6 rules changes the PGA Tour is enacting in 2026

[wjemather]

But don't they just use little strips of paper as the scorecard. These are only about an inch long so every player will be DQ if they use the distance we all know a club scorecard is.

PGA Tour scorecards are pretty much the same size a normal club scorecard; the markers score (along the top) tears off.

 

[Neilds]

PGA Tour scorecards are pretty much the same size a normal club scorecard; the markers score (along the top) tears off.
View attachment 60634

Disagree. They are about 2-3 inches long - maximum. Very wide, but very short and the rules say length of a scorecard.

 

[Steven Rules]

Disagree. They are about 2-3 inches long

wjemather has it right.

 

[Neilds]

Very wide, but certainly not 6" long

 

[Steven Rules]

View attachment 60635
Very wide, but certainly not 6" long

Not an argument you are going to win. A quick check of the first online dictionary I came aross defined length as:

the measurement or extent of something from end to end; the greater of two or the greatest of three dimensions of an object.

 

[Neilds]

Not an argument you are going to win. A quick check of the first online dictionary I came aross defined length as:

the measurement or extent of something from end to end; the greater of two or the greatest of three dimensions of an object.

I would also disagree with that definition from my experience as an engineer but if that is what the PGA are going with then so be it. Still agree with @Orikoru that a precise measurement would be better - and 11" is still more than what most of us use.

 

[Steven Rules]

A measurement of, say, 11 inches would require every player to carry around with them another piece of equipment - a ruler or tape measure.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Don’t they all have the same scorecard at an event so the length of where to drop will be universal etc

 

[Neilds]

A measurement of, say, 11 inches would require every player to carry around with them another piece of equipment - a ruler or tape measure.

The original article states 11" so that is why I mentioned that.

 

[D-S]

Does it have to be a scorecard from the club/tournament that is being played or could you use a scorecard from another club?
Also if say 11” is too difficult to use as another piece of equipment like a tape measure would need to be used, then why is the current MLR in use in England 6”?(or ate us normal golfers somehow better at measuring than a Pro?) Shouldn’t there be a similar ‘easy’ to use length e.g.a standard iron grip?

 

[doublebogey7]

I would also disagree with that definition from my experience as an engineer but if that is what the PGA are going with then so be it. Still agree with @Orikoru that a precise measurement would be better - and 11" is still more than what most of us use.

So as an engineer how would you define length. I am pretty certain if you ask the vast majority of non engineers, the dictionary one quoted would be pretty close. PS What is the length of a 12 inch ruler.

 

[Neilds]

So as an engineer how would you define length. I am pretty certain if you ask the vast majority of non engineers, the dictionary one quoted would be pretty close. PS What is the length of a 12 inch ruler.

If I had a piece of A4 paper, held in portrait, then yes, the length would be the longest side (11.7 inches) but if the paper was turned to landscape, the width would be 11.7 inches. The ruler part just goes to prove that people see things differently.

Also from google (my first search "length or width")
however, context matters, as width can also refer to the horizontal or front-to-back measurement, and for screen resolutions, width often comes first, so it's best to label dimensions clearly to avoid confusion.

 

[KenL]

But don't they just use little strips of paper as the scorecard. These are only about an inch long so every player will be DQ if they use the distance we all know a club scorecard is.

The strips are wide.

 

[Neilds]

The strips are wide.

So not long?

 

[wjemather]

Does it have to be a scorecard from the club/tournament that is being played or could you use a scorecard from another club?

Interestingly (or perhaps not!), Bowood Park had two different sized scorecards (single-fold and two-fold versions from two different suppliers) when we visited in September, so "scorecard length) wouldn't be a standard measure there anyway.

 

[rulie]

So not long?

Why not start a poll to see what the majority considers the "length" of a scorecard (instead of just digging deeper)?

 

[wjemather]

I think it's very safe to say that almost everyone understands that "scorecard length" refers to the long edge, but if anyone doubts it they can simply use the short edge without incurring any penalty.

 

[Neilds]

Why not start a poll to see what the majority considers the "length" of a scorecard (instead of just digging deeper)?

You may think I am digging, but would you not prefer to see a set distance to be stated - and for that distance to be the same throughout golf?

 

[Steven Rules]

The original article states 11" so that is why I mentioned that.

It didn't quite say that. Context is everything. Just as context and a frame of reference would be necessary to understand the differences between length, width, height, depth, thickness, etc in engineering applications.

The original article said (and I quote): "The relief area for preferred lies has been reduced from a club-length (about 46 inches) to scorecard length (about 11 inches)."

It is not 11 inches, it is a scorecard length, which is about 11 inches (when unfolded and opened out flat).

Even "club-length" which is a defined term in the Rules is not a precise and standardised distance. It will differ from player to player and we seem to have become comfortable with that over the past seven years.

When the R&A and USGA were developing the 2019 Rules, readers may recall that earlier drafts floated the concepts of precise measurements of (I think from memory) 80 inches and 40 inches and 20 inches, but these were ultimately abandoned for the final version because they would add a level of complexity to measuring in the field.

 

[Neilds]

It didn't quite say that. Context is everything. Just as context and a frame of reference would be necessary to understand the differences between length, width, height, depth, thickness, etc in engineering applications.

The original article said (and I quote): "The relief area for preferred lies has been reduced from a club-length (about 46 inches) to scorecard length (about 11 inches)."

It is not 11 inches, it is a scorecard length, which is about 11 inches (when unfolded and opened out flat).

Even "club-length" which is a defined term in the Rules is not a precise and standardised distance. It will differ from player to player and we seem to have become comfortable with that over the past seven years.

When the R&A and USGA were developing the 2019 Rules, readers may recall that earlier drafts floated the concepts of precise measurements of (I think from memory) 80 inches and 40 inches and 20 inches, but these were ultimately abandoned for the final version because they would add a level of complexity to measuring in the field.

One of the problems with using (about 11 inches) is that the R&A MLR E-3 suggests 6 inches. Why doesn’t the PGA Tour use 6 inches?

And I don’t expect you to know this