The R&A - Quick Guide to the Rules THE R&A Shop Quick Guide to the Rules This guide provides a simple explanation of common Rules situations. It is not a substitute for the Rules of Golf, which should be consulted whenever any doubts arises. For more information on the points covered, please refer to the relevant Rule. The basic Rules are not as hard to learn as you may think. They would include, for example, where play of a hole commences; what to do when your ball is in water hazard, lost or out of bounds' interference from immovable obstructions such as cart paths; and playing a provisional ball. Downloads BALL IN MOTION DEFLECTED OR STOPPED Relief Situations and Procedures When playing golf, you must play the ball as it lies, whether your ball is in a good lie or a bad lie, unless the Rules allow you to do otherwise. For example, the Rules allow you to move natural objects like leaves and twigs – the Rules call these “loose impediments”. The Rules also permit you to lift and move your ball if you have interference from certain conditions. Sometimes you can move your ball without penalty, e.g.

when you have interference due to a man-made object – called “obstructions” - such as a road or path, or when you have interference by an abnormal ground condition, such as casual water and ground under repair. At other times, you may incur a penalty if you wish to move your ball, e.g. when your ball is in a water hazard. Have a look at the sections below to learn more: Ball Unplayable Rules Academy The information included in the Quick Guide is also available in an on-line course, the Rules Academy. This course is based on the Etiquette Section and Quick Guide to the Rules of Golf and features video, images and diagrams of Rules situations and includes revision questions after each section. It covers the essentials that all golfers should know such as sportsmanship, integrity and respect. It adopts a tee to green approach and tells you what you need to know at each point; from where to tee your ball, to taking relief from various conditions, to holing out and returning the score card At the end of the course, you can take a Level 1 Rules Exam and receive a certificate signed by their guiding player.

Visit the Rules Academy The Etiquette of the Game The Etiquette of the game of golf provides guidelines on the manner in which the game of golf should be played. If they are followed, all players will gain maximum enjoyment from the game. Learn More Rules Education Whether you want to learn the basics or need to understand the finer details of the Decisions, discover more about the Rules of Golf via The R&A’s publications and The R&A’s formal three-tier education programme. Learn More Explore Etiquette Good etiquette is essential in golf, helping all players to gain maximum enjoyment from the game. Learn more by reading the etiquette section of the Rules in the Rules Explorer. Playing the ball Playing the Ball Play the ball as it lies. Play the course as you find it. And if you can't do either, do what is fair Lifting and Dropping Through the green was first defined in 1899 , as being all parts of the course except hazards and the putting green. The teeing ground was added to the definition in 1933. Apart from taking a ball out of a hazard, lifting was initially allowed only for balls touching, then within six inches of each other from 1775 .

The first 'procedure' for dropping a ball came in 1754 : throwing it behind a water hazard 'six yards at least'. Apart from 1754 and HCEG 1809 , all codes up to 1888 allowed a ball to be teed behind if it was in water, but the ball was to be dropped in other instances. R &A 1858 stipulated a drop on a line from the hole behind the hazard, establishing the principle used ever since. R&A 1891 in stroke play allowed a ball to be teed for lost ball and a ball 'lifted out of any difficulty', (in match play both these occurrences were loss of hole). The first mention of placing, rather than dropping, a ball on the putting green came in 1902 .

The method of dropping a ball had a few early variants: 1754 throw it at least six yards; 1776 Edinburgh Burgess throw it over your head; 1809 HCEG, 1830 Montrose, 1839 Royal Perth and 1812 R&A, face the hole, and drop over the head; and the latter to be adopted over the shoulder from Perth 1825 and Blackheath 1828 . When the 1899 rules came into force, the procedure was well detailed: behind the hazard, face the hole, stand erect and drop it from your head on a line from the hole. In 1908 the new procedure of dropping over the shoulder introduced. It lasted until 1984 , when the present method of dropping at arm's length was introduced. Re-dropping was required if the ball: 1899 rolls into a hazard. 1933 rolls nearer the hole. 1950 (R&A) goes out of bounds, into a hazard or casual water. 1954 rolls out of a hazard. 1960 rolls more than 2 club lengths.

1964 strikes the player, play as it lies. Re-drop required from 1976 1980 rolls onto a putting green. 1984 rolls back into the condition from which relief is being taken. 1996 not nearer hole than point where last crossed margin of WH. 1952 One re-drop before placing if the ground is such that it prevents a correct drop. 1972 after re-drop, ball to be placed at point ('spot' from 1984) where last dropped. Lifting for ID 1908 A player can lift anywhere for identification in the presence of another player. 1956 ball may not be lifted for identification in a hazard. 2008 Ball again may be lifted anywhere for identification R&A 1891 sees the first mention of placing a ball on the putting green, no doubt at the behest of greenkeepers who around this time started keeping the area around the hole well-tended. Marking Initially, there was no requirement for a ball that was to be lifted and replaced to be marked at all.

