Take dots off before real golf?

[Grunter4]

I saw that a PGA pro was penalized for leaving the dots on.
Do regular club golfers in club comps care about the dots?

[bubbtubbs]

It's technically a rules violation so you'll have to assess on a case basis, depending on how much of a stickler (read: douche) your playing partner is.

Safest bet is to remove them.

[mts]

Lord, there's always "that guy" you have to deal with when you play in tournaments. One reason I don't play in many. If I were playing golf for a living I might worry about it, but I don't so it's just for fun. I'll take the dots off for "that guy" when I do play tournaments, but otherwise leave them on. They make zero difference to anything. It's another one of the stupid rules in golf that is too broad and doesn't fit the issue. Thankfully we've been seeing some of those dumb rules finally get changed in recent years and I suspect this one will get changed in the near future as well. Outside of tournaments, if someone in my regular weekend game asked me to take them off, I would find a new game.

[Wizard of Coz]

I would peel them off for Iacas in a local event as long as he puts them back on for me after it. 😆

[iacas]

That one's not being changed mts. You can't put stuff on the clubface. And "that guy" is the guy breaking the Rules.

[jasonreg]

I remove them for tournies, for normal play I leave them on. But yes, they are technically a rules violation.

[Wizard of Coz]

I would ask before the event for an exception before pealing them off. Our local amateur association will make an exception. Some people are smarter than others and they
are pretty smart.
Golf has some dumb rules and they fortunately have fixed some of them yet some are still needing fixed.
The stickers are of zero advantage to striking a golf ball or alignment. They are strictly for head data.

[jasonreg]

Sound advice - alas our local rules official is one of those folks I referenced in another post who "may not be part of my regular playing partners ...."

[Critzblank]

It is a ridiculous reason, IMO, that the dots are an alignment aid. Pros used to put lead tape on the top of clubheads and I don't think they had to remove it in tournaments.

[iacas]

That's not the reason. The reason is that the striking face of the club is regulated, and so you modifying it by putting a sticker on it puts the clubface out of regulations. You're allowed to put lead tape on the club (not the clubface).

[mthunt]

Actually iacas some governing golf bodies do not allow dots due to alignment. The R&A was one of them. That's the reason they gave me.

[StanMI]

2 sets of clubs. One with, one without dots.

Or in my case. Old set with dots, new set without.

[delaloi]

I never would have thought of this, but will now - thanks!

[mthunt]

I use a separate set in the sim with stickers but I've had 2 experiences with this. I asked a rules official in an Ontario sanctioned event. He said it won't help the game so there's no reason to remove them. Then I got into an argument with someone and ended up reaching out to the R&A, USGA and Golf Canada. All of them replied, all of them said they are not allowed leading to penalties and all of them gave different answers. They 100% have to be removed.

R&A - Alignment
USGA - Nothing temporary on the face
RCGA - Could effect shot

[jasonreg]

It is pretty ridiculous, that said, as shown it is 100% certain that officially it would be considered a rules violation. Day to day it is not an issue for me as none of my regular playing partners would mention it or care (probably the reason that they are my regular playing partners!) but for anything competitive at the club, where there is status or side-bar cash on the line they come off.

We are making a big deal of this, it is really not that much of an issue to restore them and they come off with your thumb nail. I also do not put them on every club - 4/7/PW/GW/Hybrid and then Driver or 3 wood, only if I am working on something specific. Takes me like 15 mins watching TV to restore the stickers and that is if I put all 4 on. In many cases during the summer I just use 1 dot data - (4 dot data only generally in the off season). I also usually have 1 dot on my putter - not that I have the putting module, it just seems to reduce the putter mis-reads to virtually zero (could all be in my imagination though).

[Mcl]

Deleted message.

[Grunter4]

Somewhat related... Love the dots and head data. Took a GC3 to a real range today and proved, for me, that indoor swing syndrome is a real thing. Trying to swing as fast as I can today indoors and outdoors. Outdoors was 10mph faster. My human brain is confused by the confined space.

[wbond]

It’s amazing how dismissive people are about this.

[bubbtubbs]

Seems odd someone wouldn't acknowledge this exists.