Golf’s governing bodies, the USGA and R&A, announced Wednesday that they will implement new equipment testing procedures for golf balls that will curb the distance that balls travel. The rules will impact professionals starting in 2028 and recreational golfers in 2030.
The goal: “Reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf’s long-term sustainability while minimizing the impact on the recreational game.”
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The plan follows five years of study and is a switch from the original March proposal of two sets of rules that would have led to shorter distances for only professionals. The PGA Tour and PGA Tour of America strongly opposed the bifurcation plan.
“Governance is hard. And while thousands will claim that we did too much, there will be just as many who said we didn’t do enough to protect the game long-term,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement. “But from the very beginning, we’ve been driven to do what is right for the game, without bias. As we’ve said, doing nothing is not an option.”
There were 98 PGA Tour golfers who averaged at least 300 yards on their drives this year, led by Rory McIlroy at 326 yards; not a single player averaged 300 yards 25 years ago.
Last week, McIlroy came out in favor of the new testing procedures as plans began to circulate with Golf Digest breaking the news. “It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability,” McIlroy wrote on Twitter/X. “It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past 2 decades.”
The new test measures will use a club swung at 125 mph, up from 120, along with a spin rate of 2,200 rpm, down from 2,520. The launch angle will also increase. The goal is to produce an “Overall Distance Standard” limit of 317 yards.
The USGA and R&A expect the changes to cut 11 yards from the distance of the average Tour pro—15 yards for the biggest hitters. The average LPGA player will be impacted by five-to-seven yards, while recreational players will see “minimal distance impact” of five yards or less.
The PGA of America reacted to the news with a statement that expressed its appreciation that the decision did not have two sets of rules and pushed off the original implementation by two years. But the organization that represents 30,000 club professionals still disagrees with the changes.
“We remain opposed to any change that may potentially lessen the enjoyment of the game for recreational golfers or diminish the unprecedented momentum the game is enjoying,” the PGA of America said. “It appears recreational golfers will see a greater reduction in distance than we would advise. While this decrease has been lessened, we continue to recommend being more moderate on the swing speed change for the golf ball conformance test.”
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