A ball had to be marked when lifting from the putting green from 1976 , and marked if it was to be replaced anywhere else on the course from 1984 . More details on marking on the green here. Wrong ball No mention was made of a wrong ball in any code until the 1800s. 1828 Blackheath - if a player plays opponent's ball, the opponent plays as it lies, no stroke penalty. 1815 Aberdeen - if a player plays a wrong ball, opponent can have stroke or replay ball. 1812 R&A had a simple sentence: If the player strikes his adversary's ball with his club, the player loses the hole. The featherie ball did not fly very far, so the issue of playing a ball from outside the match probably did not arise very often. Also the balls were far too expensive to leave behind on the course, so a stray ball was a rare thing. After the introduction of the guttie, which flew further, and the increasing popularity of golf, the possibility became real enough for the R&A to expand on a rule in 1858 .

Penalty for playing a wrong ball was loss of hole, however if the balls were inadvertently exchanged then there was no penalty to either side and the ball were played out thus exchanged. 1891 R&A. Penalty for playing an opponent's ball changed to 1 stroke unless this was due to wrong information, then there was no penalty and the player replaced his ball. Playing a ball from outside the match if discovered before teeing off on the next hole was loss of hole, otherwise no penalty. 1899 Penalty back to loss of hole. Stroke play, no penalty if corrected. 1902 If a player played a ball from outside the match, there was no penalty if opponent informed before playing. Otherwise loss of hole. 1908 In stroke play no penalty for playing one stroke with a wrong ball, but DQ for two successive strokes; no penalty if played from hazard. 1933 Stroke play penalty reduced to 2 strokes, but applies to the first stroke with the wrong ball. 1950 R&A. Reduction of penalty to one stroke if the player immediately informed his opponent, otherwise loss of hole. if player plays opponent's ball and then opponent plays a wrong ball - no penalty.

For a ball outside the match 1 stroke -- treated the same. Stroke play: 1 stroke. No penalty if played from within a hazard. 1952 . Playing a wrong ball is loss of hole, or 2 strokes in stroke play. 1954 , added that strokes played with a wrong ball do not count in player's score. 2008 As identification is now allowed in a hazard, the penalty for playing a wrong ball from a hazard is reinstated. The Wrong Rule, 1964-71 From 1964 , in addition to a wrong ball, there was the possibility of playing under a wrong rule. If a player proceeded under a rule which did not cover the case, the penalty was loss of hole, or 2 strokes, then proceed under the correct rule. Strokes played don't count. 1972 this rule was replaced by 'playing from a wrong place'. Unplayable An unplayable ball was not contemplated by the early rules - either you played it as it lay or you lost the hole, unless the ball was in water.

This rule was, of course, unworkable for stroke play where it was necessary to allow the player to continue the round and record a score on each hole. Edinburgh Burgess in 1807 introduced a rule for medal play allowing a player to lift a ball at any time and drop it over his shoulder, penalty one stroke. The same rule was applied by the Honourable Company in 1809 , Thistle 1824 and Perth 1825 . Burntisland 1828 introduced a novel version of the unplayable ball: if the player believes he cannot play the ball, his adversary may try to do so. If the adversary either fails or declines to do so, the player can then proceed to drop the ball. R&A, 1851 With the consent of one's adversary, a player could lift and drop behind the place for 1 penalty stroke. If the adversary disagreed, he could take two strokes at the ball to make it playable. If he succeeded then the 2 strokes were added to the players score and he played on. If not then the player proceeded with the drop.

R&A 1858 Match play, play the ball as it lies or lose the hole, except if the ball is on an obstruction or in water in which case no penalty but the ball must be played with an iron club. Stroke play, the ball may be lifted from anywhere and teed behind the place; 2 penalty strokes. Liverpool (Hoylake; now Royal Liverpool) 1870: An opponent was allowed three strokes in which to make the ball playable, if he succeeded, the player incurs the additional strokes; if not, the opponent added them to HIS score! 1902 . Stroke play, 2 penalty strokes and the player shall tee a ball behind the spot. 1920 : Ball now can be 'deemed' unplayable anywhere on the course; penalty stroke and distance in match play, stroke and distance or tee behind the place for 2 strokes in stroke play. Although a ball could be declared unplayable anywhere at this time, if a player's ball was in a water hazard, by following the water hazard Rule he could get back into play for one penalty stroke instead of two in stroke play (or loss of hole in match play).

