NON conforming drivers...

["Richard"]

I know pros cant use drivers over a .830 cor but what about amateurs? Can you keep a handicap if you are using a non-conforming driver? A friend of mine just picked one up but also wants to start tracking his handicap. Now, he isn't a cheater.. probably the most honest player I have ever played with and if he can't keep track of his handicap if using the driver Im sure he will either sell the driver or just play for fun with it and not keep track of his HDCP. My regular foursome has talked about it and we don't mind if he uses it since a driver at .86 vs .083 swung at 120mph only makes a diff of 6-9 yards and he is much slower than that. SO if it boosts his confidence what not since he is really short off the tee anyway.

At least he was honest enough to tell us he bought a non-conforming driver, I'm sure non of us would have noticed it

[davevandyk]

No you cannot keep a handicap if you are using a non-conforming club. Obviously he cannot use it in tournaments as well. If you want to keep an RCGA handicap, you have to completely follow the RCGA rules, which unfortunately includes using conforming drivers.

["Richard"]

what would happen if tiger was using a non-conf. driver and won a few tourneys in a row and then finally someone asked to test his driver and it turns out it was illegal? would he have to pay pack the money? lose the world ranking points he gained? have those wins taken off the books? have an asterics beside his name?

[jonf]

the best punishment for everything is a swift kick in the balls, but I doubt the PGA will adopt that policy

["Richard"]

The PGA night not but the LPGA should be ok with it

[dbleber]

the best punishment for everything is a swift kick in the balls, but I doubt the PGA will adopt that policy

That's really funny! I think in general our society should go this route. Handicap or not if the guy is a weekend golfer who will never compete in any real tournaments, then who cares. He still has to swing the club .86 or not.

[Golfbum]

what would happen if tiger was using a non-conf. driver and won a few tourneys in a row and then finally someone asked to test his driver and it turns out it was illegal? would he have to pay pack the money? lose the world ranking points he gained? have those wins taken off the books? have an asterics beside his name?

The PGA has the right to test any players driver before a round of golf. If Woods or anyone else had a non conforming driver it would be deemed illega and taken out of play.

However I doubt you are going to see that happen, OEM's will make damn sure it doesn't as that would be damaging publicity to their products. Imagine the headlines
"WOODS GETS CAUGHT CHEATING, ILLEGAL DRIVER IN HIS BAG"
Nike would be really embarrassed by that fact wouldn't they?

Plus, how can you tell that Woods or anyone else had the same driver in the bag last week as this week? Unless it has a serial #,which I doubt it does then there is no way to prove that fact. They could switch drivers every week if they wanted to. Heck guys who post on here switch drivers every week

[davevandyk]

what would happen if tiger was using a non-conf. driver and won a few tourneys in a row and then finally someone asked to test his driver and it turns out it was illegal? would he have to pay pack the money? lose the world ranking points he gained? have those wins taken off the books? have an asterics beside his name?

ya the only thing that would happen is the driver would be taken out of play. There is no way to know if its the same driver that he used the week before, or even in the practice round. A guy like Tiger has probably about 5-8 identical drivers. However this would be immensely embarrassing

["Richard"]

''I don't think any player would willingly use an illegal club, I honestly don't,'' U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk said. ''But if they are and that gets found out, their career is done, it's over, from a respect issue. I don't think players would do that. Maybe that's the case, I don't know.''
Woods said he does know. The No. 1 player in the world has been the most vocal on the question of ''hot'' drivers, saying he thought there were illegal clubs on the tour. On Wednesday, he went a step further, saying he personally knows one player who uses an illegal club.
''Just watching his ball come off the face, you can just tell,'' Woods said.
Woods hasn't reported the player, but he has talked to him about it.
''(He said) he's just playing golf. He's playing the equipment that the manufacturer has given him,'' Woods said.

["Richard"]

Ok, next logaical question. If you were playing a casual roung with your regular 4some and discovered someone was using an illegal driver, what would you do? Would it make a difference if you were still beating them or would you only care if they were beating you? If you asked then to not use the driver again and they refused to pull the club the next round?

[DavidY]

Based on the above, I guess that this includes non-conforming balls like some of the Intech ones.....which advertises up to an extra 17 yards.

Dave

[jonf]

Ok, next logaical question. If you were playing a casual roung with your regular 4some and discovered someone was using an illegal driver, what would you do? Would it make a difference if you were still beating them or would you only care if they were beating you? If you asked then to not use the driver again and they refused to pull the club the next round?

To be honest, it would be a great excuse for a loss. I'd also be sure to insult the individuals' manhood as much as possible. And imagine the mockery that would insue if I outdrove him with my classic BB Warbird. I can't really see any downside to letting him use it (as long as there's no money on the line). If I lose, I have the perfect excuse, if I win, I will never let him live it down.

[BC MIST]

Now, he isn't a cheater.. probably the most honest player I have ever played with

Is it not ironic that the most honest player I have ever played with buys a club that he knows is non-conforming?

If you were playing a casual roung with your regular 4some and discovered someone was using an illegal driver, what would you do? Would it make a difference if you were still beating them or would you only care if they were beating you? If you asked then to not use the driver again and they refused to pull the club the next round?

If it is a casual round, played with no side bets, not being used for handicapping purposes or bragging rights, NOTHING. With betting, or for handicapping, in a tournament, ... EVERYTHING.

Playing with a NC'ing club or ball, is NO different than breaking any other rule of golf, inadvertently or not.

[Chieflongtee]

Only problem is what is non conforming on this side of the pond is conforming on the othe side of the pond

[AAA]

Only problem is what is non conforming on this side of the pond is conforming on the othe side of the pond

But only until 2008.
And only in 'high level' competitions.