Ever bent your club when trying to hit a hero shot from too close to a tree? Has your clubhead removed itself from the shaft after you’ve gone after one just a little too hard?
If you happen to have another club lying around, the Rules of Golf could give you a helping hand. Let’s see what they say…
Damaged golf club: What do the Rules of Golf say?
Except in cases of abuse, Rule 4.1a (2) says you can use, repair, or replace any club damaged during a round with another club. A Model Local Rule, G-9, can be employed by committees to limit when a damaged club can be replaced to cases where it is “broken or significantly damaged”.
So you weren’t able to do it if the club was only cracked – that was until a revision the Local Rule came into force in January 2025.
Examples of when a club is broken or significantly damaged now include when the clubhead is “visibly cracked or substantially deformed (but not when it is only scratched, chipped or has a minor dent), or when the club face is “visibly cracked or deformed (including when it has a chip or minor dent but not when it is only scratched).”
The revised Local Rule also says the replacement club “must fill the gap created when the player took the broken or damaged club out of play” to “ensure the progression of the set is maintained”.
A clubhead is also classed as being broken or having significant damage if it, or a part of it, is loose, including if it audibly rattles, or if the grip – or a part of it – is loose.
What do you think about the changes to the rules on damaged clubs? Will you now have a spare on hand to replace a golf club damaged during a round? Let me know with a comment on X.
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