The USGA and R&A continue to tinker with the Rules of Golf, which underwent a dramatic overhaul this year.
The most recent change was announced on Tuesday, with officials offering up Local Rule G-9, allowing players to replace a club that is “broken or significantly damaged.”
Under the clarification, committees that use the local rule will allow players to replace clubs that are damaged during a round.
If a club is damaged as a result of “abuse,” it still cannot be replaced. Cracks also serve as an exception to the rule, which notes that “a club face or clubhead is not ‘broken or significantly damaged’ solely because it is cracked.”
Prior to the new local rule, players were allowed to repair but not replace a club.