Group Hopes to Make Golf More Accessible with Laxer Rules


The U.S. Recreational Golf Association has released its rules of golf. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based organization said the USRGA Rules were created with input from a broad spectrum of recreational golfers, members of the golf media, golf tournament directors, members of the Linked Golfers group and golf industry insiders.

The primary objective of recreational golf is to have fun, and the USRGA Rules fully support that objective. Now that the USRGA Rules exist, there is no longer a need for the USGA to bifurcate their rules.

The USRGA and USGA serve two entirely different groups of golfers, both with completely different primary objectives for playing golf. The recreational golfers want to have fun; the serious competitive golfers are keenly focused on winning. These two groups have always coexisted and now the USRGA will specifically support and provide a voice for recreational golfers.

"The USRGA is working to grow participation in recreational golf and we believe the USRGA Rules are absolutely necessary in helping to make golf more fun and more inclusive - both of which will attract more players to golf and help retain those who are already playing golf," said David L. Felker, founder of the USRGA.

"The USRGA's 13 Rules of Golf are a framework that can be adapted to the many different types of recreational golf games. The ultimate authority according to the USRGA rules is the foursome playing a friendly game of golf or the tournament director running a recreational golf competition," said John Hoeflich, executive director of the USRGA. The USRGA Rules have particular application and help bring order to recreational golf tournament.

Willie Anderson, tournament director for San Geronimo Golf Course in San Geronimo, Calif., expressed excitement about adopting the USRGA rules for his weekly club tournaments. "When I sent out the 2015 tournament schedule to our members and explained we would be playing by USRGA rules this year, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, quite a few members, including low handicappers as well as some high handicappers, who had lost interest in competing in the past, told me they are now excited about participating once again in club tournaments!"

"With any sport where the participants are playing or competing just for fun, there is no reason to limit the performance of the equipment. The USRGA rules encourage equipment manufacturers to design and manufacture golf products that will best serve the needs of recreational golfers, which by the way are very different from the needs of the serious amateur competitive golfer or the PGA Tour player," said Hoeflich.

Thus the USRGA rules allow the use of any golf balls or clubs that make the game easier to learn and more fun to play. Drivers that add extra distance, wedges with aggressive grooves that generate extra spin, balls that fly farther and straighter, carrying more than 14 clubs, anchoring of putters . . . as long as the equipment or practice does not pose a safety issue, the USRGA has no objection.

For more information, visit www.usrga.org.