In recent days, there has been some serious media coverage paid to the story emanating out of the Callaway camp about the USGA's rejection of a submission from the company for a set of irons for Phil Mickelson.  Golfweek's Adam Schupak reported that USGA Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge went from Far Hills to Jersey City to see Mickelson individually at Liberty National. 

After that, I spoke with Rugge to clear the air on the grooves regulation and the USGA's declaration that it reserves the right to judge equipment based upon the physical specifications and the intent of the technology.

A Callaway rep said that the USGA is "moving the goal line just as someone is about to score a touchdown."  But, before that comment was made this week, Rugge sent out a notice on July 27 to clarify the USGA position on the regulations.

That notice included clarifying langague about the categories of groove technology that would not be approved by the USGA.  Rugge told me that the notice was "intended to make the requirements of the rule more clear."

He added, "This should remove uncertainties."

In spite of the clarification, continued R&D is done by manufacturers in an effort to skirt around any vagaries in the regulation.  Still, Rugge said he does not anticipate the need to issue future notices to update the regulation.

After all, some 30 percent of clubs in play today already are compliant with the new regulation.  The kicker, though, is that Rugge says that he doesn't "believe that many (if any) full sets of clubs meet the new requirements."  Effectively, players may have to junk entire sets of clubs because some do not conform to the new regulation.  Since entire new sets will likely be introduced because of specific non-conforming clubs, Rugge feels the impact of the regulation is still yet to be realized in a meaningful way.

Regardless of what specific equipment will be in play next year, the conversation continues among players, writers, and manufacturers about the impact that the regulation will have on players beginning next season.  Ultimately, a number of players - including Stewart Cink and Geoff Ogilvy - have openly discussed the impact that the grooves will have on spin from the rough, particularly with wedges. 

All players trying out the new grooves have said there will be an adjustment period.  Rugge, though, is not entirely certain of the domino effect of grooves on how players will approach tournament golf.

"I expect that the Tour players will deal with the reduced spin from the rough in a variety of ways – whatever works best for each individual.  How their adaptation affects other parts of their games will be seen after the rule goes into effect."

Rugge is confident, though, that the players will be just fine.  "These are the most adaptable athletes in the world.  Their conditions of play can change from event to event, day to day, hole to hole, and shot to shot. "

And the USGA's tech czar is certain that the golf ball will not be further regulated anytime soon.

"We have no plans to add any additional golf ball rules."

I wouldn't want to get in the way of that great Callaway-Acushnet ball fight either.