Rules:

Please read the following rules. There will also be venue specific rules applied at specific events, and other information available at registration.

General Rules:

• Dress Rules apply. You must wear clothing appropriate and respectful for the venues we are attending otherwise you will not be allowed to compete.
• Competitors cannot use clubs that are on the “banned list of clubs”. In all cases the decision of the event director will be final. In the finals your club must be on the list of specifically approved clubs from Long Drivers of America. (See below for more information).
• Club length (using the LDA measuring technique) must be 50 inches or less. (This method is standing the club up flush against a wall and measuring its total height.) There will be a board to check heights of clubs on the day.
• When it is a competitor’s turn they will be given 6 golf balls. These balls must be kept in open view at all times and must not be put in pockets or bags.
• Competitors are to provide their own tees.
• Once on the Tee off area, NO practice hits are allowed. Practise swings are OK (so long as it is obvious that you make no attempt to hit the ball.)
• There is a 2 minute 45 second limit for competitors to complete their 6 shots.
• Only balls that land in the grid and stay at all times within the grid boundary will be counted.
• Only the longest ball of each competitors round will be accurately measured.
• For venues marked with pegs and string. Hitting or touching the pegs is classified as out. The ball must also remain on the inside line of the string.
• For venues where lines are marked on the grid. Grid lines are counted as being in play.
• All decisions of the event director are final.
• NOTE: Make sure to check "local rules" which will apply to specific venues. These may be needed to handle things such as possible obstacles on a grid.

Grid Layout:

DRIVER HEADS:

All Australian Long Drive events follow the LDA lead on conforming verse banned clubs.

DO NOT bring banned clubs to our events!

• For the Australian Finals, your club must appear on the "LDA list of approved clubs".
• If your club is on the "allowed clubs" list on the LDA site, you can use your club in any of our competitions.
• If your club is not on either list you may use it at events other than the Australian Championships unless it has a COR of above .83

Click here for the USGA list of conforming and non-conforming clubs

Clubheads used in LDA-sanctioned competition must conform to the USGA's new rule on size limitation. The 460cc size plus 10cc for measurement tolerance, along with two dimensional controls are in effect. The first limits the length between the heel and toe of the clubhead to 5.0 inches. The second places a 2.8 inch limit on the height between the sole and crown of the clubhead. Further explanation can be found on www.usga.org

Clublength:

Club length is now limited to 50 inches.

This is measured using the LDA (Long Drivers of America) measurement method.

This method is basically to put the club flush against a wall and measure how high it is. (This gives a measurement approximately 2 inches longer than would be measured using some other methods.) See below for more details.

If there is any doubt about a club, the event director will make a decision. This may or may not pend further investigation.

Tees:

Tees used in LDA-sanctioned competition must conform to USGA specifications/definitions of a tee.

A tee is a device designed to raise the ball off the ground, and must fit the description of a golf peg and cannot be made of tubing, piping, grips, or any similar composition.

• It must not be longer than 4" in total length,
• It must not be designed or manufactured in such a way that it could indicate line of play or influence the movement of the ball.
• The sole purpose of a tee is to raise the ball off the ground. No part of the tee may interfere with the clubface or assist the player in making a stroke.
• No stacking or connection of two pieces will be permitted.
• Tee may not be anchored, or tethered to the ground.
• Driving range tees with a circular base will be permitted.
• Other tees such as Perfect Tees, Velocitee and Brush Tees, all specifically designed and approved for golf are legal.