GENERAL USGA GOLF RULES
BASICS & DROPPING
Late Arrival - if a player is not ready to play at their tee-off time and are late up to 5 minutes, 2 penalty strokes. Player is disqualified (DQ) for being more than 5 minutes late.
Substituting the Ball - the ball may NOT be substituted while a hole is being played (unless it is damaged, lost or has been picked up for take relief). Substituting a ball is 1 penalty stroke. A ball can be substituted between holes.
Dropping the Ball - must be dropped from knee height in the relief area. Ball can be cleaned and a new ball can be used. 2 penalty strokes for ‘placing’ a ball vs. dropping a ball.
Maximum of 14 clubs - extra clubs must be declared out of play (place upside down in bag). If found with more than 14 clubs, 2 penalty strokes apply for each hole on which you had too many clubs, to a maximum of 4 penalty strokes per round.
Double-Hitting the Ball - if you accidentally strike the ball more than once when playing a shot, no penalty is incurred.
Free Relief Areas - the closest point of relief where your swing and stance are not impacted by the object and 1 club-length.
TEE
Tee Markers - fixed objects that are not to be moved. If moved, 2 penalty strokes.
Teeing Area - extends from the tee-markers to 2 club-lengths behind the markers. Playing outside the teeing area incurs 2 penalty strokes.
Free Relief - on the tee, uneven ground can be smoothes out, all loose objects can be removed without penalty.
Ball Falls Off the Tee - if the ball is accidentally knocked from the tee before you tee off (practice swing too close), there is no penalty. Tee the ball up again.
Air Shot (Whiff) - every stroke counts, even if you accidentally miss the ball.
Advice and Line of Play - you are allowed to discuss distance, the position of bunkers or penalty areas, the pin position, the rules and other general facts. However, you are NOT allowed to ask for or give advice before the shot (e.g. which club did you take?). 2 penalty strokes.
Provisional/Lost Ball - if you suspect that you will not be able to find your ball or that it has landed OOB, play a provisional ball. Announce it is a “provisional”. 1 penalty stroke. If your ball landed in a penalty area, you do NOT have the option of playing a provisional ball.
FAIRWAY & ROUGH
Stroke & Distance - this option can be taken at any time whether you ball is on the course or not. You can even opt for stroke and distance relief even when a Rule “requires” you to take “relief in a certain way or to play a ball from a certain place”. When you’ve either lost a ball or hit it OOB, you must take stroke and distance relief. 1 stroke penalty.
Looking for a Ball - you have a maximum of 3 minutes to find your ball. After that, the ball is considered lost and you have to return to the spot where you played your last stroke and take a drop within 1 club-length. 1 penalty stroke.
Lost Ball - if you cannot find your ball after looking for it for 3 minutes, it is lost. Return to the spot where you played your last stroke and take a drop within 1 club-length for a 1 penalty stroke.
Ball Moved when Taking Practice Swing or Grounding the Club - if you take a practice swing or ground the club and accidentally move your ball, you must put the ball back with 1 penalty stroke.
Embedded Ball - if your ball is embedded into the ground when landing, you can pick it up, clean it, and drop it without penalty within 1 club-length, but not nearer to the hole.
Immovable Obstructions - bottles, cans, signs, stakes and other artificial objects can be removed, without penalty, even if the ball is lying in or on the obstruction. The ball is then to be dropped within 1 club-length of its original position.
Abnormal Course Conditions - If your ball is lying within the below defined areas, or if they interfere with your stance or swing, you are given free relief. Determine the nearest point where the ball is NOT within the abnormal course conditions and where you can take your stance and swing without interference from them. Drop the ball with 1 club-length without penalty.
Immovable Obstructions - bottles, cans, signs, stakes and other artificial objects can be removed
Ground Under Repair - marked in blue or mentioned in Local Rules (does not include aeration holes)
Temporary Water - puddles whereby the water is visible when the player takes their stance
Animal Holes - holes and excavation tracks caused by animals
Ball Lost in Abnormal Course Conditions - if you cannot find your ball, but you are certain that it could only be lost in abnormal course conditions, you are given free relief. Drop the ball where it last crossed the edge of the abnormal course conditions.
