Divot Mix

No one remembers who was second. -- Walter Hagen, five time PGA Champion

USGA announces rules changes on grooves

The United States Golf Association has announced revisions to the Rules of Golf, placing new restrictions on the cross sectional area and edge sharpness of golf club grooves.

The revisions are designed to restore the challenge of playing shots to the green from the rough by reducing backspin on those shots. The initial focus of the new rules will be competitions involving highly skilled professional golfers and will have little impact on the play of most golfers.

The rules control the cross sectional area of grooves on all clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, and limit groove edge sharpness on clubs with lofts equal to or greater than 25 degrees (generally a standard 5-iron and above).

The rules apply to clubs manufactured after Jan. 1, 2010, the same year that the USGA will enforce the new regulations through a condition of competition for the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open and each of their qualifying events. All USGA amateur championships will apply the new regulations through the condition of competition, after Jan. 1, 2014. 

The PGA Tour, the European PGA Tour, the LPGA, the PGA of America and the International Federation of PGA Tours have all indicated their support for the new regulations on grooves. Each of these organizations, as well as the Augusta National Golf Club, have told the USGA and The R&A, the game’s governing bodies, that they intend to adopt the condition of competition, applying the rules for their competitions, beginning on Jan. 1, 2010.

"Our research shows that the rough has become less of a challenge for the highly skilled professional and that driving accuracy is now less of a key factor for success," said USGA Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge. "We believe that these changes will increase the challenge of the game at the Tour level, while having a very small effect on the play of most golfers."

"The scientific research on the effect of grooves on spin and the ability of highly skilled professional golfers to control shots from the rough was very compelling," said Jay Rains, USGA vice president and chairman of the USGA Equipment Standards Committee. "The USGA and The R&A took additional time to consider fully the potential ramifications for all levels of golfers.  In particular, we took care to minimize the impact on amateurs who actively compete in club and local competitions, as well as other golfers who do not want to replace recently purchased clubs."

Clubs manufactured prior to Jan. 1, 2010 that conform to current regulations will continue to be considered conforming to the USGA Rules of Golf until at least 2024. This includes clubs purchased after that date from manufacturers’ existing model ranges.

"Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that the path forward was to get the top-level professional tours under the new groove regulations as soon as possible and to phase in the next level of amateur competition four years later, in 2014," said Rains. "This means that clubs you own today will still be conforming for top-level amateur competition for another 5 1/2 years and, for other competitions, conforming until at least 2024, if not indefinitely."

The rules revision on grooves concludes a process of nearly three years of research and testing conducted jointly by the USGA and The R&A. Manufacturers and other interested parties were given an opportunity to review the proposed regulations and provide their comments to the USGA and The R&A, which resulted in meaningful modifications to the original proposal issued in February 2007.

Although currently conforming clubs with V-grooves will continue to conform under the new rules, the new rules do not mandate the use of a V-shape. The new regulations permit club designers to vary groove width, depth, spacing and shape to create clubs that conform to the new groove rules. In addition, all Ping EYE2 irons manufactured before March 31, 1990, will continue to be treated by the USGA as conforming to the Rules of Golf, and will be acceptable for all USGA competitions.

Additional information about the Rules changes is available at http://www.USGA.org/equipment. 

Hooked on Golf?

Given the shaky state of the economy, why have rounds held relatively steady over the past several years? According to the National Golf Foundation, one reason is that the majority of golfers say they're "hooked" on the game.

In a recent survey of 2,000 golfers, we asked "Even if you don't play golf very often, would you say you are "hooked" on golf?"

Some of the responses golfers gave to the survey questions include:

Why aren't you hooked on golf now?

• "I have a child and don't have time to play like I used to. I'm hooked on things that my son likes to do. He is currently too young to play golf, although he does have an interest and I do take him to the putting green."
• "I think it's because I don't have other women to play with. Men are so intimidating because they naturally hit much farther than I do and that bugs me."
  

Why do you think you may be hooked on golf in the future, if not now?

• "Retirement is just around the corner."
• "I'm getting older and can't play the sports I used to play as well. I think golf is going to be a good substitute."
• "When we get older, we plan to play a lot of golf."

Gas prices got you down? Have you tried hypermiling?

That's the EPA blog question of the week: "Have You Tried Hypermiling and What’s Been Your Experience?"

The concept of hypermiling is simple enough, it applies to a variety of techniques drivers use to increase their gas mileage. They range from simple to complex, and from things EPA recommends to the controversial. Share your answer: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2008/08/04/qotw-hypermiling. Read the rest of the blog: http://blog.epa.gov/.

Judy Bell gets a bell

Judy Bell, former USGA president, has been recognized by the El Pomar Foundation in her adopted hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo., with a pavilion in her honor. The architecture is simple but appropriate. The structure fittingly lacks walls as Bell’s reach has stretched beyond any border. They honored Bell with, appropriately, a bell.

"This is a wonderful honor," said Bell. "I’ve fallen in love with this bell."

The Bell Pavilion, affectionately nicknamed "the Taj" by Bell, serves a dual purpose. Not only does the structure commemorate the contributions of the long time Trustee to the El Pomar Foundation, but it also serves as the display for a large bell recently removed from the former residence of Spencer Penrose.

The bell, from the Buckeye Bell Foundry in Cincinnati, Ohio, was cast in 1891 and purchased by Penrose, a businessman in mining who was behind the construction of the Broadmoor and the establishment of the El Pomar Foundation.

"The fact is, a bell is perfect," said USGA Executive Director David Fay. "You’ve always been clear, and you’ve always been loud. Truly this is a very special person, a very special award and I am truly delighted to be a part of it."

Bell's list of accomplishments in golf is extensive. In 1952, at the age of 15, she was Kansas State Women’s Amateur Champion, winning the title again in 1953 and 1954. Her first Broadmoor Invitational appearance was at 11 and she won that competition in 1957, 1958 and 1960.

She has competed in 38 USGA championships and was a member of the Curtis Cup Team in 1960 and 1962. By 1964, she had set the then U.S. Women’s Open 18-hole scoring record, shooting a 67. She was instrumental in bringing the U.S. Women’s Open to the Broadmoor in 1995 and soon took on the role of the first and only female USGA president from 1996 to 1997. She has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and Kansas Golf Hall of Fame.

Since 1996, she has served as a trustee to the El Pomar Foundation, one of the largest and oldest foundations in the Rocky Mountain West. Through her inspiration, the USGA launched the Grants Initiative and Fellowship Program that has awarded more than $62 million since 1997 to nonprofit golf programs nationwide. These programs serve economically-disadvantaged and minority children, girls and individuals with disabilities.

"Judy Bell is certainly deserving of this," said William Hybl, Chairman and CEO of El Pomar Foundation. "She has really moved forward in trying to make a difference."
Bell’s bell will certainly continue to ring clear as her vision continues.