The blueprint for the modern unplayable rule came from: 1941 USGA. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable. It may be declared unplayable at any place on the course, except in a water hazard or in casual water. 1947 the USGA said a ball could be declared anywhere on the course. In stroke play a ball may be lifted from any place except a water hazard, penalty one stroke. 1950 . Unplayable is defined: 'if the player consider he cannot make a stroke at it and dislodge it into a playable position'. 1952 definition dropped. Also in 1950 penalties reduced to distance only for lost, out of bounds and unplayable. Relief either distance only or within 2 club lengths, 1 penalty stroke. Provisional ball for a ball unplayable not allowed. For more on provisional ball, see here . 1952 Lost, Unplayable, OOB all under same rule and penalties. Player is sole judge whether his ball is unplayable, and it can be declared Unplayable anywhere.

Options are stroke and distance or 2 strokes and drop back on a line. Provisional ball allowed. 1960 USGA. reduced penalty to 1 stroke and removed Provisional option. 1964 option added to drop within 2-club lengths of ball, 2 penalty strokes. 1968 R&A. penalty reduced to 1 stroke, no provisional. Ball cannot now be declared unplayable in a water hazard. 1984 became a rule in its own right Moved, deflected Ball deflected by an outside agency - more or less unchanged since 1744 . 1891 R&A. 'Moved' defined, as today. 1908 A ball moved by another - player can choose to play as it lies or replace (MP); must be replaced in SP. If accidentally moved, 1 penalty stroke, play the ball as it lies. Ball moved in search - no penalty. Playing Ball moved by player: 1 ps and play as it lies; must be replaced from 1976 . Ball moves after address: play it as it lies, from 1988 ball must be replaced. 1775 Gentlemen Golfers.

Ball deflected by adversary or his caddie, 1 penalty stroke to the adversary. 1812 St Andrews. Ball strikes adversary/caddie, adversary loses hole. Strikes own cady, loss of hole. 1829 St Andrews. add equipment; and if strikes self, loss of hole. 1858 R&A. Double hit, lose hole. In Play 1891 all balls must be holed out in Stroke Play. 1899 ball played out of turn may be recalled. R&A 1875 recall on tee only. 1899 ball must not be pushed scraped or spooned. 1899 If a player plays on putting green when another ball in motion, 1 penalty stroke. 1950 'Undue delay' introduced, penalty disqualification. 1952 DQ for undue delay reduced to 2ps 1960 Artificial devices and distance-measuring devices banned. 2008 Distance measuring devices allowed under Local Rule. Substitution 1744 From the start, there was no provision for substituting a ball: rule 3.

In Rule 8, Substitution was allowed only for a ball lost (in whatever way). In what is now a water hazard, a player was allowed to take relief but with the same ball. The situation was obviously the same in St Andrews 1754 . Exceptions in 18th century were Bruntsfield 1773 , who allowed a change of ball by agreement with an opponent and also to replace a ball taken by a dog. Aberdeen 1783 also allowed for a ball taken by a dog, and also allowed a substitute ball for one lost in water. A lot of rules codes played lost ball=lost hole in match play, so the issue of a substitute ball did not arise, but these places had a separate rule for stroke play. This situation continued uniformly throughout the codes of the 19th century, until R&A 1858 which allowed a change of ball from a water hazard and for a broken ball (this appears around the time the more fragile gutta percha ball was becoming popular).

Isle of Wight 1886 allowed a substitute ball for broken/damaged ball, a ball moved by an outside agency, if played by an opponent, in water, or a water hazard, OOB, and lost. R&A 1888 also allowed for substitution for a ball in water, moved by an OA, and broken/damaged - added with opponent's consent in 1891 . 1899 water hazard included. 1920 Unplayable ball defined and included in substitution; now no distinction between match and stroke play. 1950 substitution allowed from GUR - 1952 reversed, now only for ball lost in GUR or casual water. 1980 substitution of a ball after discontinued play allowed. 1984 substitution allowed if ball is not immediately recoverable for ball moved by another player or outside agency. 1992 expanded to include balls lost in immovable obstructions and GUR. 2000 substituted ball gets own sub-section; substitute ball becomes ball in play whether permitted or not. Golf Quotes | Sayings | Quotations | Funny | Kids | Golfing Golf Quotes Welcome!

