How Does The R&A Evaluate Golf Clubs To Decide If They’re Conforming Or Not?

Golf driver close up — (Image credit: Getty Images)

At Golf Monthly, we get very excited when a new product appears on the Conforming List. It happens throughout the year, although some periods are busier than others.

Take ‘new driver season’ for example, which typically comes at the start of the year, as leading golf brands get ready to launch major new ranges and upgraded families of woods and irons.

For the equipment team, it’s like Christmas - new gear to test. Lots and lots of new gear to hit before it’s even released to the general golfing public.

No product makes it onto the Conforming List without being tested rigorously, which means a lot of work behind the scenes.

And it’s not just big brands innovating. Anyone and everyone can submit a product to The R&A, whether it’s an ultra-forgiving driver or a genius new golf tee.

“We get product from all kinds of people, from massive companies and global brands who everyone will have heard of, to an individual who’s designed a new product by themself,” says Dr Mark Grattan, Director of Equipment Standards for The R&A.

“A lot of time and effort goes into testing the equipment because the decisions that we are making are crucial.”

Anyone can check the Equipment Database to check whether a golf club has been submitted and evaluated for conformance to the Rules of Golf, and the conformance of golf clubs is covered under Rule 4.1 (“Clubs”) and in detail within the Equipment Rules maintained jointly by The R&A and the USGA.

Testing At Kingsbarns

So, what is the evaluation process for determining whether a golf club passes the test? Are we talking about robots on the range hitting hundreds of golf balls?

Not quite. While there is a main building facility where testing occurs, the procedure involves several technical layers.

Products are tested at The R&A’s state-of-the-art facility at Kingsbarns. Items are sent to Scotland from around the world for evaluation, with the vast majority originating from Japan (manufacturers headquartered in the US or Mexico mostly submit their equipment directly to the USGA).

At Allan Robertson House, not far from The R&A’s headquarters in St Andrews, a team of technicians, engineers, scientists and mathematicians tests the many products sent in for evaluation.

Take a driver, for example. Lots of regular golfers will know that the maximum volume of the clubhead must not exceed 460cc. However, there are lots of different technical criteria the club must meet before it gets put on the Conforming List, such as Moment of Inertia (MOI) and Characteristic Time (CT).

Don’t worry if you don't know your MOI from your CT. If you’ve bought one of the best drivers here, you can be sure that it's passed all the tests, as have your best wedges, best sets of irons, best fairway woods, and best putters.

“The major brands know the process very well,” explains Dr Grattan. “They’re submitting products to us well in advance so they’re ready for play well ahead of the release.”

Driver close up at impact — There are lots of different technical criteria a golf club must meet before it gets put on the Conforming List

Does this mean major global golf brands are constantly sending thousands of prototypes to Kingsbarns every week?

“The rough rule of thumb, if you want to submit a club for a conformance decision, is that you send one representative sample from the production line,” says Dr Grattan.

“It’s not a case that you have to submit 20. We make a decision based on how that representative sample conforms to the rules.”

With irons, that would mean submitting the whole set; for example, every iron from 4-iron to pitching wedge.

Right- and left-handed clubs are treated as different models, and so are different lofts of woods, hybrids and wedges. This means one of each must be submitted for testing.

Protecting The Game

“It’s a kind of ‘one and done’ approach,” adds Dr Grattan, “but is supplemented by occasional check testing.”

Ultimately, every part of this evaluation process exists to safeguard the integrity of the sport.

“We’re not stopping innovation; that’s not what we’re about,” says Dr Grattan. “We want to make sure product is innovated in the right way and that there’s not an advantage for a particular piece of equipment in some way.”

After a product is officially verified as conforming, it is placed on the Conforming List or Informational Database, giving golfers assurance that it is conforming.

Have you designed a product that could revolutionize the game of golf? Maybe you have, but is it conforming? Best get that sample sent to Kingsbarns...

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. A multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the England football team, The FA Cup, London 2012, Wembley Stadium, and the FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest brands and has developed an in-depth knowledge of the equipment side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering equipment, travel, instruction, and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars and has attended and reported on numerous Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. A single figure golfer (just), he's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, one of the 35 Top 100 courses he’s ticked off to date.