Real Golf Rules

[MrC]

Hi everyone

I have caught the golf bug, and I looking to join a club and start playing competitions etc.

Currently I play with my friends I know we have a lot of friendly rules. e.g. loss ball = we only count the drop as a shot.

I want to start playing properly so just wounded what the common mistakes we will make like the above and what should we do.

If I know a ball is lost off the tee (out of bounds / in a water hazard) we do play 3 off the tee but I am sure there is so much more we should be doing.

thanks for any help

 

[Ethan]

Hi everyone

I have caught the golf bug, and I looking to join a club and start playing competitions etc.

Currently I play with my friends I know we have a lot of friendly rules. e.g. loss ball = we only count the drop as a shot.

I want to start playing properly so just wounded what the common mistakes we will make like the above and what should we do.

If I know a ball is lost off the tee (out of bounds / in a water hazard) we do play 3 off the tee but I am sure there is so much more we should be doing.

thanks for any help

The R&A website on Rules is pretty good. Worth a look there. You can do a quiz which will see whether your logical answer is the correct one. It often isn't.

http://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Rules/Rules-Explorer

Oh, and if your ball is lost in a hazard, you have the option of replaying the shot but also the option of dropping up closer to the hazard, depending on whether the hazard is a lateral or a water hazard and where the ball entered. That is often a better option. You can ask a playing partner what your options are but not which one you should choose.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I think you initial focus should be on what you do if you loose your ball or if your ball is unplayable. If you can get those bits right you will be on the right track.

Rather than trying to real the Rules of Golf I would suggest you look at / download the illustrated guide the R&A produce. It's a good summary of the main rules and the pictures always help. The rules quiz on the R&A website is also a good way to learn the rules when you have a spare 5 minutes and you can choose the level you want.

Finally if you enter a competition explain to your partners before you start that you are a beginer and if they would mind answering any rules queries you have on the course to avoid problems. In my experience most people will and will also keep and eye on you to ensure you don't inadvertently break any of the rules and risk penalty / DQ.

All golfers take the rules seriously as it's a self policed game so don't be afraid to ask.

Enjoy.

 

[pbrown7582]

The works are selling illustrated rules of golf book for £6 a bargain and helps seeing pictures as well as explanations of the rules.

 

[rulefan]

Have good look at the Definitions first. The Rules themselves will make more sense when you know what the words mean.

You should be able to pick up a free 2016 Rules book from any proshop.

 

[bobmac]

One important thing to remember, no matter how convincing some people sound, they can still get the rules wrong occasionally.
If in doubt, check

 

[IanG]

The full rules are an impenetrable tome until you get your bearings. You could do worse than reading the short Quick Guide PDF which is accessible from http://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Rules/QuickGuide/Start

It will get you started and covers all the most usual situations. Reading the definitions as suggested above is useful to as it helps a lot to know what specific phrases exactly means
.

 

[Foxholer]

At this time of year, your local club should still have plenty of the R&A book 'The Rules of Golf' somewhere handy - normally in the Pro Shop.

As mentioned, they can be 'heavy' reading until you work out how to read/understand them - they are either directions as to what you MUST do or a list of 'exceptions' and what must happen; they should be read totally literally, without any 'interpretation; the Definitions section is important because some of them do not match what the term may mean outside of Golf (eg. you can be holding 2 balls that are both 'lost' according to The Rules!). And there are many 'Decisions' that should be checked too. These aren't included in the book, but are available on the R&A and USGA websites - same Rules, as they jointly administer them.

The Rules were restructured more logically recently. The USGA site is a little easier to find things on imo (http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-01).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Understand what to do if: 1) you lose your ball 2) you can't hit your ball 3) you don't want to try to hit your ball.

Apart from what you do for these three situations simply don't touch your ball (self, club or anything you have with you) between hitting it off the tee and picking it out of the hole (maybe we include allowing you to mark and lift your ball when it's on the green)

 

[MrC]

Thanks everyone.

So been reading the rules...... I am sure I will get the hang of them but as has been said understanding what happens when ball is lost or unplayable is probably key.

so my understanding is

If I hit the ball out of bounds then I play the shot from the same place after penalty. e.g. 2nd out of out of bounds. play 4th from same position

If I lose my ball. I should go back to original position and play shot again after penalty. e.g. 2nd lost. go back and play 4th from same position. (there is no option, as I currently do, to drop the ball where I think I lost it)

If I think the ball may be lost/out of bounds then I should play a provisional and declare it as such.

If a ball is unplayable. then I can drop it either within 2 clubs length of where it is. drop it on the same line to the pin but no nearer the hole. go back to original position. Each way it costs me a penalty for the drop so if it is my 2nd shot that ends unplayable I am playing 4

If I hit the ball into the water hazard then I can either play the ball again from same spot or I can drop the ball behind the hazard on the same line to the pin. (this means all the time I have taken 3 off the Tee I could have actually taken a drop closer?)

thanks for the continued help

 

[rulefan]

As you are obviously getting it ok so far it may be worth extending your knowledge to Lateral Water Hazards. Once you include that in your repertoire, you will be ahead of the average club player.

 

[Hosel Fade]

If I hit the ball into the water hazard then I can either play the ball again from same spot or I can drop the ball behind the hazard on the same line to the pin. (this means all the time I have taken 3 off the Tee I could have actually taken a drop closer?)

That is right if it is a yellow one. You can also play it as it lies (no penalty, but don't touch the ground or move loose impediments before hitting the ball, the same as if you were in a bunker.

If it went into a red staked "lateral hazard" you can in addition to what you mentioned:

Drop within 2 club lengths no nearer the hole from the point the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard

or

Drop within 2 club lengths no nearer the hole of a point on the opposite margin of the hazard that is equidistant from where it last crossed the margin (often quite helpful)