Log into your account your username Golf quotes for the seasoned pro, the casual weekend golfer and everyone in between. The Best Golf Quotations for Golfers and Golf Teams A “gimme” can best be defined as an agreement between two golfers, neither of whom can putt very well. Author Unknown Golf is a game where the ball always lies poorly and the player always lies well. Author Unknown Many a golfer prefers a golf cart to a caddy because the cart cannot count, criticize or laugh. Author Unknown Golf is a lot of walking, broken up by disappointment and bad arithmetic. Author Unknown If I hit it right, it’s a slice. If I hit it left, it’s a hook. If I hit it straight, it’s a miracle. Author Unknown Gone golfin’ — be back dark thirty. Author Unknown Born to golf. Forced to work. Author Unknown A golfer’s diet: live on greens as much as possible. Author Unknown The best wood in most amateurs’ bags is the pencil. Author Unknown I’ve spent most of my life golfing – the rest I’ve just wasted. Author Unknown When I die, bury me on the golf course so my husband will visit.

Author Unknown A game in which you claim the privileges of age, and retain the playthings of childhood. Author Unknown A game in which you claim the privileges of age, and retain the playthings of childhood. Author Unknown To some golfers, the greatest handicap is the ability to add correctly. Author Unknown If I hit it right, it’s a slice. If I hit it left, it’s a hook. If I hit it straight, it’s a miracle. Author Unknown To some golfers, the greatest handicap is the ability to add correctly. Author Unknown It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course. Hank Aaron I had a wonderful experience on the golf course today. I had a hole in nothing. Missed the ball and sank the divot. Don Adams There is one thing in this world that is dumber than playing golf. That is watching someone else playing golf. What do you actually get to see? Thirty-seven guys in polyester slacks squinting at the sun. Doesn’t that set your blood racing? Peter Andrews One thing about golf is you don’t know why you play bad and why you play good.

George Archer Baseball players quit playing and they take up golf. Basketball players quit, take up golf. Football players quit, take up golf. What are we supposed to take up when we quit? George Archer To give yourself the best possible chance of playing to your potential, you must prepare for every eventuality. That means practice. Seve Ballesteros Baseball reveals character; golf exposes it. Ernie Banks When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls. Henry Beard Duffers who consistently shank their balls are urged to buy and study Shanks – No Thanks by R.K. Hoffman, or in extreme cases, M.S. Howard’s excellent Tennis for Beginners. Henry Beard Golf Words of Wisdom “Play it as it lies” is one of the fundamental dictates of golf. The other is “Wear it if it clashes.” Henry Beard Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air. Jack Benny The more you play it the less you know about it. Patty Berg Golf is played by twenty million, mature American men whose wives think they are out having fun.

Jim Bishop Golf isn’t like other sports where you can take a player out if he’s having a bad day. You have to play the whole game. Phil Blackmar Have you ever noticed what golf spells backwards? Al Boliska Never break your putter and your driver in the same round or you’re dead. Tommy Bolt I may be the only golfer never to have broken a single putter, if you don’t count the one I twisted into a loop and threw into a bush. Thomas Boswell I don’t like to watch golf on television because I can’t stand people who whisper. David Brenner The trouble that most of us find with the modern matched sets of clubs is that they don’t really seem to know any more about the game than the old ones did. Robert Browning More Funny Golf Sayings and Quotes You know you’re on the Senior Tour when your back goes out more than you do. Bob Bruce The average golfer doesn’t play golf. He attacks it. Jack Burke One of the advantages bowling has over golf is that you seldom lose a bowling ball. Don Carter Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.

Winston Churchill Missing a short putt does not mean you have to hit your next drive out of bounds. Henry Cotton As far as swing and techniques are concerned, I don’t know diddly squat. When I’m playing well, I don’t even take aim. Fred Couples I’m about five inches from being an outstanding golfer. That’s the distance my left ear is from my right. Ben Crenshaw Golf is the hardest game in the world. There is no way you can ever get it. Just when you think you do, the game jumps up and puts you in your place. Ben Crenshaw I can airmail the golf ball, but sometimes I don’t put the right address on it. Jim Dent The difference between golf and government is that in golf you can’t improve your lie. George Deukmejian Awesome Golf Quotations Luck? Sure, but only after long practice and only with the ability to think under pressure. Babe Didrikson Zaharias The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can’t see him laughing. Phyllis Diller Half of golf is fun; the other half is putting.

Peter Dobereiner The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top. Pete Dye Playing the game I have learned the meaning of humility. It has given me an understanding of futility of the human effort. Abba Eban They call it golf because all of the other four-letter words were taken. Raymond Floyd I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose. Gerald Ford What folks say about Golf I know I am getting better at golf because I’m hitting fewer spectators. Gerald Ford I tried real hard to play golf, and I was so bad at it they would have to check me for ticks at the end of the round because I’d spent about half the day in the woods. Jeff Foxworthy The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. Billy Graham When you hear someone shout “You da man,” if he ain’t shouting at Arnold Palmer, then it ain’t da man. Ron Green Golf is a game in which you yell “for,” shoot six, and write down five.

