RulesRules tips & drills
Plain-English guides to common Rules of Golf situations.
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Rules
RulesBall on the Lip: How Long Can You Wait?
Your putt stops on the edge of the hole. Rule 13.3 gives you a fair amount of time to walk up. Then you get ten more seconds. If…TipBeginner5 min
RulesBalls That Could Help or Get in the Way
Rule 15.3 covers balls that help or interfere. On the green, if your ball might help someone, like acting as a backstop, you can…TipIntermediate5 minRulesCan You Use a Rangefinder?
Under Rule 4.3, you can use equipment during your round, as long as it doesn't do the work of a key skill or judgment for you.…TipBeginner5 minRulesDon't Improve Your Lie, Stance or Line
Golf asks you to take the course the way it is. Rule 8.1a bans making things better for your stroke. Don't bend or break branches…LessonIntermediate5 minRulesFlagstick In or Out When You Putt?
Under Rule 13.2a, it's your choice. Leave the flagstick in, take it out, or have someone tend it. If your putt hits a flagstick…TipBeginner5 minThree-puttsRulesFree Relief for a Plugged Ball
Your ball plugs in the hole it made on landing. Under Rule 16.3, you get free relief if it's in the general area. That means the…TipIntermediate5 minRulesFree Relief From Cart Paths, Water and Repair Areas
Rule 16.1 gives you free relief from certain conditions. Temporary water. Ground under repair. Animal holes. And things that…LessonIntermediate10 minRulesGiving Putts, Holes and Matches
In match play, Rule 3.2b lets you give your opponent a putt, a hole, or the match itself. You can give a putt any time before…LessonIntermediate5 minRulesHit the Wrong Ball? Here's What Happens
Rule 6.3c says you can't hit a ball that isn't yours. In stroke play, it costs two strokes. You then have to go back and play…LessonBeginner5 minRulesHow Alternate Shot Works
In foursomes, or alternate shot, you and your partner share one ball. Rule 22 sets the order. You take turns teeing off on each…LessonIntermediate5 minRulesHow Four-Ball Works
In four-ball, under Rule 23, both partners play separate balls. The better score counts for your side. If only one of you holes…LessonIntermediate5 minRulesHow Maximum Score Works
Maximum Score is a type of stroke play under Rule 21.2. Your score on each hole has a cap, set by the Committee. Common caps are…TipBeginner5 minRulesHow Stableford Scoring Works
Stableford is a points game under Rule 21.1. You earn points on each hole against a fixed score, usually par plus your handicap…LessonBeginner10 minRulesHow the Rules Help Blind Golfers
Rule 25 changes some rules so golfers with certain disabilities can play fairly. Part of it covers players who are blind. A blind…LessonAll levels5 minRulesHow to Drop a Ball Correctly
Under Rule 14.3, you drop from knee height. Let the ball fall straight down. Don't throw it, spin it or roll it. It has to land…TipBeginner5 minRulesHow to Mark and Lift Your Ball
Under Rule 14.1, mark your ball's spot before lifting it if you'll put it back there. Set a marker just behind or beside it, or…TipBeginner5 minRulesHow Your Caddie Can and Can't Help You Aim
Your caddie can talk about the line with you before you play. But Rule 10.2b sets limits. A caddie can't set something down to…TipIntermediate5 minRulesKeep a Good Pace
Rule 5.6b asks everyone to play promptly. Once it's your turn, try to hit within 40 seconds. Usually faster. Most slow play comes…TipAll levels5 min
RulesLost Ball, Out of Bounds and the Provisional
If your ball might be lost or out of bounds, save time with a provisional ball. Say clearly that it's a provisional. Then hit it…LessonBeginner5 minRulesMoving Leaves, Twigs and Stones
Loose natural things, like leaves, twigs, stones and bugs, are loose impediments. Under Rule 15.1a, you can move them almost…TipBeginner5 minRulesMoving Your Ball Marker Out of the Way
Sometimes your marker sits on someone else's line. Rule 15.3c lets you move it, or ask another player to move theirs, for the…TipBeginner5 minRulesNot Sure of the Rule? Play Two Balls
In stroke play, if you're unsure what the rules allow, Rule 20.1c(3) lets you finish the hole with two balls. No penalty. Decide…TipAdvanced5 min
RulesPenalty Areas: Red and Yellow Choices
In a penalty area, you can play the ball as it lies with no penalty. You can even ground your club. If you take relief, it costs…LessonBeginner10 minRulesPracticing Between Holes
After you finish a hole and before you tee off on the next, Rule 5.5b says no practice strokes. With one exception. You can putt…TipBeginner5 minRulesPracticing on the Course Before a Stroke Play Round
Rule 5.2b bans playing practice shots on the competition course before you start a stroke play round that day. You can use the…TipBeginner5 minRulesRed or Yellow Penalty Area: Know Your Options
Under Rule 17, you can always play your ball as it lies in a penalty area. No penalty. If you take relief, it costs one stroke.…LessonBeginner5 minRulesRelief From Water or Repair Ground on the Green
