5 New Golf Rules Changing in the New Year, Including 'Replacing a Damaged Club During Play'

USGA·R&A Announce 5 Golf Rule Changes for the New Year
Allowed if Unintentional...Intentional Damage Not Permitted
Moved Ball by Wind Returns Without Penalty

USGA Flag

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] "What if a sand wedge breaks during a bunker shot on the first hole of a professional golf tournament?"

According to the existing rules, the player would have to finish the round without the sand wedge. However, starting next year, this rule will change. If a suitable club is available, the player can immediately replace it with a new sand wedge.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) and The R&A, which establish and manage golf rules worldwide, announced five changes to the golf rules effective from January 1 next year. This is the first revision in four years since 2019. The changes aim to help golfers of all skill levels better understand the game rules and to align with the evolving golf culture.

The most notable rule change is the replacement of damaged clubs during a round. Under current regulations, the number of golf clubs a player can carry is limited to 14. Once the round begins, even if a club breaks or the clubface cracks, replacement is not allowed.

However, from next year, this rule will be relaxed, allowing players to replace the club with another. If a club is damaged while attempting a shot on a cart path or hitting a ball near a tree, it can be replaced or repaired for use. However, if the player intentionally damages the club out of frustration, replacement will still not be permitted.

There will also be no penalty if a stationary ball moves on its own. Until now, if a ball resting on the field moved due to natural causes such as wind, the player had to continue play from the new position. But starting next year, the ball can be moved back to its original spot without penalty before continuing play.

Incidents like Ricky Fowler’s unfair penalty at the 11th hole of TPC Scottsdale during the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open are expected to no longer occur. At that time, while checking the green condition, Ricky’s ball rolled into a pond on its own, resulting in a one-stroke penalty.

Relief for Back on Line situations will also be simplified. Back on Line relief refers to dropping the ball near its original spot when it lies in a penalty area or an unplayable location. Under current rules, if the dropped ball rolls closer to the target, it must be dropped again. However, from next year, if the ball stops within one club length of the drop spot, even if it moves closer to the target, play can continue from there.

Accommodations for disabled golfers will be expanded. Until now, accommodations for disabled golfers were local rules decided by each tournament committee. But with this change, they will be included in the official rule book and uniformly applied to all tournaments.

Craig Winter, Senior Director of Rules and Amateur at USGA, said, "This is an important change for individual players, but it is even more meaningful in terms of spreading awareness."

For example, currently, visually impaired players can only have assistants to help with ball marking and alignment if the tournament committee designates it as a local rule. But with the rule change, visually impaired players can receive assistance at all tournaments regardless of the committee’s decision.

The penalty for not recording a handicap on the scorecard will also be eliminated. In amateur tournaments, golfers had to write their handicap on the scorecard with a pencil or other writing tool. However, with the advancement of technology such as score recording applications, records will be managed digitally. The responsibility for transparency and accuracy of records lies with the tournament organizers.

Grant Moir, R&A Rules Director, said, "We will continue to strive for a sustainable long-term future. We will enable more resources to be used digitally."

Thomas Pagel, USGA CGO, stated, "Golf’s popularity is increasing. Modernizing the rules to promote inclusivity and accessibility is a big step in the right direction," adding, "We hope more people, including golfers with disabilities, will enjoy the game through this revision."

Meanwhile, in pursuit of sustainability, the printing of golf rule books will be drastically reduced. Only a small number of copies will be printed for tournament officials. Those who want to check the rule book can access it through the USGA and The R&A applications.