Opinion: Why The USGA's Groove Rule Change Is a Complete Failure

Last year the USGA implemented a new groove rule to “protect” the game from “bomb and gouge”.  They argued that the "V" grooves on modern wedges allowed players to hit the ball off the tee with no fear of ending up in the rough.  The reasoning was that the grooves allowed so much spin from the rough, that it was fundamentally changing the game of golf.  But as you can see from the chart above, the rule change has had absolutely no impact on the game.  Other than our lightening our wallets, that is. 

Players are hitting it just as close to the pin and scoring just as well (even better!) from the rough as they were last year with the now banned grooves.  Scoring averages have stayed the same, as has average driving distance and driving accuracy.  The rule change has had virtually no impact on the PGA tour.  

To make matters worse, the groove rule harms most golfers.  The 99.999% of golfers who could use v-grooves the most, will no longer be able to buy them after this year.  Moreover, this rule creates a bifurcation of equipment between amateurs and professionals.  The existing clubs are legal for most amateurs until 2024, but if you want to play at a high level USGA amateur event starting in 2014, you have to go buy a new set of clubs.  Forcing people to go buy $1500 worth of new clubs in a down economy?  Thanks USGA.  The only people benefiting from this new rule are the equipment manufacturers.

So what’s next on the USGA’s agenda?  Repealing this ill-conceived rule?  Of course not.  They’re going to rollback the ball.  Because what 99.999% of golfers need is a ball that flies 20 yards shorter off the driver.  If the goal is to protect par at professional golf events, then grow the rough higher, make the fairways narrower, and cut the greens short.  Simple changes in course prep have a far greater impact on scoring than equipment changes ever will.

I dropped my USGA membership last year after the groove rule was implemented.  Until they pull their heads out of their you-know-whats, I will not be renewing my membership. The USGA should be focusing on how to grow the game of golf, not how to make it harder to play for the vast majority of golfers.