clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
It was crystal clear !
I was just asking a question.
Track man or similar dots
- Thread starter IslaG
- Start date
I was just asking a question.
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
IslaG
Member
That’s very interesting- thank you
Colin L
Tour Winner
I need to do some revision.
rulie
Head Pro
From another site, and copied from Equipment Rules.
For info, below is another excerpt from The Equipment Rules, my emphasis added to the last line(s), which certainly clarify the tape or similar material issue.
Performance Characteristics Deliberately Changed
The purpose of this Rule is to penalize a player that purposely modifies his
or her club during a round – for example to a flatter lie, a greater loft, an
alternative weight distribution or changing the head or shaft, regardless of
whether the club has been designed to be adjustable.
Additionally, this Rule penalizes a player that applies materials of a
temporary nature to the face – such as saliva, grass juice, chalk, aerosol
spray or similar substances. Permanent attachments or coatings such as
plasma spray, “balata”-type rubber or paint are covered under Part 2,
Section 5 of the Equipment Rules.
The most important question to ask when ruling on a club which has had
something temporarily applied to the face by a player is “why has it been
put there?” If a material or substance has been applied to the face in order
to protect it or clean it, then it would probably be permitted provided all
other Rules are satisfied. However, if the purpose of the application is to
influence the movement of the ball or assist the player in making a stroke,
it would be prohibited.
Any type of tape or similar material added to the face is not permitted for
any purpose.
For info, below is another excerpt from The Equipment Rules, my emphasis added to the last line(s), which certainly clarify the tape or similar material issue.
Performance Characteristics Deliberately Changed
The purpose of this Rule is to penalize a player that purposely modifies his
or her club during a round – for example to a flatter lie, a greater loft, an
alternative weight distribution or changing the head or shaft, regardless of
whether the club has been designed to be adjustable.
Additionally, this Rule penalizes a player that applies materials of a
temporary nature to the face – such as saliva, grass juice, chalk, aerosol
spray or similar substances. Permanent attachments or coatings such as
plasma spray, “balata”-type rubber or paint are covered under Part 2,
Section 5 of the Equipment Rules.
The most important question to ask when ruling on a club which has had
something temporarily applied to the face by a player is “why has it been
put there?” If a material or substance has been applied to the face in order
to protect it or clean it, then it would probably be permitted provided all
other Rules are satisfied. However, if the purpose of the application is to
influence the movement of the ball or assist the player in making a stroke,
it would be prohibited.
Any type of tape or similar material added to the face is not permitted for
any purpose.
rulefan
Tour Winner
How does the highlight above work?
rulie
Head Pro
I presume just as described in that first paragraph and the Rules. Note that the "tape or similar material" applied to the club face is a different paragraph.
IslaG
Member
So I’m going to pose another question based on all this (and the actual situation) ….you are referring a county level match and another player comes to you on the course and notifies you that someone has a number of trackman dots on several clubs and “should be DQ’d” What are you actually going to rule? (Once you’ve personally ascertained that is in fact the case) No fence sitting ?
rulie
Head Pro
That's pretty obvious. A referee's responsibility is to apply the Rules of golf, thus the player would be disqualified as per Rule 4.1a if he or she had made a stroke with any of those non-conforming clubs.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
Just asking but say a player tees off with these dots on his clubs.
Could he remove them mid round if he is pulled up for having them on the faces.
Or is that changing the characteristics of the starting configuration like an adjustable driver?
rulie
Head Pro
My opinion is no, the player cannot transform a non-conforming club to a conforming club during the round (although my opinion may be changed/corrected). Remember that we're talking about conformance here, not playing characteristics.
IslaG
Member
I don’t know it is obvious:
Part 2, Section 1a of the Equipment Rules says
Exceptions may be made for attachments that do not affect the performance of the club.
Do these?
Part 2, Section 1a of the Equipment Rules says
Exceptions may be made for attachments that do not affect the performance of the club.
Do these?
rulefan
Tour Winner
It's probably me but I simply cannot find any words in the Equipment rules which forbid such things on the clubface. They must be somewhere as penalties have been awarded seemingly legitimately.
Can someone please quote the exact words from the book and details of chapter and verse so I can find them.
rulie
Head Pro
See post #25, which is from the Equipment Rules document.
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
You won’t…..just under Rule 4.1……
IslaG
Member
This might be one for the Rules Gods at R&A ...how do you submit a query to them
rulie
Head Pro
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
Just read the article and the link to the other article in it…..
rulefan
Tour Winner
But that says
The purpose of this Rule is to penalize a player that purposely modifies his
or her club during a round
There is no mention of starting a round.
Jules
New member
This happened last week…. Rory Sabbatini DQ from The RSM Classic due to a violation of Rule 4.1. Sabbatini had a non-conforming external attachment to the face of a club he used during the round. He had tracker stickers on his club face.
