Old 16° lofted ERC 3 Wood legal?

[woltaire]

Hi,

I thought of buying an old 16° lofted ERC 3 Wood.

I heard that it is a Par 5 killer.

The driver of that series is illegal.

But I read somewhere that any club above 15° loft is not considered as a driving club.

Is the club that I want to buy legal in Europe?

[Rulesman]

As it has a loft of more than 15* it is not a Driving Club so is legal throughout the world.

[woltaire]

no its a 2001 model.

[Rulesman]

Ok As it has a loft of more than 15* it is not a Driving Club so is legal throughout the world.

However - The 2008 Rules make reference to  ‘driving clubs’ for the first time (see Sections 5a and 5c) and the basic definition of a driving club is that it is a wood club with a loft of 15 degrees or less.

However ,  a large headed wood club with a loft greater than 15 degrees,  which has obviously been designed as a club to be used consistently from the tee, would also be considered a  ‘driving club’.  Similarly,  a 14 degree wood club which is obviously a fairway wood would not be regarded as a driver .

The only ERCs on the non-conforming list that I can see have lower lofts

[woltaire]

Yes, that corresponds to my information.

The head of the erc 3 wood seems to be a bit larger.

It's fully made of titanium.

I would quess it has about 280 ccm...

I also checked the non-conforming list before...

Anyway I just don't want to argue with my flight partners about this...

[Rulesman]

Check these. There wouldn't seem to be a problem if Callaway are selling them

http://www.callawaygolfpreowned.com/erc-fairway-woods/fwoods-erc,default,pd.html

http://www.golfreview.com/cat/fairway-woods/callaway/erc/prd_133454_2939crx.aspx

[jfintexas]

Woltaire, I have owned the ERC 3 and 5 woods since they came out over 10 years ago. I verified 5-6 years ago that they are in fact legal. It was only the Driver in that series that was non-conforming. Glad to see there are folks still looking for these clubs. With all the technology over the years, these clubs still out hit everything on the market. You will like having the club in your bag.

[woltaire]

Ok, Thank you.

I will buy a 3 wood then post a comment if I can leave my driver out of my bag in future...

[jfintexas]

By the way Woltaire. Just picked up another ERC - this time 3+ (12.5 degrees). I am going to put my favorite shaft, the Aldila NVS 55-R on it. Can't wait to get it matched up against my standard 3 and 5 wood to see how it performs.

[woltaire]

Well, I ordered a ERC 3 Wood with Callaway standard firm shaft now from the UK.

I couldn't find a single one in Germany, although I was looking for 2 month...

I hope it is going to arrive soon and I will give some feedback as soon as the snow is away...

[woltaire]

It just arrived and I could give some first impressions that might affect also the legal aspects...

- The length of the club is as long as a Driver they used in the mid 90s (about 43 inches).

- Clubface is about as big as a old Callaway Warbird driver.

- The club however is more compact in it's back and has about 240ccm I'd say.

- The last thing is that it seems to be very light in it's weight...

- Loft is 16°

[Rulesman]

How might they affect the legal aspects?

[woltaire]

Didn't you write something like that if the club looks like a driving club it may affect the legal aspects aswell?

[Rulesman]

No. I posted

However - The 2008 Rules make reference to  ‘driving clubs’ for the first time (see Sections 5a and 5c) and the basic definition of a driving club is that it is a wood club with a loft of 15 degrees or less.

However ,  a large headed wood club with a loft greater than 15 degrees,  which has obviously been designed as a club to be used consistently from the tee, would also be considered a  ‘driving club’. Similarly,  a 14 degree wood club which is obviously a fairway wood would not be regarded as a driver .

If Callaway are labelling it as a 3 wood then the part underlined would not apply.