Can you replace a broken club with a different make and model?

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My driver head shattered on the 8th gap through a the latest round. At the transform, I ducked into the parking lot and grabbed a unique driver that I had in my car or truck. Diverse product, distinctive specs. Soon after the spherical, my enjoying companions felt I was due penalty strokes for making use of 15 golf equipment. Are they right? —Lloyd Warner, via electronic mail

As is normally the scenario with the procedures, and to some people’s consternation, the answer is unquestionably … it depends.

If Product Nearby Rule G-9 is in effect, as it quite usually is throughout most golfing businesses, you are at liberty to swap in a substitution for a noticeably damaged or damaged club, assuming this took place during the usual course of participate in alternatively than in a in good shape of pique. (The procedures do not give succor to the petulant.)

The substitute need not be the identical make and product, nor even the exact same variety of club — if you wished to sub in a lob wedge for the driver, that’s your prerogative. And had you experienced fewer than 14 golf equipment in your bag to get started, you’d have been free to add a club or clubs into engage in mid-spherical (with out unduly delaying play) until you reached the 14-club limit.

Nevertheless, if Design Local Rule G-9 is not in influence, you could not sub in a substitution 14th club, period. Carrying out so would result in a two-stroke penalty for each hole with a utmost of 4 strokes in stroke play, and an adjustment to the condition of the match in match play, identified at the completion of the gap where the breach is uncovered, with a most of two holes.

You ought to eliminate the club from participate in as before long as you develop into informed of the guidelines breach or be disqualified. Take note, too, that in this state of affairs the principles breach is triggered after you make a stroke, with any club, once the new club has been extra to the bag — it does not issue when or if you use that new club by itself.

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