The United States Golf Association and the R&A sent an official notice to equipment manufacturers on Tuesday regarding new Areas of Interest. The three-page message did not include any changes to the Rules of Golf, and it did not announce any changes to the rules governing drivers, golf balls or any other gear either.
What the USGA and R&A’s Areas of Interest email did do, however, is reveal how the game’s governing bodies likely intend to curtail the trend of elite golfers hitting the ball farther and golf courses getting longer.
In February 2020, the USGA and R&A released a joint statement saying hat they feel the trend in distance is putting golf on an unsustainable path. Golf courses have been getting longer, according to the USGA and R&A, to challenge players who hit the ball farther, and maintaining those courses requires more water, fertilizer and labor. Historically significant courses that can not be lengthened also risk becoming obsolete and devoid of challenge for the game’s best players.
On October 12, 2021, a new Model Local Rule was announced, allowing tournament organizers to limit the maximum allowable club length of non-putters to 46 inches. It became available for use on January 1 and will be in place at the 2022 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. It has already been adopted by both the PGA Tour and the LPGA.
Now, the USGA and R&A have told manufacturers they are considering modifying how they test golf balls for conformity. They are also interested in learning more about how Model Local Rules could reduce the spring-like effect in drivers and reduce the maximum moment of inertia (MOI) to reward center-impact shots more for elite golfers.
