Rules and Play Procedures

The Rules of Golf: Your Friendly Guidebook 🏌️

The Big Picture: Think of Golf Rules Like Traffic Rules

Imagine you’re driving on a road. Traffic rules keep everyone safe and make sure nobody crashes into each other. Golf rules work the same way! They keep the game fair, fun, and smooth for everyone playing.

Without rules, golf would be chaos—like a playground where everyone makes up their own games and argues about who won!

📜 Rules of Golf Overview

Who Makes the Rules?

Two important groups create and update the rules of golf:

R&A (The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

• Based in Scotland, the birthplace of golf
• Makes rules for most of the world

USGA (United States Golf Association) 🇺🇸

• Makes rules for the USA and Mexico
• Works together with R&A so rules are the same everywhere

Simple Example:

• Think of R&A and USGA like two teachers who write the same test together
• No matter which classroom you’re in, the rules are identical!

graph TD
    A["Golf Rules"] --> B["R&A"]
    A --> C["USGA"]
    B --> D["Rest of World"]
    C --> E["USA & Mexico"]
    B -.-> F["Same Rules Everywhere!"]
    C -.-> F

🎯 Teeing Ground Rules

What is the Teeing Ground?

The teeing ground (or tee box) is where you start each hole. It’s like the starting line of a race!

The Magic Rectangle

The teeing area is a rectangle:

• Front: Draw an imaginary line between the two tee markers
• Sides: Extend lines back from each marker
• Back: Two club-lengths behind the markers

Your ball MUST be inside this rectangle when you hit your first shot!

Key Rules:

1. Tee it up! You CAN use a tee on the teeing ground (this is the ONLY place you can use one)

2. Stand anywhere - Your FEET can be outside the rectangle, but your BALL must be inside

3. Knocked off accidentally? If your ball falls off the tee before you swing, no penalty! Just put it back

Real Example:

Sarah placed her ball 3 inches in front of the tee markers. Her playing partner kindly told her, “Your ball needs to be behind those markers!” Sarah moved it back and saved herself a penalty.

⚪ Ball at Rest Rules

When is a Ball “At Rest”?

A ball is at rest when it stops moving and stays still. Simple!

The Golden Rule: Play It As It Lies!

This is the BIGGEST rule in golf. Wherever your ball stops, that’s where you play it from.

Think of it like hide-and-seek: Wherever you’re found hiding, that’s where you got caught. No moving to a better spot!

When Can You Move Your Ball?

Sometimes the rules LET you move your ball. Here are common situations:

Don’t Touch That Ball!

If you move your ball when you shouldn’t:

• 1 penalty stroke
• Put the ball back where it was

Real Example:

Tom’s ball landed behind a small rock. He could hit it, but it was awkward. He thought, “I’ll just move it a little…” WRONG! That’s a penalty. The rock is part of the course. Play it as it lies!

🏃 Ball in Motion Rules

The Simple Rule: Don’t Touch Moving Balls!

When a ball is rolling, bouncing, or flying through the air—leave it alone!

What if Something Hits Your Moving Ball?

The Key Principle

Nature can affect your ball = No penalty You affect your ball = Usually a penalty

Real Example:

Emma’s putt was rolling toward the hole when a bird landed on the green and the ball hit it! No penalty—the bird is part of nature. She played her ball from where it stopped.

👥 Order of Play

Who Goes First?

Golf has clear rules about who plays when. It’s like taking turns on a slide!

On the First Tee

• Honors system: The player with the lowest score from the previous hole goes first
• First hole of the day: Decided by the tournament, or you can flip a coin!

After the Tee Shot

Farthest from the hole plays first!

This rule makes sense:

• The person farthest away plays
• Then the next farthest
• Until everyone is on the green
• On the green: same rule—farthest from hole putts first

graph TD
    A["Who plays next?"] --> B{On the tee?}
    B -->|Yes| C["Lowest score from last hole"]
    B -->|No| D{Who is farthest from hole?}
    D --> E["That player goes next!"]
    E --> D

The Penalty for Playing Out of Turn

In match play: Your opponent can make you replay the shot In stroke play: No penalty, but it’s bad manners!

⚡ Ready Golf

What is Ready Golf?

Ready Golf is a modern way to speed up play. The idea is simple:

If you’re ready to play and it’s safe, GO AHEAD! Don’t wait for strict turn order.

When to Use Ready Golf

Ready Golf is encouraged in:

• Casual rounds with friends
• Many recreational tournaments
• Whenever the course is slow

How Ready Golf Works

Instead of strict “farthest from hole first”:

The Safety Rule

NEVER hit if someone might get hit by your ball!

Ready Golf only works when:

• The player hitting is READY
• It’s SAFE for everyone
• Nobody is in the way

Real Example:

Jack’s ball was 180 yards from the hole. Mia’s ball was 160 yards away. Normally, Jack would go first. But Jack was still looking for his golf towel, and Mia was ready. Using Ready Golf, Mia says “I’m going to go ahead!” and hits her shot while Jack gets organized.

🎓 Putting It All Together

Golf rules exist to make the game:

• Fair for everyone
• Fun to play
• Fast to keep moving

Quick Memory Guide

🌟 The Most Important Thing

Golf is called a “gentleman’s game” because players are expected to:

• Know the rules
• Follow them honestly (even when no one is watching!)
• Call penalties on themselves

That’s what makes golf special. You are your own referee!

Now you know the basics. Get out there and play with confidence! 🏌️‍♂️⛳