By Glen Erickson

When Roger Cleveland made a visit to British Columbia this spring, BC Golf Guide interviewed the Chief of Golf Club Design for Callaway Golf. The 60-something industry veteran made the move to Callaway Golf in the mid-1990’s and has been at the forefront of many of the company’s innovative equipment designs.

Of note these days on the manufacturing front are the new groove-design requirements put forth by the United States Golf Association last year. In Cleveland’s opinion, the evolution of technology during his career in the industry has been very positive for the masses. While he understands the new USGA regulations, he is not necessarily convinced they are entirely beneficial for the recreational players.

“The technological advancements have been incredible,” Cleveland said. “They are terrific for the game and they enable people to enjoy the game longer. There’s the golf ball and drivers that Callaway Golf spends a lot of research and development dollars on. This can make the game easier and more fun to play.

“Sometimes we have to battle the USGA a bit when we ask them not to just focus on what the 500 best players in the world can do.”

If in fact current day groove design is making the game easier to play, many recreational players might appreciate being consulted to provide evidence to the contrary. In a USGA release last August, the organization announced that it is placing new restrictions on the area and sharpness of grooves on irons and wedges.

“The revisions are designed to restore the challenge of playing shots to the green from the rough by reducing backspin on those shots,” the USGA says. “The initial focus of the new rules will be competitions involving highly skilled professional golfers and will have little impact on the play of most golfers.

“The rules control the cross sectional area of grooves on all clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, and limit groove edge sharpness on clubs with lofts equal to or greater than 25 degrees (generally a standard 5-iron and above). The rules apply to clubs manufactured after Jan. 1, 2010.”

There is little doubt that major manufactures will adhere to the new regulations. After all, the world of litigation can become an expensive and time-consuming proposition. And at the end of the day, the majority of recreational golfers who will never tee it up in national, provincial or state tournaments, could care less about boardroom antics. For them, end-users who actually put their cash-on-the-dash to purchase golf equipment, it is all about playing the game and enjoying the experience.

“We have designed the grooves in our wedges so that the average guy has a chance to spin the golf ball,” Cleveland said. “Attention to length off the tee will never go away, but the groove rule will eliminate some of the control. Hitting the ball in the fairway will become much more important.”

"Our research shows that the rough has become less of a challenge for the highly skilled professional and that driving accuracy is now less of a key factor for success," said USGA Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge in a press release. "We believe that these changes will increase the challenge of the game at the Tour level, while having a very small effect on the play of most golfers."

Cleveland is also quick to suggest that custom fitting will play an important role for all players today and in the future. In recent years, manufacturers have developed sophisticated systems to fit drivers and irons. Cleveland, who years ago founded the Cleveland Golf Company, believes people who play golf should also be attentive to the composition of the wedge lofts they choose to carry.

“The selection process is critical,” he said. “For a senior or a female player, you take a 45-degree pitching wedge, then no more than a 58-degree wedge, take those parameters and divide by the number of wedges you want to carry. A stronger player may want to use a 60-degree wedge.

“And then, depending upon the turf condition you generally play on, you determine the amount of bounce you should have so that your wedges don’t dig too deeply into the turf.”

For the USGA Release and images of conforming and non-conforming grooves, click here: http://www.usga.org/news/2008/August/grooves.html