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Byline: by Ron Whitten PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN SZURLEJ TESTING THE LIMITS OF FAIRNESS When USGA officials attempt to stretch Open courses to the edge, sometimes they (and the players) go [...]

Q. Whatever happened to the USGA's proposal to roll back grooves? Wasn't it supposed to take effect on Jan. 1, 2009? GOUGE The USGA's proposal to reduce groove sharpness and [...]

Mallet mania: We suppose blade putters are still around, but mallets remain the rage. There's the conventionally proportioned Scotty Cameron Red X (far right) from TITLEIST, which features a milled [...]

In a story about companies marketing high-COR drivers prior to USGA approval of a higher COR limit (Bunker, July 26), Golf World neglected to mention that a Callaway print ad […]

Zevo's written response to the U.S. Golf Association regarding its COR proposal indicates a company prepared to sue, although Zevo VP Dave Boone said a final decision hasn't been made. […]

At the British Open, drivers with a coefficient of restitution higher than .830 were legal. And nearly one-sixth of the field used them. Back in the States, however, high-COR drivers [...]

When the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the U.S. Golf Association issued a joint release on May 9 outlining their proposal on coefficient of restitution (COR) […]

J.C. Snead Maybe Bruce Fleisher started a trend when he decided not to play in the U.S. Open two weeks ago. After winning the Senior PGA Tour's Greater Baltimore Classic […]

A sign on the first tee at Bethpage (N.Y.) State Park's Black Course says only "highly skilled players" should play the course. And the May 9 proposal on equipment by […]

The joint proposal on coefficient of restitution (COR) issued by the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews last week met with mixed reviews […]

THE heralded USGA-R&A accord on spring-like effect is only symbolic. It does nothing to deal with the reality that distance went sky-high in the 1990s for the best players while […]

The USGA's rule evoked by the elasticity of the modern clubface apparently is not especially rigid itself. In fact, many experts say, it is likely--and unwittingly--bent, even on the professional […]

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has suggested the creation of an independent global body that would develop a set of equipment standards to be adopted by the major pro tours. […]

JOINING ... The ever-lengthening list of companies marketing a driver outside the U.S. that does not conform to USGA standards, Titleist. At the Japan Golf Fair in Tokyo two weeks […]

WHILE it is the 15-member Executive Committee that runs the USGA, the tone is set in large part by the president. When Buzz Taylor was at the helm the USGA […]

THE U.S. Golf Association's latest bid at invoking tradition to curtail technology--by announcing its intention to limit clubhead size--has collided with a united and vociferous front of opposition from an […]

Years ago, it wasn't unusual for a tour pro to step onto the first tee with two dozen or more clubs in his bag. Not only were such arsenals a [...]

USGA TO THE RESCUE: Ken Eichele, the New York City Fire Department captain given a special exemption into next year's U.S. Mid-Amateur because his involvement in rescue activities after Sept. […]

Impatience is a hallmark of youth, manifesting itself in golf circles lately by the increasing number of those heading off for PGA Tour debuts on skateboards. Now we know why […]

There remain many questions about how the USGA's recent changes in amateur status will affect college golf. Some coaches say the seemingly welcomed move will ruin the college game. Others […]

Just suppose it's possible. Who would be crazy enough to make or buy such a ball? There's a well-intentioned, reactionary bunch within the U.S. Golf Association who believes we're hitting [...]

'I'm not sure what the conflict might be. Although I have a number of problems with the U.S. Golf Association's proposed testing protocol, in my opinion there will be less [...]

BEYOND the equipment controversies being discussed this week by the USGA's Executive Committee lies another intriguing issue. In what's being described as a "top to bottom" review of the rules […]

JUST as the debate heats up again about nonconforming drivers, the USGA is stirring up another hornet's nest about golf balls. The long-discussed ball testing procedure known as optimization has […]

HERE'S EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW about coefficient of restitution (COR) but were afraid to ask for fear of getting a headache. For all its multisyllabic heft, COR is [...]

Three years before Tiger Woods was born, the most consistent golfer ever to swing a club arrived at USGA headquarters. Iron Byron, a robot devised by shaft maker True Temper, […]

WITH the United States Golf Association having taken a stand on illegal drivers, will the golf ball be next? That's the indication out of Far Hills, N.J. But some industry […]

Optimization shouldn't change a thing in your golf bag or pro shop. Ball makers already incorporate the new testing into developing balls. That means it is unlikely any current ball […]

To hear Phil Mickelson tell it, the top-secret Titleist prototype golf balls in his bag do everything but glow in the dark. They travel longer. They react like homing devices […]

EZLinks Golf and the U.S. Golf Association have signed a letter of intent to jointly develop golf handicap technology--tentatively called Real Time Option--as well as create a communications network for […]

The U.S. Golf Association has added another driver to its list of nonconforming clubs. Dogleg Right's new Hog driver becomes the 16th to make the list of clubs that have […]

Current positions leave USGA and manufacturers on a collision course. It's time for real dialogue WHETHER IT'S THE SERENITY OF A 6:30 A.M. stroll down a dew-covered fairway or the [...]