USGA announces Equipment Rulemaking Forum, but why?: Bomb & Gouge: Golf Digest

USGA announces Equipment Rulemaking Forum, but why?

Monday, March 8, 2010 Comments

GOUGE: Remember at the beginning of the year when there was all this intrigue over the Ping Eye 2 irons and their "square" grooves and how they were grandfathered under the 2010 groove rule? Remember how Phil Mickelson used a Ping Eye 2 wedge as a sort of publicity stunt and how Scott McCarron suggested it was against the spirit and intent of the new rules? Remember how the PGA Tour staggered through the blather of the moment, hoping it might go away, hoping that maybe Ping and CEO John Solheim might somehow withdraw the Ping Eye 2 from its grandfather status, thereby eliminating the confusion over allowing one club with square grooves despite having a rule that would ban the same type of grooves on any other club. Remember how Solheim issued a statement that he was open to an agreement that "respects Ping Eye 2 owners, benefits the game and recognizes that innovation is an important tradition of golf."

WELL, unless I'm severely mistaken, now we have the first sign that compromise is on the immediate horizon. Check out this announcement from the USGA:

"March 8, 2010: Notice Regarding USGA Forum on Equipment Rulemaking

"In keeping with its mission of service to the game of golf, the USGA actively works to improve the operations of all its core functions, from conducting national championships to promoting environmentally sustainable course management practices to implementing and modifying the rules governing golf equipment.

"Now that the first rollback of golf equipment in more than 75 years has been initiated, we believe that this is an appropriate time to evaluate the process utilized for formulating equipment rules.

"In an effort to improve the equipment rulemaking process, the USGA will hold a forum on the process of equipment rulemaking in Fall 2010. The forum will be held at Golf House in Far Hills, N.J., on a specific date to be determined and announced at a later time.

"We will invite all stakeholders in the game to participate, including manufacturers, players, media, golf organizations and other interested parties. The main purpose of this forum is to allow stakeholders the opportunity to make their views on equipment rulemaking known to the USGA, and to each other. Appropriate protocols will be established to allow an efficient and fair opportunity for those wishing to participate.

"We anticipate that the forum will provide input that can help the USGA enhance the rulemaking process, including procedures for making new equipment rules, changing existing rules, and modifying rule-associated measurement systems, as well as enhancing the associated processes for implementing such changes.

"Examples of topics for discussion include:
—The process by which new equipment rules and rule changes are proposed
—Timing and communication of USGA research projects that potentially could lead to rule changes
—Timing and communication of proposed equipment rule changes
—The process and timing for implementing changes to measurement systems and other rule enforcement methods
—Procedures for considering changes to non-performance related rules
—Consideration of the impacts of potential rule changes and the evaluation, after an appropriate time period, of the results of implemented rule changes
—The process of commenting on proposed rule changes, including confidentiality considerations
—Timing of the implementation of rule changes
—The decision-making process, including communication of the reasons for enacting new equipment rules or changing existing equipment rules
—The appropriate balance between technology and skill in player performance

"The forum can also provide an opportunity for discussing the process by which the USGA renders rulings on individual items of golf equipment submitted for evaluation, as well as consideration of the ways in which relevant information about these rulings might be communicated publicly.

"The USGA welcomes additional input on the matters that might be discussed at the forum on the process of equipment rulemaking. Those wishing to provide input are encouraged to submit ideas to Dick Rugge, Senior Technical Director, P.O. Box 708, Far Hills, NJ 07931, Fax 908-234-0138, e-mail: drugge@usga.org. So that logistical matters can be managed appropriately, please let us know if you have interest in attending this event."

BOMB: If I'm not mistaken, the day the USGA announced the rule change in 2008, it termed the groove rule process with manufacturers "very inclusive." Now, it seems the USGA is going a gigantic step further. I don't mean to get over-excited, but I don't see how the announcement of this forum (barely a month after Mickelson sparked the debate) could be completely unrelated to the Ping Eye 2 controversy.