknowledge, however, that there may be special circumstances where the PGA Tour determines a special rule is necessary for its competition."
/"As you probably know, the Masters is conducted under the USGA's rules of golf; there is no intention to make an exception in this case."
/If you were hoping the Lords of Augusta would show some spine and tell PING Eye2 users to keep their wedges in cold storage for the 2010 Masters, think again. Steve Elling reports exclusively.