Who uses non-conforming equipment?
 

The announcement that Polara was the ball manufacturer for the testing got me to thinking.

Who on the site currently uses non-conforming equipment and what is it?

Since the majority on here post a handicap as part of their profile, do you include rounds towards your handicap that use the non-conforming equipment?

Guess I am a bit torn if when testing these Polara golf balls if I would apply those scores to my handicap (regardless of whether they worked as advertised or not).

Interesting to see the general consensus on this subject. When seeing the roughed up wedges or the Killer Bee drivers, etc it just got me pondering.

Mods - please merge if you see the need, I did a search by post title but nothing was found specific to this.

All of my equipment is conforming. I am also testing the Polara golf balls. I will be using them in rounds that I will not count towards my hanicap as well as on a simulator. I don't have a problem playing with someone with non-conforming equipment, as long as we are only playing for fun.

Im with JT on this one. I have to say my bag is SGI. I'll use what ever it takes to make the game enjoyable and still stay in the confines of a USGA handicap. For someone who might put in a round or two a year with there buddies and not practice like we do. It's fine by me.

I think that my SW & LW are non conforming and everything else is conforming. Good excuse to replace my wedges!

I used a Callaway Fusion that was NC. That thing was LLLOOOOOOOOOONG.

Well adhereing to PGA rules my wedges currently don't conform, but as far as Amateurs I'm still alright til 2012 or 14 I beleive?

Why do you think it is wrong to use non-conforming equipment if posting a handicap? 2024 is a long way off and I'm not on tour. There is nothing at all wrong with anyone here playing non-conforming clubs.

my wedge's do conform this year - save the niblick - everything else is usga approved

Hoosier - where in my post did I say it was wrong or imply that you should not use it when posting a handicap? I know that some people view it as cheating to use non-USGA conforming clubs (in the same bucket with mulligans, moving a ball ever so slightly, etc).

I simply asked if those who use anything non-conforming use those scores towards their handicap as I will be testing the Polara balls and was not sure if I should use those scores or not.....

I thought I read somewhere that as an amateur it was 2024. May be wrong though.

That sounds alot more correct.

"Since the majority on here post a handicap as part of their profile, do you include rounds towards your handicap that use the non-conforming equipment?"

Of course. Why would I not? We have the USGA to thank for the confussion.

It was a simple protocol question; not an implication that I believe it is wrong. Sorry man but you read too much into a question.

All of my irons are conforming now. I gave my non conforming wedges to one of my boys. I would still play them and not thing twice if that is what I still had in my bag.

I will also be testing the Polara ball but will not post the rounds to my SCGA handicap. However I may not tell my dad im playing the ball when we play. I need to beat him again. http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...es/biggrin.png

This was the first thing that popped into my head. There is a bit of a difference to me in non conforming grooves (that were legal a couple of years ago), and technology such as these balls. I am torn here. When I signed up for testing (first time), I was expecting a new conforming ball. I was planning on using them in a tournament this weekend. I was hoping for a lesser known company but was excited to try something new. I never once thought it would be a ball like this. I'm actually really intrigued to see if it works, but I don't think I will use it in handicap rounds. To me, these go in the category of "juiced" drivers and balls. They can make equipment where you can hit the ball 25% farther, but it is illegal. There was a thread about the "club juicing website" last week. Anything that lessens the skill part of the game to this extent, (straightening drives by 75%), is a little over the top and gives a player an unfair advantage against someone playing a conforming ball. That said, I will test these balls, and give the most un biased review I can.

There is a difference between illegal equipment (not approved by the USGA) and some non-conforming equipment (old grooves versus new grooves) which are legal.
If this ball has not been approved for play, it would be non-conforming and illegal, which means I would not use it at all, let alone post a score with it.
Everything is good.

Pretty sure the Cleveland niblick is conforming.

I play in a few tournaments every year and the last thing I want to worry about is non-conforming equipment. I keep it all amateur legal.

The rounds I'm going to play using these non-conforming balls I won't be counting them towards my handicap. However, what I am really hoping is that the days I goto the course there won't be many people on and I can play 2 balls at once. 1 normal ball and one test ball.

So doesn't the groove rule apply to all the irons. So unless someone has upgraded all their irons and wedges then they would be using non-conforming equipment as per the rule. Personally I think it's funny that so many people got new equipment that conforms to rules they will never have to play by.

Ya. I have non-conforming irons/wedges but they are not illegal as I don't play on tour or in select amatuer events. Only the USGA could screw this up. And yes I post scores playing these irons/wedges because it is not wrong or illegal.
Then you have others playing conforming clubs that are legal but they don't play on tour or select amatuer events . Then you have clubs and balls that are non-conforming and illegal for play anywhere.
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