Paul Harvey The game of golf would lose a great deal if croquet mallets and billiard cues were allowed on the putting green. Ernest Hemingway The most important shot in golf is the next one. Ben Hogan Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing. Ben Hogan May thy ball lie in green pastures, and not in still waters. Ben Hogan The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. Ben Hogan There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground. Ben Hogan Golf is 20 percent talent and 80 percent management. Ben Hogan This is a game of misses. The guy who misses the best is going to win. Ben Hogan Bob Hope quotes on Golf I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead. Bob Hope If I’m on the course and lightning starts, I get inside fast. If God wants to play through, let him. Bob Hope I’ll shoot my age if I have to live to be 105.

Bob Hope One of the most fascinating things about golf is how it reflects the cycle of life. No matter what you shoot – the next day you have to go back to the first tee and begin all over again and make yourself into something. Peter Jacobsen Bobby Jones quotes on Golf No one ever swung too slowly. Bobby Jones Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies. Bobby Jones Golf is the only game I know of that actually becomes harder the longer you play it. Bobby Jones You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about. Bobby Jones I never learned anything from a match that I won. Bobby Jones One hundred years of experience had demonstrated that the game is temporary insanity practiced in a pasture. Dave Kindred Find a man with both feet firmly on the ground and you’ve found a man about to make a difficult putt. Fletcher Knebel Talking to a golf ball won’t do you any good, unless you do it while your opponent is teeing off. Bruce Lansky The best advice I can give for playing a ball out of water is – don’t.

Tony Lema If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. Jack Lemmon I play in the low 80s. If it’s any hotter than that, I won’t play. Joe E. Lewis Notable Golf Quotes If you call on God to improve the results of a shot while it is still in motion, you are using “an outside agency” and subject to appropriate penalties under the rules of golf. Henry Longhurst A routine is not a routine if you have to think about it. Davis Love, Jr. When it’s breezy, hit it easy. Davis Love, Jr. It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf. Robert Lynd The only sure rule in golf is – he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie. Mickey Mantle Golf’s three ugliest words: still your shot. Dave Marr It’s so ridiculous to see a golfer with a one foot putt and everybody is saying “Shhh” and not moving a muscle. Then we allow nineteen year-old kids to face a game-deciding free throw with seventeen thousand people yelling. Al McGuire Concentrate on hitting the green.

The cup will come to you. Cary Middlecoff Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad. A.A. Milne If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age. Thomas Mulligan Golf without mistakes is like watching haircuts. A dinner without wine. Jim Murray The only thing you should force in a golf swing is the club back in the bag. Byron Nelson Nothing goes down slower than a golf handicap. Bobby Nichols Through years of experience I have found that air offers less resistance than dirt. Jack Nicklaus, on why he tees his ball high Professional golf is the only sport where, if you win 20% of the time, you’re the best. Jack Nicklaus It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it. Jack Nicklaus Golf is a better game played downhill. Jack Nicklaus A kid grows up a lot faster on the golf course. Golf teaches you how to behave. Jack Nicklaus One minute you’re bleeding. The next minute you’re hemorrhaging. The next minute you’re painting the Mona Lisa.

Mac O’Grady Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: taking long walks and hitting things with a stick. P.J. O’Rourke Arnold Palmer Quotes I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game. It is called an eraser. Arnold Palmer What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive. Arnold Palmer I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to win. Arnold Palmer — Arnold Palmer Inv. (@APinv) October 4, 2016 I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didnt have a chance to win. Arnold Palmer Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger. Arnold Palmer The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done. Arnold Palmer It’s a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get. Arnold Palmer More great sayings Golf is the most useless outdoor game ever devised to waste the time and try the spirit of man.

Westbrook Pegler The woods are full of long drivers. Harvey Penick Real golfers, no matter what the provocation, never strike a caddie with the driver. The sand wedge is far more effective. Huxtable Pippey If you think your hands are more important in your golf swing than your legs, try walking a hole on your hands. Gary Player Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I’ve played the game for 40 years and I still haven’t the slightest idea how to play. Gary Player Golf is the cruelest game, because eventually it will drag you out in front of the whole school, take your lunch money and slap you around. Rick Reilly Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 pecent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation. Grantland Rice You are meant to play the ball as it lies, a fact that may help to touch on your own objective approach to life. Grantland Rice Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your own, as well as your opponent’s. Grantland Rice My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt.

