USGA finally makes the call against square grooves

	Ping founder Karsten Solheim (now deceased) battled with the USGA over the square-groove issue. AP

We've been watching PGA Tour players spin sand wedge shots from out of the rough like Duncan Yo-Yos for the better part of two decades now, so it's good to know that the United States Golf Association has finally discovered that U-shaped grooves -- commonly known as square grooves -- are a big advantage.

Now I can't wait to find out how the USGA reacts to the big news about the Lindbergh baby. (Sorry, I couldn't resist exaggerating.)

On Tuesday, the USGA proposed altering the manufacturing of square grooves after Jan. 1, 2010, because its research showed a distinct performance advantage with urethane-covered balls (the top-of-the-line balls used by Tour players and good amateurs). Any PGA Tour player could have told that to the USGA, and it's been obvious for a long time. It was so obvious that the PGA Tour banned square grooves at the start of the 1990s and then went to court for a contentious legal battle with Karsten Solheim, Ping's founder. The case lasted three years before it was finally settled out of court and square grooves were grandfathered in as an alternative to traditional V-shaped grooves.

Thus, Tuesday's announcement essentially closed the barn door behind the horse. But, I suppose, better late than never.

I asked Dick Rugge, the USGA's senior technical director, what took so long to ban the square grooves.

"That's a great question," Rugge said. "We want to do things very thoroughly before we propose anything. We took our time and were very thorough in our research. We looked at the data from the Tour that showed it is a problem. Accuracy off the tee is no longer important. We're doing a lot of work on balls and other things. You know, the things that need to be done, it's always, why didn't we do it sooner? I could've had a V-8."