Accidentally Broken Clubs May Be Replaced, and Four Other USGA Rules Updates
Several key changes to the Rules of Golf are set to go into effect in January, marking a continuation of the effort to make the game more welcoming and accessible.
In 2019, golf’s governing bodies—the USGA and the R&A—introduced sweeping alterations to the rules. It became legal to putt with the flagstick in and ground your club in a penalty area, along with several other changes that, for the most part, satisfied recreational and professional golfers. The 2023 developments aren’t nearly as drastic as 2019, and most of them seem to be more applicable to the pros than the rest of us. Here is everything you need to know about the five new rule changes.
Damaged Clubs
Many golfers might be familiar with this situation: You try to pull off the hero shot from behind a protruding tree root and before you know it your 7-iron is split in two pieces. Previously, golfers whose clubs accidentally broke in the middle of a round were not allowed to replace them. But starting in 2023, players may swap out a damaged club for a replacement, “provided the player did not damage it through abuse.”
Ball Moved By Natural Forces
Many golfers have been anticipating this change because of an unfortunate incident that occurred at the 2019 WM Phoenix Open. Rickie Fowler chipped his ball off of the 11th green into a lake, then dropped his new ball in an appropriate location, only for it to also roll into the penalty area. At the time, Fowler was assessed a one-shot penalty, but he had no control over the ball’s motion. The USGA’s revision to the rule states: “A new exception provides that a ball at rest must be replaced if it moves to another area of the course or comes to rest out of bounds after being dropped, placed, or replaced.” In other words, Rickie would not have incurred a penalty in 2019, and now you won’t either if you find yourself in the same situation.
Back-On-The-Line Relief Procedure
Back-on-the-line relief is used when a golfer hits into a penalty area or decides to take an unplayable drop. The procedure is as follows: Draw a line from the hole through the original spot of your ball and take a drop as far back on that line as you desire. In 2023, the rules will be slightly more relaxed when it comes to the actual drop in this type of relief. In the altered rule, the ball can come to rest within one club-length of where it is dropped. That means that one club-length closer to the hole is completely acceptable, as long as it is within that one club-length diameter.
Handicap Usage in Stroke Play
Previously, in stroke play competitions using handicap, players could receive a penalty if they failed to put their handicap on their scorecard or marked it incorrectly. With the implementation of the World Handicap System, this responsibility is now assigned to the committee.
Modification for Players with Disabilities
For 25 years, the USGA and the R&A have had modified rules at their disposal for players with disabilities. Now those rules will be adopted into the rulebook. Tournaments will no longer be required to put modified rules into place, rather, players who fall under the categories in Rule 25 will be permitted to play under the rules for players with disabilities. No further action is required by the player or the tournament organization.
Overall, simplifications of the rule book will only make the sport more appealing to newcomers and more logical for current players.