The rest can never be mastered. Lord Robertson Humorous Golf Words A golf ball is like a clock. Always hit it at 6 o’clock and make it go toward 12 o’clock. But make sure you’re in the same time zone. Chi Chi Rodriguez After all these years, it’s still embarrassing for me to play on the American golf tour. Like the time I asked my caddie for a sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham on rye. Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf is the only sport that a professional can enjoy playing with his friends. Chi Chi Rodriguez I don’t exaggerate — I just remember big. Chi Chi Rodriguez I don’t fear death, but I sure don’t like those three-footers for par. Chi Chi Rodriguez I never pray to God to make a putt. I pray to God to help me react good if I miss a putt. Chi Chi Rodriguez The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has. Will Rogers I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off everything like golf. I have never been depressed enough to take up the game, but they say you get so sore at yourself you forget to hate your enemies.

Will Rogers Golf is a game in which the ball lies poorly and the players well. Art Rosenbaum A passion, an obsession, a romance, a nice acquaintanceship with trees, sand, and water. Bob Ryan You can’t call it a sport. You don’t run, jump, you don’t shoot, you don’t pass. All you have to do is buy some clothes that don’t match. Steve Sax A golf course outside a big town serves an excellent purpose in that it segregates, as though a concentration camp, all the idle and idiot well-to-do. Osbert Sitwell It’s so bad I could putt off a tabletop and still leave the ball halfway down the leg. J.C. Snead Of all the hazards, fear is the worst. Sam Snead If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they’d starve to death. Sam Snead Forget your opponents; always play against par. Sam Snead These greens are so fast I have to hold my putter over the ball and hit it with the shadow. Sam Snead Practice puts brains in your muscles. Sam Snead You can’t go into a shop and buy a good game of golf.

Sam Snead If some players took a fork to their mouths the way they take the club back, they’d starve to death. Sam Snead There are no short hitters on the tour anymore – just long and unbelievably long. Sam Snead These greens are so fast I have to hold my putter over the ball and hit it with the shadow. Sam Snead Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt. Sam Snead Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses. Adlai Stevenson When the ducks are walking, you know it is too windy to be playing golf. Dave Stockton My golf is improving. Yesterday I hit the ball in one! Jane Swan I’m hitting the woods just great, but I’m having a terrible time getting out of them. Harry Toscano There are two things you can do with your head down – play golf and pray. Lee Trevino If you’re caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron. Lee Trevino Columbus went around the world in 1492.

That isn’t a lot of strokes when you consider the course. Lee Trevino I’m not saying my golf game went bad, but if I grew tomatoes, they’d come up sliced. Lee Trevino Real pressure in golf is playing for $10 when you’ve only got $5 in your pocket. Lee Trevino You can talk to a fade but a hook won’t listen. Lee Trevino My swing is so bad I look like a caveman killing his lunch. Lee Trevino There is no such thing as natural touch. Touch is something you create by hitting millions of golf balls. Lee Trevino It’s good sportsmanship not to pick up lost balls while they are still rolling. Mark Twain Golf is a good walk spoiled. Mark Twain The golf swing is like a suitcase into which we are trying to pack one too many things. John Updike Notable Quotes Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five. John Updike Don’t play too much golf. Two rounds a day are plenty.

Harry Vardon If your opponent is playing several shots in vain attempts to extricate himself from a bunker, do not stand near him and audibly count his strokes. It would be justifiable homicide if he wound up his pitiable exhibition by applying his niblick to your head. Harry Vardon Art said he wanted to get more distance. I told him to hit it and run backward. Ken Venturi, on Art Rosenbaum The ball retriever is not long enough to get my putter out of the tree. Brian Weis The uglier a man’s legs are, the better he plays golf. It’s almost a law. H.G. Wells Golf is an ineffectual attempt to put an elusive ball into an obscure hole with implements ill-adapted to the purpose. Woodrow Wilson The least thing upset him on the links. He missed short putts because of the uproar of butterflies in the adjoining meadows. P.G. Wodehouse Golf, like the measles, should be caught young, for, if postponed to riper years, the results may be serious. P.G. Wodehouse My dad has always taught me these words: care and share. That’s why we put on clinics.

The only thing I can do is try to give back. If it works, it works. Tiger Woods I want to be what I’ve always wanted to be: dominant. Tiger Woods Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness. William Wordsworth ——- If you have any suggestions for golf quotes to add, please shoot us an email with the subject heading “Golf Quotes.” Thanks! Inspirational Quotes and Sayings Golf: Rules and Regulations Back to the main Golf page The main rule of golf is to play fair. Even on the back cover of the rule book it states to 1) play the course as you find it 2) play the course as it lies and 3) if you can't do either, do what is fair. So fairness is a key to golf. There will be times when playing golf that you are tempted to cheat. Standing out in the woods and your ball is right behind a tree, the temptation to kick the ball over a few feet to get a good shot. Don't do it! Golf is a game of etiquette and conscience. The game will be more rewarding if you always play by the rules and play fair.

