Section 2: Equipment
Player's Equipment (Rule 4)
Rule 4 governs all equipment a player may use during a round. Equipment must conform to the Equipment Rules, the separate technical standards published jointly by the R&A and USGA (updated periodically, most recently effective January 1, 2024 for certain groove and punch mark standards).
Clubs (Rule 4.1)
A player must not make a stroke with a club that does not conform to the Equipment Rules, or that has been deliberately damaged during the round (Rule 4.1a). A player may use a club that was damaged in the normal course of play (Rule 4.1b), though the club may be repaired or replaced only in specific circumstances.
Maximum Number of Clubs (Rule 4.1b): A player must not start a round with more than 14 clubs and must not have more than 14 clubs during the round. A player who starts with fewer than 14 clubs may add clubs up to that limit during the round, provided play is not unduly delayed.
Sharing Clubs (Rule 4.1b(3)): Players on the same side in a four-ball or foursomes competition may share clubs, provided the total number of clubs carried by all partners does not exceed 14.
Club Length: Under the Equipment Rules, club length (excluding putters) must be at least 18 inches (457.2 mm) and no longer than 48 inches (1,219.2 mm). Putters have no maximum length limit but must meet all other specifications. Note: A proposed Rule change to cap putter length at 48 inches was under consultation as of 2025; players should verify current Equipment Rules.
The Ball (Rule 4.2)
A player must use a ball that conforms to the Equipment Rules. The ball must not be deliberately altered during the round (Rule 4.2a). If a ball is cut or cracked (as opposed to merely scuffed or scratched), the player may substitute another ball under Rule 4.2c.
Ball Specifications (Equipment Rules):
- Minimum diameter: 1.680 inches (42.67 mm).
- Maximum weight: 1.620 ounces (45.93 grams).
- Initial velocity must not exceed 250 feet per second (76.2 m/s) under the R&A/USGA test conditions.
- Overall distance standard: the ball must not travel more than 317 yards under test conditions (Equipment Rules test specification).
One Ball Condition (Committee Option): A Committee may adopt a Local Rule requiring a player to use the same model and brand of conforming ball throughout a round. If adopted and a player changes ball models in breach, the penalty is two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play per hole where the breach occurred.
Other Equipment (Rule 4.3)
Rule 4.3a prohibits the use of equipment or other items that artificially assist a player's performance by:
- Artificially eliminating or reducing the effects of wind, temperature, or other weather conditions.
- Helping with club selection (except a distance-measuring device permitted under Rule 4.3a(1)).
- Measuring slope, or measuring other parameters (such as wind speed or ball lie) that could affect play, unless specifically permitted by a Committee Local Rule.
- Gauging or measuring pace of play (a permitted use under Rule 4.3a(1) where a device measures only distance or elapsed time).
Distance-Measuring Devices: Under Rule 4.3a(1), players may use such a device to measure distance only, unless the Committee has adopted a Local Rule prohibiting them. A device that measures both distance and slope is not permitted unless it has a slope function that can be switched off and the player uses it only in the off mode.
Damaged Equipment (Rule 4.1b)
If a club becomes damaged during the round in the normal course of play (not by abuse), the player may continue to use or repair the damaged club, or replace it with another club, as long as:
- Play is not unduly delayed (Rule 5.6a).
- The replacement is not made by borrowing a club selected for play by another player on the course.