My brother is a 3.5 hcp. He plays a Cleveland 10.5 loft driver. Shortly after the driver came out it was put on the USGA illegal club list due to face thickness. Cleveland acknowledged the problem and offered a replacement program. Well, he refused to replace his driver and to this day he still uses it. Now I doubt it makes a huge diference but I think he shouln't use it. Even if it gave him 3 yards more it is still cheating. He enters tourneys and just acts like it's o.k.. I have not told anyone but I think it is ridiculous he is good player who could use any driver for the most part. Cheating is cheating. Anyone agree or not ?

I worked at a golf shop when the non-conforming issue w/ the HiBore XLs came about. Every one that we sent back to Cleveland was, in fact, conforming. It was a very small percentage that were non-conforming. We sent like 40 or 50 back and they were all fine. Odds are that his is also conforming.

BDLz

It depends on whether a waiver was given to grandfather the driver into local tourneys. If not, then he is cheating.

Golfsmith was selling them cheaper then the conforming XL. The kid salesman told me it was a deal but I passed. I will never play a tourney but who needs the aggrivation. I would have sent it back so Cleve could replace it.

Agreed....

Send it back and get a new Driver.

Good Karma will follow.

ahem

USGA Rules govern all play. Therefore if the USGA says it's illegal than it is illegal.

I disagree. If it doesn't say "nonconforming" on the driver head, just because the whole line is nonconforming doesn't mean HIS is. Unless it's been tested and showed exceeding the legal COR, you can't assume HIS is illegal. Like BLDz said...Odds are that his is also conforming.

Get it checked / certified or exchanged as conforming, otherwise there is always that risk that you are playing with a non-conforming driver. It is probably a simple procedure, and yes, his driver probably in all actuality is conforming, but he won't know until it is checked and found to be conforming.

Does your brother really want that headache if he is ever 'called out' on the subject and his driver is found to be non-conforming? Even if the driver is later found to be conforming, what a headache that would be. And if it is found to be non-conforming, well, his integrity in tournaments will be stained forever after. Maybe none of this will ever happen, but if it does it has the potential to make him look bad.

He should change it, or have it checked out. Doesn't matter if it might be OK. If it's on the list, it's on the list.
I had to change my R580XD because of the new rules. The new one is longer and straighter though

I think a point has been missed here. He is playing with what HE KNOWS is a non-conforming club. One of the things I like about golf is it is self governed. If you screw up, you penalize yourself. It takes guts to admit mistakes and play by the rules. If he has played tournaments and posted scores for his USGA handicap with full knowledge he used a published non-conforming club, this scores and tournament standings should be eliminated. The guy should have the testicular fortitude to do the right thing! (In my humble opinion).

Yeah, but what if he plays in a huge tourney...with a big pot and wins... and then the guy who came in 2nd's caddie knows it could be a non-conforming club and says something about it... And what if it is in fact a non-conforming club?

Why take the chance?

In a tourney, do not do it - it is cheating. If you are out with your buddies or brother, do what you want. If you hit the ball better, so what.....have fun.

If the club is outlawed by the USGA and he is still using it, then yes, he is cheating.

It's pretty safe to assume that everyone here knows what's legal vs. illegal in golf as far as nonconforming club goes. No doubt he who knows and ignores it is guilty and would be called cheater. But let's say the 2nd place calls him out, the club is tested and found to be legal. Wouldn't it be prematured to call him a cheater? My point is, if he cares about it, TEST IT. If he doesn't, well...to each is his own.