Divots, Tractor Ruts, Bald Patches, etc. - if the ball has a bad lie which is not explicitly dealt with by the rules, then the ball must be played as it lies or it can be declared unplayable with 1 penalty stroke.
Unplayable Ball - if the ball has an extremely bad lie, it is advisable to declare it unplayable. You then have 3 options to drop the ball, each with 1 penalty stroke:
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Take a drop within 2 club-lengths; or
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Go back to the extension of the line from the hole to the ball, as far as you like, and take a drop on that line; or
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Return to the spot of your last stroke and take a drop within 1 club-length.
Wrong Ball - if you played the wrong ball, the strokes with the wrong ball do not count, but you incur 2 penalty strokes. You must go back and play the correct ball and put the wrong ball back.
BUNKER
Bunker Sand - do not touch or test the sand or make practice swings whereby the sand is touched; grounding the club in front of or behind the ball and touching the sand on your backswing are also not permitted. 2 penalty strokes.
Movable Obstructions in the Bunker - you can remove the rake and other artificial objects without penalty. If the ball moves as a result, put it back without penalty.
Abnormal Course Conditions in the Bunker - if the ball is lying in abnormal course conditions (e.g. puddle, ground under repair, animal hole, etc.) or if these conditions interfere with your stance or swing, you can take relief:
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Take a drop within 1 club-length of the nearest point where interference is eliminated with no penalty; or
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Go back on the extension of the line from the hole to the ball, as far as you like, and take a drop on that line. 1 penalty stroke.
Old Footprints, Buried Lie, etc. in the Bunker - the ball must be played as it lies, or it must be declared an unplayable ball.
Unplayable Ball in the Bunker - if the ball is declared unplayable, the player has 4 options to drop a ball:
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In the bunker, take a drop within 2 club-lengths. 1 penalty stroke; or
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In the bunker, go back on the extension of the line from the hole to the ball and take a drop on that line. 1 penalty stroke; or
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Return to the spot of your last stroke and take a drop within 1 club-length. 1 penalty stroke; or
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Go back on the extension of the line from the hole to the ball outside the bunker, as far back as you like, and take a drop on that line. 2 penalty strokes.
PENALTY AREAS - IDENTIFIED BY YELLOW & RED POSTS
Edge - if the ball touches the edge, it is in the penalty area.
Ball in the Penalty Area Options:
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Play the ball as it lies. No penalty.
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Take a drop outside the penalty area. 1 penalty stroke.
Penalty Area Rule - if your ball is lying in a penalty area or is lost in one, you are permitted to drop outside of it as follows (if no drop zones apply):
Yellow -
(1) go back on the extension of the line from the hole to the entry point, as far back as you like, and take a drop on that line for 1 penalty stroke; or
(2) return to the spot of your last stroke and take a drop within 1 club-length for 1 penalty stroke.
Red -
(1) same as yellow rule; or
(2) same as yellow rule; or
(3) take a drop within 2 club-lengths of the entry point (where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area) for 1 penalty stroke.
Playing the Ball as it Lies - if you decide to play the ball from the penalty area, you must accept the lie as you find it and are not permitted to move, bend or break off anything growing or fixed before making a stroke to improve the lie of the ball, the area of stance or swing or the line of play. 2 penalty strokes.
Dangerous Situation - if your ball is playable but is near a dangerous animal, you can determine the nearest safe spot in the penalty area that is not nearer to the hole and take a free drop within 1 club-length.
Abnormal Course Conditions and Unplayable Lies - no relief is given for abnormal course conditions and the ball must be played as it lies. A ball CANNOT be declared unplayable in a penalty area.
Ball Played from Penalty Area…and Hit into Water or Lost Anywhere else in Penalty Area - if you played a stroke from a penalty area but have not hit the ball out, the stroke counts, but you are still entitled to proceed in accordance with the penalty area rule with 1 penalty stroke.
Ball Played from a Penalty Area…and Hit OOB or Lost - if you hit your ball out of the penalty area have lost it or hit it OOB, you must drop a ball within 1 club-length of the spot where you played your last stroke (back into the penalty area). 1 penalty stroke.
OUT OF BOUNDS (OOB) AND PROVISIONAL BALL - IDENTIFIED BY WHITE POSTS
Edge - the ball is OOB when the ENTIRE ball lies OOB.
