We haven't really covered the story here at Waggle Room, but it is not a secret that the USGA is rumored to be looking into limiting wedge lofts.  The story was first brought up at the Bomb and Gouge blog at Golf Digest.  There's nothing official about it on USGA.org.

[T]he USGA will be conducting "research on high-lofted wedges. This research is being conducted to determine if high-lofted wedges (for example, 60 degrees of loft and higher) can reduce the challenge of the game for shots near the green."

The issue has drawn criticism from Geoff Shackelford and Tom Wishon - guys I just happen to agree with a lot on equipment issues.  Wishon was interviewed by The Examiner's Steve Pike for a sarcastic article on the proposed research.

"The USGA is wasting all sorts of time and money looking into the possibility of setting a limit for loft on wedges," he said. "There is no way loft can be a technology that replaces skill in the game, so it's utter nonsense for (the USGA) to even talk about this, much less work to determine if there is any evidence to say a 60-degree or higher loft offers any technical advantage that replaces skill.''

"This club requires more skill to hit consistently than any other wedge in the bag because when you have that much loft, there is a less friction between the ball and the face, and less compression of the ball against the face than any other wedge," Wishon said. "Thus, most golfers have a real problem finding that fine line between how hard to swing at the ball and how steep to hit down on the ball to be able to hit a 60-degree wedge solid enough to get the ball on the green and not leave it short in the hazard they were trying to finesse the ball over in the first place."

I'm inclined to agree with Wishon and Geoff.  (Was that in doubt?)

Here's why:

1. The high lofted wedge requires skill - albeit a unique one to the game.  It only makes the game easier if a player can actually execute the shots well enough with the club in hand.  That's true for every club in the bag.  If someone is crazy enough to try an 80 degree wedge, have at it.
2. This is just a diversion from talk about the golf ball.  I have said that I hope that the USGA uses its relatively peaceful implementation of grooves regulation would create precedent that would eventually lead to ball rollback.  The golf ball is a critical part of the combination.  It was not addressed as thoroughly as I had hoped with the grooves studies.  If the USGA continues to address clubs of different types, it tells me that they are still afraid of that Acushnet lawsuit they have been saving money up for these last years, per Frank Hannigan.
3. The professional players gains exponentially more from equipment advances that the amateur.  The golf ball and club combination works optimally at swing speeds only matched by professionals and a very small group of amateurs.  99% of golfers don't see real, noticeable benefits from the modern golf ball and club.  Why take that 64 degree wedge out of their hand if they're not going to score better anyway?

I have been a proponent of bifucation of the equpiment rules of the game.  As far as I am concerned, if these rumors are true, it may be more worth the USGA's time to seriously explore two sets of equipment rules.