Your ball is on the green, and something like temporary water is in your way. Under Rule 16.1d, you get free relief. Here you…TipBeginner5 minRulesReplacing Your Ball When the Lie Changed
Under Rule 14.2, put a lifted ball back by hand on its original spot. Estimate the spot if you don't know it. If the lie was…TipAdvanced5 minRulesRule 1: Play It as It Lies and Play Fair
Rule 1 sets the basics. Take the course as it comes, and the ball where it stops. Follow the rules and call your own penalties.…TipBeginner5 minRulesScorecards and Holing Out in Stroke Play
In stroke play, Rule 3.3 has a marker keep your score. Usually the same person all round. After each hole, check your score with…LessonBeginner5 minRulesSearching For and Identifying Your Ball
Rule 7 lets you search for your ball fairly. You can move sand, water, long grass or bushes, even if that improves things a…TipBeginner5 minRulesStay Safe From Lightning
Lightning and golf don't mix. A few more shots aren't worth your life. Lightning can strike miles from the rain, so a dry sky…TipAll levels5 minRulesTeam Events: Captains and Advice
Rule 24 covers team events, where scores add up to a team total. The Committee sets the format and how ties work. Each team can…TipIntermediate5 minRulesTemporary Water or Repair Ground in a Bunker
Your ball is in a bunker, and temporary water or ground under repair gets in the way. Rule 16.1c gives you two choices. First…TipIntermediate5 minRulesThe 14-Club Limit
Rule 4.1b allows 14 clubs in your bag. It's easy to go over by accident. A wedge you were trying. A spare putter. A friend's club…TipBeginner5 minRulesThe Anchoring Rule, Simply Put
Rule 10.1b says you can't anchor the club when you make a stroke. You can't hold the club, or a hand gripping it, against your…TipIntermediate5 minRulesThe Five Areas of a Golf Course
Where your ball sits changes your options. Rule 2 splits the course into five areas. Four are specific: the tee you're playing…LessonBeginner5 min
RulesUnplayable Ball: Your Choices
Only you can call your ball unplayable. You can do it anywhere except in a penalty area. For one stroke, you have three choices.…LessonBeginner5 minRulesUnplayable in a Bunker: Four Choices
Under Rule 19, only you can call your ball unplayable. You can do it anywhere except a penalty area. In a bunker you have four…LessonIntermediate5 minRulesUsing the Whole Teeing Area
The teeing area goes from the front of the tee markers back two club-lengths. Under Rule 6.2b, your ball is inside if any part…TipBeginner5 minRulesWhat Is a No Play Zone?
A no play zone is part of a repair area or penalty area where you're not allowed to play. Rule 2.4 defines it. If your ball is in…TipBeginner5 minRulesWhat You Can and Can't Touch in a Bunker
Rule 12.2b limits touching the sand. Don't touch it on purpose to test it. And don't touch it with your club right in front of or…TipBeginner5 minRulesWhat You Can Fix on the Green
Under Rule 13.1c, you can fix most damage on the green, for free. That's true whether your ball is on the green or not. Ball…TipAll levels5 minRulesWhen Is a Ball Lost or Out of Bounds?
Rule 18.2 explains both. Your ball is lost if it isn't found within three minutes of starting to search. If you find a ball in…LessonBeginner5 minRulesWhen Wind or Water Moves Your Ball
Under Rule 9.3, if wind or water moves your ball at rest, there's no penalty. Carry on from wherever it settles. There are two…TipBeginner5 minRulesWhen You Can Clean Your Ball
Under Rule 14.1c, you can always clean a ball you lift from the green. Elsewhere, you usually can, with some exceptions. If you…TipIntermediate5 minRulesWhen You Move Your Ball by Accident
Rule 9.4 covers moving your own ball when it's at rest. Usually, if you cause it to move, you take one penalty stroke and put it…TipIntermediate5 minRulesWhen Your Ball Hits Someone or Another Ball
Under Rule 11.1a, if your moving ball hits a person by accident, there's usually no penalty. That's true even if it hits you or…TipBeginner5 minRulesWho Can You Ask for Advice?
Under Rule 10.2a, you can't give advice to anyone playing in the competition. And you can only ask your caddie for it. Advice is…TipAll levels5 minRulesYou're in Charge of Your Own Penalties
In golf, you apply the rules to yourself. Rule 1.3 makes that your job. If you know you broke a rule and don't take the penalty…TipIntermediate5 minRulesYour Ball Hits or Lands on a Person or Animal
If your moving ball hits a person or an animal by accident, Rule 11 says there's no penalty. You usually just play it where it…TipIntermediate5 minRulesYour Ball Is Lost in Ground Under Repair
You can't find your ball, but you think it went into ground under repair. Rule 16.1e lets you take free relief, but only if it's…TipIntermediate5 minRulesYour Ball Is on a Towel or Other Movable Object
Movable things made by people, like towels, rakes or bottles, can be moved anywhere for free under Rule 15.2. Tee-markers are the…TipIntermediate5 minNo tips match. Try a different word or clear the filters.