The requirment is to drop the ball and for it to come to rest within the relavant number of club lengths (relief area). A club length is defined as the length of the longest club in the bag not including a putter. There is nothing in the rules to require a player to measure the relief area, therefore it does not require them to take the head cover off.
So how would you know definitively (albeit a few cms) that you have used the club and length only. I always take the headcover off
My driver is shorter than other peoples.
But for the sake of a discussion how would I know that when most drivers are a fairly standard length (albeit a tiny degree or margin per brand). To have a much shorter driver isn't the norm and so I would at least be interested to see where the relief point was being measuredMy driver is shorter than other peoples.
Most of us if not taking full advantage of the relief area are able to eye ball it. As I said ealier when doing justvthat I would measure using the driver with the cover off.
Me too. I had always assumed it was a rule but had been brought up since my junior days to measure with the headcover off
Don't worry, I do follow the Rules to the letter. The Rules do not require measuring of a relief area before a drop is made. Nothing blase about it.I’m surprised that a rules official would be so blasé.
That's irrelevant. A "club-length" is the length of the longest club, except for a putter, that you have selected for play in that round.My driver is shorter than other peoples.
This. As a junior and it stayed with me
