The USGA and R&A are proposing rules on the green-reading books that are becoming more and more popular. The goal is to force players to read the break on greens based on their skill and judgment instead of books that indicate the degree of slope.
Six weeks of comment started Tuesday. The regulations will be finalized through an interpretation section of Rule 4.3 (use of equipment) and take effect Jan. 1.
“Both the USGA and the R&A are committed to the position that a player’s ability to read their line of play on the putting green is an essential skill that should be retained,” said Thomas Pagel, senior director of rules for the USGA.
David Rickman at the R&A said the green-reading books have so much detail that “they tip the balance too far away from the essential skill and judgment required to read subtle slopes on the greens.”
Yardage books and handwritten notes are still deemed appropriate. One of the changes, however, is to limit the size of the scale that will keep any book to pocket-sized and restrict space for too many notes. Also, there will be a minimum slope indication limit.
Jordan Spieth was using one because it was allowed, and it doesn’t hurt. But he said at The Open Championship that it might help him when the book is limited.
“I think that’s a skill that I have in green-reading that’s advantageous versus the field, and so it will be nice,” he said.