Mind your head on the tee-box

Amateur Scene: Thinking of purchasing a new driver, one that hits the ball farther and straighter than ever before? Well, think before you buy. The R&A have just published a list of "Driver Heads" which will conform to the new rule limiting spring-like effect which is to be introduced from January 1st, 2008, for all club golfers, writes Shay Keenan

Work began on the development of the list a year ago, after a formal proposal received enthusiastic support from the professional tours, the R&A's affiliated unions and equipment manufacturers.

The list, which has been compiled in close collaboration with manufacturers, will be an essential guide for golfers preparing for the 2008 rule, whether they want to check the status of their current driver or to help in future purchasing decisions.

The decision to limit the spring-like effect of driving clubs was first announced in August 2002, and the R&A introduced a test in January 2003. Since 2003, the Rules have allowed committees to introduce a condition of competition requiring driving clubs to comply with the 2008 rule. Initially, this condition was only used in professional events, but in recent years it has been applied in top amateur events.

The European and US Tours already use the guidelines, and from January 1st next all events under the PGA in Ireland and Britain will carry the condition. In amateur events, all players in international competitions and, here in Ireland, at all championships and interprovincials must comply with the decision.

From January 1st next until December 31st, 2007, the condition will be revised to allow a committee to require driving clubs to have a head which is detailed on the List of Conforming Driver Heads. However, here in Ireland the GUI will not be introducing the condition for the annual cups and shields events until 2008.

For most competitions and all recreational play, the use of this condition is not recommended, but as most players in clubs in Ireland are involved on some team, the new condition is sure to apply to all over the coming years.

A club manufactured before 1999 is considered to be conforming and on the list, unless specifically ruled otherwise. The R&A already publish a list of driving clubs that will become non-conforming in 2008.

The R&A director of rules and equipment standards, David Rickman, said: "The publication of this list should help ease the transition towards the 2008 Rule change. We are appreciative of the support that we have received from manufacturers and we are confident that this list will be of assistance to the golfing public."

The list will be updated weekly and will be maintained jointly with the United States Golf Association and can be accessed on www.randa.org.

For the purpose of the list, a driving club will be defined as a club that is designed, primarily, for use when hitting from the teeing ground. Club design features such as loft, head size, face dimensions, head weight and club length will also be considered, as well as any apparent or declared intent of the design.

A driver head will only be included on the list if it has been submitted to the R&A by the manufacturer and it has been determined to conform to the Rules of Golf in all respects.

Only driver heads submitted and/or manufactured from 1999 on will be individually listed. A club manufactured before 1999 would be considered conforming and on the list unless that club has been ruled non-conforming by the R&A or determined to be non-conforming by a tournament official.

At present there will be no expiration date for a club included on the list. However, a clubhead included on the list may be removed if it no longer conforms to the Rules of Golf due to a subsequent rules change.

From next January 1st, committees may introduce the following condition of competition: "Driving Clubs - The driver the player carries must have a clubhead, identified by model and loft, that is named on the current List of Conforming Driver Heads issued by R&A Rules Limited.

"Any individual driver on the List, if tested on pendulum testing apparatus approved by R&A Rules Limited, must not have a characteristic time greater than 257 microseconds. Penalty for Breach of Condition: Disqualification".

The Condition specifically refers to driver "heads". However, any driving club a player carries must conform to all other rules for golf clubs.

It is the player's responsibility to carry clubs which conform to the Rules of Golf, and all relevant conditions of competition. Therefore, players and manufacturers alike should take care to ensure that any modification made to a driver head does not alter the playing characteristics to such an extent that it becomes a different head to the sample submitted for evaluation and which appears on the list.