So, what does the new groove rule really mean for you, the average recreational golfer? According to USGA Senior Technical director Dick Rugge, not much.
 

Here is my attempt to explain the timeline for the new rule and how it “might” affect different golfers.
 

First of all the new rule only applies to clubs with 25 degrees or more of loft so it will not affect drivers, most fairway metals and most hybrids.
 

January 1, 2011: Manufacturers of clubs that desire their clubs to conform to the new rules can no longer manufacture clubs with old style square or U grooves. The new clubs will need to be submitted to the USGA for conformance approval or the clubs will not be in conformance regardless of whether the clubs have the new grooves or not. My concern here is that there will be a significant cost to the club manufacturer for the USGA to test the clubs so even if one's clubs do conform to the new groove rule they will not conform if not submitted; and if one is not going to submit why even bother with going to the expense of new molds for castings and new machining expenses for the new style grooves. All of this is going to cost major dollars and guess who the expense is going to be passed on to?
 

January 1, 2014: All USGA and R&A championships will require the new grooves. This means such events as the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid Amateur etc will require its players to have the new grooves in their clubs. How many of us does this affect? Not many!
 

January, 2020: The USGA will review the current rule and determine if it has had the desired effect.
 

January 1, 2024: If the USGA approved the direction the new rule is taking back in the year 2020 this is the first possible date that golfers will need to have the new grooves in order to post scores for establishment of a USGA handicap. This is 14 years from now. Approximately 21% of golfers maintain a handicap according to studies and how many of those are actually USGA handicaps who knows. In other words, this still affects a very small percentage of golfers.
 

Bottom line: We all have more than a decade before we need to get equipment with the new grooves. Golfers everywhere have been scrambling to pick up wedges with the current square or “old style U” grooves since they will be good for play for 10-14 years unless you plan on playing on one of the PGA Tours or in one of the U.S. Amateur Tournaments. Over time most of the club heads from most manufacturers will be converted to the new grooves whether they plan on being submitted to the USGA or not. For most of us none of this really matters as we are all recreational golfers and few of us will ever play in USGA sanctioned events requiring the testing of new groove conformance.
 

In essence, continue to purchase and play the best performing products available since at some point several years down the road they might become difficult to find. That is if you even care.