Recently, though, a
rule put into effect on the Professional Golfers Association tour and in force at last weekend's U.S. Open has pretty well put an end to the pros' using the solid ball. The so-called "
one-ball rule" prevents players from switching brands during a round. No longer can they, as Trevino did on the sixth hole at the National in 1979, pull out the hard ball for the sake of distance.
Now, if a pro begins with a Titleist Low Trajectory, a ball with a balata cover and rubber core, he must stick to that ball. The only change he can make is in the number of the ball, from a Titleist 6, perhaps, to a Titleist 4. Gone are the days of standing up to a 230-yard par three and pulling out the hard ball, so that one could hit an iron instead of a 3-wood or 4-wood.
What is the reasoning behind the
one-ball rule? David Fay, manager of
rules and program development of the U.S. Golf Association, said that, as has always been the case, there was a danger that equipment would override talent.
"Our feeling," Fay says, "was that the characteristics of balls had become so specialized that some of the skills were being taken out of the game. Selecting a particular ball for a particular shot was like having an extra club."
The
one-ball rule is still only a local
rule of golf. Although it has been in use on the
PGA tour since the beginning of the 1980 season, club players are free to change from the DDH to Hogan to Pinnacle to Top-Flite at will.
LORNE RUBENSTEIN; GAM. (June 27, 1981 Saturday). Golf balls The long search for perfection, from featheries, to gutties, to now. The Globe and Mail (Canada). Retrieved from Nexis Uni.