Ball Out of Bounds - if your ball is lying OOB, you must return to the spot where you played your last stroke and take a drop within 1 club-length with a 1 penalty stroke. If you have already played a provisional ball, this now becomes the ball in play. 1 penalty stroke.
Playing a Provisional Ball - if, after a stroke, you suspect that you will not be able to find your ball or that it has come to rest OOB, you should play a provisional ball to save time. Announce the provisional and drop it within 1 club-length of the same spot where you played your stroke. Play this ball until you reach the approximate position where you believe the original ball to be. You are permitted to play several strokes with the provisional ball. If you do not announce the provisional, 1 penalty stroke.
Provisional Ball in an Excellent Position - if you hit a wonderful shot with your provisional ball, it could be to your advantage not to find the original ball at all. You can simply not search for the first ball. However, you cannot pronounce the first ball “lost” by declaration or refuse to identify it. If you do find the original ball within 3 minutes and it is not OOB, you must continue to play with it.
Original Ball Found…On the Course - if you find your original ball within 3 minutes and it is not OOB, you will have to continue to play with it. You must pick up the provisional ball and the strokes made with that ball do not count.
Original Ball Found…But Unplayable - if you find your original ball within 3 minutes and it is not OOB, you must continue to play with it, even if it has a poor or unplayable lie. The provisional ball is not to be played under any circumstance. If you declare the original ball unplayable, you must proceed with the unplayable ball rule and maybe even return to the spot where you played your last stroke once again.
Original Ball OOB or Cannot be Found - if your original ball is OOB or if you have not found it within 3 minutes, the provisional ball becomes the ball in play with 1 penalty stroke (all the strokes played with both the original ball and provisional ball count, plus 1 penalty stroke).
GREEN
Green and Fringe - the ball is on the green if it touches the green. The fringe is not part of the green but is considered a general area (Fairway & Rough).
Order of Play - it is always the turn of the player whose ball is furthest away, however is deviated from to save time. No penalty is then incurred.
Marking & Picking Up the Ball - you are permitted to mark the ball’s position with a ball-marker or coin, and then pick it up and clean it.
Ball Marked by Another Person - you are allowed to ask another player to mark and pick up your ball.
Ball Accidentally Moved - if you accidentally cause your ball to move (e.g. when grounding your club or as a result of a practice swing too close to the ball), no penalty is incurred. The ball must be put back.
Wrong Ball - if you realize that the ball you are playing is not your ball, you have to go back and play the correct ball. The strokes made with the wrong ball do not count, but you will incur 2 penalty strokes.
Advice and Line of Play - you are NOT permitted to ask for or give advice (e.g. concerning the line of play). 2 penalty strokes.
Do Not Test the Green - you are not allowed to test the green by rolling a ball or by roughening the surface of the green. 2 penalty strokes.
Sprinklers - sprinklers may be near or on the fringe in the “general area” and the player is only given free relief if the sprinkler interferes with their stance or swing. If the sprinkler is merely on the line of play, the ball must be played as it lies.
Ball Deflected by Marker - if a ball is deflected by a ball-marker, this is defined as a chance occurrence and the ball must be played as it lies without penalty.
Ball Hits Another Ball - if you putt on the green and your ball hits a ball at rest on the green, you will incur 2 penalty strokes. You must play your ball as it lies and the ball which was moved must be put back.
Ball Hits Another Player or an Outside Influence - If your ball accidentally hits another player, an animal, a moving ball or another artificial object (except for the flagstick), the stroke does not count and must be replayed without penalty.
Ball on the Edge of the Hole - if your ball comes to rest on the edge of the hole, you must approach the hole without delay and you are allowed to wait for 10 seconds. If the ball drops in within this time, it is classed as having been holed. If it falls in after the 10 seconds are up, it is also classed as holed, but you must add 1 penalty stroke.
Careless Putting - the ball is always to be hit, NOT pushed OR scraped. 2 penalty strokes.
Putt Conceded/Ball Not Holed - strokes CANNOT be conceded (with the exception of the 10 stroke league rule). If a player picks up their ball too soon (before 10 strokes), they have to put it back with 1 penalty stroke and then hole it, otherwise they may be disqualified.