Good afternoon,
If the weight ports are not encapsulated and open into the head’s cavity, removing more than one weight and leaving the ports open would make the club nonconforming (see Part 2, Section 4a(i) of the Equipment Rules). However, it may be possible to cap the holes with an object that’s rigid, fixed and does not otherwise cause a conformance issue with Section 4a(i) (including a very light-weighted, threaded piece in place of the weight). Please note that if the local rule requiring that the model and loft of the driver that the player is using must appear on the List of Conforming Driver Heads, the player should ensure that removing the weights does not cause confusion with the driver on the list if, for example, there are identification markings on the weights that are included in the listing. Covering the holes with a sticker or tape is not permitted as they would be considered impermissible external attachments (see Part 2, Section 1a).
Generally, any modification to the club must be made prior to the round. Rule 4.1a(3) prohibits a player from deliberately changing a club’s performance characteristics during the round. The link to the Rule is below.
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=fr§ion=rule&rulenum=4
Shannon Kane
Assistant Manager, Club Conformance