When starting to play a round of golf, it's always a good idea to read the local rules on the scorecard. These will give you guidelines that are specific to that course. The official rules of golf in the US are governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA), but here are some basic rules to keep in mind when playing golf: You must play the golf ball where it lies, unless there is a rule that allows you to move it. The golf course may not be changed to gain an advantage, unless there is a rule that allows for a specific change. If your ball is in a bunker or water hazard, your golf club cannot touch the ground or water prior to your actual swing. If it does, you must take a penalty stroke. If you accidentally play the wrong golf ball (oops!), you get a two stroke penalty. On the green, you may mark and lift your ball to clean it or get it out of another golfer's way. When putting the ball must not hit the flag. If the golf ball does hit the flag, it is a two stroke penalty. If you loose the ball in a water hazard, you can drop the ball behind the hazard and in line with the golf hole. You must take a penalty stroke.

If you loose the ball out of bounds, you can take a penalty stroke and then replay the shot. If your ball is unplayable, you may take a penalty stroke and then drop the golf ball behind where the ball was and in line with the hole or drop the golf ball within two club lengths. You are allowed a maximum of 14 clubs in your golf bag. Golfers must tee off behind and between the tee markers. Never in front of the tee markers. In addition to the rules of golf, golfers also need to adhere to the etiquette of golf. Fixing divots, not hitting into other players for safety, yelling "fore" if you do, being quiet while a golfer is hitting the ball, and playing at a good rate are just a few rules of the etiquette of golf that make the game more enjoyable for everyone.

Golf Rule 24, Obstructions Golf Rule 24, Obstructions Simplified Rules USGA Rules Note: The Rules define “obstructions” as any artificial object or surface, like a road, cart path or curb, unless the object defines out of bounds (e.g., a fence), is part of an immovable object that’s out of bounds or is considered part of the golf course. Obstructions are considered movable if they can be easily moved without unduly delaying play or causing damage. Examples of obstructions: Steps or wires attached to a boundary wall; a car or cart parked in bounds; wooden, concrete or other artificially surfaced steps on a bank or hill. Examples of objects that aren’t obstructions: Bases of boundary fence posts; boundary stakes, even if the boundary applies only on another hole (not the hole in play); steps with a natural surface (e.g., soil or grass) on a bank or hill; ground raised by an underground pipe or fixture. 24-1. A player is allowed remove a movable obstruction, as long as his ball doesn’t lie in or on the object, with no penalty. If he accidentally moves the ball in the process, he must replace it, without penalty.

If the ball is in or on the obstruction, the ball can be lifted, the object moved and the ball dropped (through the green or in a hazard) or placed (on the green) as close as possible to the spot directly under its location in or on the object, no nearer the hole. The player is allowed to clean the ball after lifting. With a ball in motion, an obstruction that might influence the ball can’t be moved. Exceptions: Any player’s equipment or a flagstick being tended. 24-2. Free relief from an immovable obstruction is allowed when the ball lies in or on the object, or the object interferes with the player’s stance or swing. On the green only, relief is allowed from an immovable obstruction in the player’s line. There is no relief if the interference is strictly mental. Following is the procedure for taking relief from an immovable obstruction (except when the ball is in a water hazard); the ball can be cleaned in all instances. Note: The nearest point of relief is the spot closest to the obstruction – but not on the green or in a hazard and not closer to the hole – where the player can stand and swing without interference by the object.

When the ball lies through the green (anywhere but the tee, green or a hazard), lift and drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. When the ball is in a bunker, lift and drop it within one club-length of the nearest relief point; the relief point and drop spot must be in the bunker. Alternatively, the player can take a one-stroke penalty and drop outside the bunker, keeping the original spot directly between his ball and the hole. The player can go as far as he likes behind the bunker. When the ball is on the green, lift and place it at the nearest relief point that’s not in a hazard. The player can place the ball off the green. When the ball is on the teeing ground, the procedure is the same as dropping through the green. Players are not given relief from immovable obstructions if something other than the obstruction causes the interference, or if the obstruction only interferes when the player takes an abnormal stance or swing. There’s no relief from immovable obstructions if the ball is in a water hazard. Example: An irrigation control box lies several feet from Billy’s ball.

He addresses the ball by standing much farther from it than he normally would, then makes an exaggerated test swing and hits the box with his backswing. Since Billy is making an abnormal effort to cause interference with the obstruction, he’s not allowed to take relief. 24-3. If it’s determined that a lost ball is in a movable obstruction, the player may move the object and take a free drop with a substitute ball (or place a ball, if his ball was in an obstruction on the green). The drop/placement should be within one club-length of the spot where the ball last crossed the edge of the object, no nearer the hole. If it’s determined that a lost ball is in an immovable obstruction, the edge of the object where the ball last crossed is considered the ball’s location. From here, the player can take a free drop within one club-length of the nearest relief point (through the green, in a bunker or on the green, where the ball can be placed), or take a one-stroke penalty and drop outside the bunker (as in Rule 24-2). Penalties for violating Rule 24: Match play – loss of hole. Stroke play – two strokes. 24-1.

