[PHOTO: dlinca]
Even if you haven’t familiarised yourself with the equipment rules in the Rules of Golf, you’re probably aware the R&A and USGA keep a long list of clubs and balls that are considered conforming and allowed for play. But what about other equipment that golfers use? Things such as tees, shoes, gloves, rangefinders – all of that stuff is also regulated under Rule 4.
What is there to regulate about such seemingly innocuous items, you might ask? The big thing to remember is that the any equipment you’re using must not create a potential advantage for you in relation to other players.
Under Rule 4.3a, you can’t use equipment (other than a club or ball) that artificially eliminates or reduces the need for a skill or judgment that is essential to the challenge of the game. You also can’t use equipment (including a club or ball) in an abnormal way when making a stroke. An “abnormal way” means one that is fundamentally different than its intended use and is not normally recognised as part of playing the game.
All of this brings us to the topic of golf gloves. Many golfers grip the club in such a way that the friction between the handle and the glove causes tears and holes in the material. Knowing that gloves can retail for up to $50, it might have occurred to you that you can get more mileage out of one by either taping up a hole or by putting some sort of protective tape on the glove to prevent damage.
It’s not a bad idea to do that, but just remember Rule 4.3a and the equipment rules that prevent you from gaining an advantage by using tape. How so? Well, there is a limit to the thickness of the tape that can be used.
“A ‘plain’ glove must not incorporate material on the gripping surface or inside of the glove, the primary purpose of which is to provide padding or which has the effect of providing padding.
“Padding is defined as an area of glove material which is more than 0.025 inches (0.635 mm) thicker than the adjacent areas of the glove without the added material. Note: material may be added for wear resistance, moisture absorption or other functional purposes, provided it does not exceed the definition of padding.”
In short, it’s OK to apply some athletic tape or similar to a golf glove to prolong its usefulness, however, be careful about its thickness.
Carter Rich, the USGA’s senior director for equipment rules, explains why it matters:
“In the past, inventors developed gloves with padding designed, for example, to assist with placing the grip in a specific position or otherwise assist [a player]. That is not a desired feature under the Rules of Golf/Equipment Rules.
“However, there was a recognition that tape applied to the glove or padding incorporated into the glove to protect against wear should continue to be permitted. There was instructive precedent with various thicknesses of padding that was likely based on a subjective determination of how much padding was too much. In the 2000s, we quantified that precedent to eliminate the subjectivity of the assessment and enhance consistency of the application of the rule.
“We also recognised that players with a medical need for padding, such as players with arthritis of the hands, could petition their committee or the committee in charge of a competition to use a padded glove, provided that the committee determined that the player would not gain an undue advantage over other players. A padded glove that assists with gripping, other than shock absorbance, would typically exceed the permission granted by the medical exception and would not be permitted for use even for a player with a medical condition.”
If you’re wondering, as we did, how to tell if the tape you are using conforms, the USGA does maintain a database of equipment submissions but doesn’t maintain a published list of conforming equipment, Rich says. You could always check with the manufacturer to find out if the tape is too thick, but it’s a safe bet a standard piece of athletic tape is within the limits.
MORE GOLF DIGEST RULES REVIEWS
My opponent drove in front of me and I hit hit golf cart. Who gets the penalty stroke?
Can you be penalised for playing music on a golf course?
It’s one of the most loathed rules in golf. So why can’t you take free relief from a divot hole?
Our match is going to extra holes. How do handicap strokes apply now?
If I narrow my stance, I’ll be stepping on a sprinkler head. Can I take relief?
I took a drop the old way from shoulder height. Is that a penalty now?
My ball is just outside a ‘no-play zone’. Can I stand in it to hit my shot?
How can I possibly know ‘exactly’ where my ball crossed into a penalty area?
I know I saw his golf ball move when he removed that pine straw. Why wasn’t he penalised?
How you can drop your ball in the fairway after hitting it OB (and it’s perfectly legal)
Can you pass our 10-question rules quiz?
I’m hitting a 6-iron on a par 3. Can I use my driver to measure the teeing area?
Here’s a crafty (but legal) way to take relief and get your ball into a much better lie
What’s it called now? A quick refresher in rules terminology
When taking relief, when do I drop the ball and when should I place it?
My opponent is acting like a tool. Do the rules say anything about unsportsmanlike conduct?
Can I clean mud off my ball while playing a hole?
My ball’s in the water, and it’s on the move! What are my options?
My ball is in bounds but an OB stake is interfering with my shot. Can I move the stake?
Can I be penalised for delaying play if I stop to get a hotdog or a drink?
When am I allowed to substitute a golf ball on the course?
I stopped my swing before hitting the ball. Does that count as a stroke?
I hit myself with my own ball. Embarrassment aside, is that a penalty?
What happens in a match when no one knows how to apply a rule?
My opponent stopped my ball from rolling on purpose. Is that a penalty?
While waiting to play a shot, my opponent is killing time by chipping a ball. Is this allowed?
My ball is in a penalty area, so what are my options for taking a drop?
Can I be penalised if someone else improves my lie?
Can you repair divot holes or pitch marks in your line before hitting a shot?
I just played the wrong ball. What do I do now?
What do I do if my ball just hit another ball on the green?
What do you do when the tee markers aren’t lined up or are missing?
Somebody just picked up my golf ball! Now what?
Crazy things that only happen in matchplay
Can you hit a provisional ball after hitting a shot into a penalty area?
Your club breaks, what are your options?
My opponent took a generous drop after hitting into a penalty area. Can he be DQ’d for that?
Can I use a long putter when measuring my relief area?
Our practice putting green sucks. Can I hit a few putts on the course before my round?
I had an extra club in my bag and I just teed off. Now what?
Can I move a stone if it improves my lie?
Are you smart enough to ace this basic rules quiz?
Do I get relief from aeration holes?
What does ‘known or virtually certain’ really mean?
Do you have to use a putter on the green?
You’re playing a Srixon. Two holes later it’s a Callaway. Is switching golf balls mid-round allowed?
I hit a horrible shot. I’m waaaaaay better off if I don’t find the ball. Can I just declare it lost?
I’m on the green, my opponent is not. Who’s away?
Is sneaking a peek in another player’s bag considered getting advice?
What do I do if my golf ball is stuck in a tree?
I conceded a putt. My opponent putted anyway and missed. Is that a penalty?
What is casual water and how do I play around it?
I thought my ball was lost and put another in play then found my first ball… which ball counts?
What happens if I can’t tell my provisional ball from my original?
What exactly is an embedded ball?
How do I find my ‘nearest point of relief’?
How long can I take to hit a shot?
Does a ball have to be unplayable to declare it unplayable?
