The USGA and R&A have released the 2023 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world.

Gain more insight on the Dec. 6, 2023, decision from the USGA and R&A about the revised golf ball testing guidelines that will take effect in 2028. 

The USGA and The R&A announced a revision to golf ball testing conditions to take effect in 2028, and 2030 for recreational golfers. 

This letter from USGA CEO Mike Whan and R&A CEO Martin Slumbers was delivered to golf industry stakeholders in advance of the Dec. 6, 2023, announcement. 

These two notices were delivered to golf equipment manufacturers and other stakeholders in the golf industry on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in advance of the Dec. 6 announcement regarding the update to the conformance testing of golf balls to the Overall Distance Standard (ODS). 

The USGA and R&A announced a proposed Model Local Rule on March 14, 2023, that gives competition organizers the option to require use of golf balls that are tested under modified launch conditions. 

This proposal notice was sent to golf equipment manufacturers on March 13, 2023, following the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures established by the governing bodies in 2011. Manufacturers and golf stakeholders can provide feedback until Aug. 14, 2023. If adopted, the proposal would take effect on Jan 1, 2026.

The USGA and R&A have released the 2022 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world.

This report summarizes research on a variety of golf course setup, conditioning and design factors that could be used to influence hitting distance.

The USGA and The R&A have released the 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world.

On March 18, the USGA and The R&A announced that the release of research topics related to the next phase of the Distance Insights Project would be delayed to allow the greater golf industry to focus on its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (see update, below).
 

Given continued health concerns and the impact on golf worldwide, the USGA and The R&A are now targeting March 2021 for the release of equipment research topics. We will continue to monitor the recovery of the golf industry and may update this target date accordingly. Per the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures, the time for golf equipment manufacturers and other interested parties to participate in this research will also be amended to account for the delay.
 

In the interim, the USGA and The R&A will continue to monitor the effects of distance on the game.
 

Beyond Equipment Rulemaking Procedures, the review of golf course design, setup and maintenance, as well as the availability and choice of appropriate teeing grounds, will continue in support of golf’s long-term health.

On February 4, the USGA and The R&A committed to releasing research topics related to the next phase of our Distance Insights work within 45 days. At this time, the golf industry needs to focus on its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, we have decided to delay this announcement until a more appropriate time. This will obviously extend the deadline for the research. We will share more information in due course.

The conclusions from the Distance Insights project are published in a paper titled “Conclusions from the Distance Insights Project: The Implications of Hitting Distance in Golf.”

The results of the Distance Insights project are documented in a report titled “Distance Insights Report.”  This report summarizes the research and findings contained in the 56 reports in the Distance Insights Library.

Have questions about what the Distance Insights project is, and why the USGA and The R&A want to study its causes and impacts to game? Click here for more. 

A collection of reports documenting the individual studies completed or pertinent to the Distance Insights project.

The USGA and The R&A release key findings of the Distance Insights Project, representing the most comprehensive review of the topic in the game's history.

The USGA and The R&A have released the 2019 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world.

The USGA and The R&A have released the 2018 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world.

This review examines driving distance data from seven of the major professional golf tours, based on approximately 285,000 drives per year. Data from studies of male and female amateur golfers has also been included for the first time.

The USGA and The R&A have published a research document that reports important facts on driving distance in professional golf. Supporting data comes from seven tours, including PGA TOUR data beginning in 1968. 

The Distance Insights project, a joint initiative of the USGA and The R&A, will examine distance through a multi-pronged approach that includes global stakeholder engagement, third-party data review and primary research.