Altered club rule question

MO_Hacker · Nov 12, 2008

This is kind of ties in to Anthony Kim getting DQ'd for damaging his driver last week.
The situation is this my driver has two dents in it one out towards the toe and the other is on the sole. Is it an altered club or would it only matter if it was dented during a tournament round?

907golfer12 · Nov 13, 2008

I believe that it is only an altered club if it occurs during the round. If it happens before the round then I think you are in the clear.

NorthVanMike · Nov 13, 2008

4-2. Playing Characteristics Changed and Foreign Material
# a. Playing Characteristics Changed
During a stipulated round, the playing characteristics of a club must not be purposely changed by adjustment or by any other means.

*Any club or clubs carried in breach of Rule 4-1 or 4-2 must be declared out of play by the player to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play immediately upon discovery that a breach has occurred. If the player fails to do so, he is disqualified.

PENALTY FOR making stroke with club in BREACH OF RULE 4-1 or 4-2: Disqualification.

and here is rule 4-3.

4-3. Damaged Clubs: Repair and Replacement

a. Damage in Normal Course of Play

If, during a stipulated round, a player's club is damaged in the normal course of play, he may:

(i) use the club in its damaged state for the remainder of the stipulated round; or

(ii) without unduly delaying play, repair it or have it repaired

so, it must have been ruled that it was not damaged in the normal course of play. i suppose if he swung at the ball, hit a rock and dented his club, that would be OK.

btw, i found a Flash file for all the rules of golf. it's pretty cool. you can full screen it,there's a search function,zoom in and out, like a PDF file. HERE