Movable Obstruction A player may take relief, without penalty, from a movable obstruction as follows:a. If the ball does not lie in or on the obstruction, the obstruction may be removed. If the ball moves, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty, provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction. Otherwise, Rule 18-2a applies.b. If the ball lies in or on the obstruction, the ball may be lifted and the obstruction removed. The ball must through the green or in a hazard be dropped, or on the putting green be placed, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball lay in or on the obstruction, but not nearer the hole. The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule. When a ball is in motion, an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball, other than equipment of any player or the flagstick when attended, removed or held up, must not be moved. (Exerting influence on ball – see Rule 1-2 ) Note: If a ball to be dropped or placed under this Rule is not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted. 24-2. Immovable Obstruction a.

Interference Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing. If the player’s ball lies on the putting green, interference also occurs if an immovable obstruction on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule. b. Relief Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction as follows:(i)Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green.

When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.(ii)In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker; or(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.(iii)On the Putting Green: If the ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball and place it, without penalty, at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard. The nearest point of relief may be off the putting green.(iv)On the Teeing Ground: If the ball lies on the teeing ground, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above.

The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule. (Ball rolling to a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken – see Rule 20-2c(v) ) Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) interference by anything other than an immovable obstruction makes the stroke clearly impracticable or (b) interference by an immovable obstruction would occur only through use of a clearly unreasonable stroke or an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play. Note 1: If a ball is in a water hazard (including a lateral water hazard), the player may not take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction. The player must play the ball as it lies or proceed under Rule 26-1. Note 2: If a ball to be dropped or placed under this Rule is not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted. Note 3: The Committee may make a Local Rule stating that the player must determine the nearest point of relief without crossing over, through or under the obstruction. 24-3. Ball In Obstruction Not Found It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward an obstruction is in the obstruction.

In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the obstruction. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule Rule 27-1 . a. Ball in Movable Obstruction Not Found If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in a movable obstruction, the player may substitute another ball and take relief, without penalty, under this Rule. If he elects to do so, he must remove the obstruction and through the green or in a hazard drop a ball, or on the putting green place a ball, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the movable obstruction, but not nearer the hole. b. Ball in Immovable Obstruction Not Found If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in an immovable obstruction, the player may take relief under this Rule.

If he elects to do so, the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the obstruction must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player must proceed as follows:(i)Through the Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(i).(ii)In a Bunker: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot in a bunker, the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(ii).(iii)In a Water Hazard (including a Lateral Water Hazard): If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot in a water hazard, the player is not entitled to relief without penalty.

The player must proceed under Rule 26-1.(iv)On the Putting Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot on the putting green, the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(iii). PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes. Share This Site > BEST 3 OF 4. Home and away, we play a “best 3 of 4 net scores” game. On each hole, the sum of the three best net scores are added, which becomes the team score for that hole. Description of Competition Per the United States Golf Association (USGA), The game of golf consists of playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules. Our competition is Stroke Play. There is but one Local Rule: Without improving the line of play, stance or area of intended swing, a ball may be lifted, cleaned and placed within one club length (not nearer the hole) without penalty as follows; A ball on the fairway of play..

A ball lying near a rock/embedded stone such that damage to the club would result. A ball lying on bare earth on any fairway or rough (but not in the woods) HOW TO WIN. Each team can win in any or all of six different events: lowest team scores for front 9, back 9, and total 18 holes; highest team trash for front, back and total. BALL HIT OUT OF BOUNDS If you are certain that the ball is out of bounds, immediately play another shot from the same place under penalty of one stroke and continue play with that ball. If there is doubt that the ball went out of bounds, proceed under “lost ball” below. LOST BALL If you are uncertain that you will be able to find the ball, immediately play another shot from the same place under penalty of one stroke, but declare it a Provisional Shot. Play the provisional ball, counting all strokes taken including the penalty stroke to the point close to where your original shot may be. You then have 5 minutes to find your original ball. If you find your original ball You must play the original ball and abandon the provisional ball. There is no penalty, and continue to play your original ball.

If it was your tee shot, then you are hitting your second shot from where you found it. If you do not find your original ball: Keep playing the provisional ball, counting all strokes taken with that ball. Example, you hit your tee shot into the woods and put a provisional ball in play. You are now hitting three from the tee with the provisional ball. After the tee shot, you are lying three with the provisional ball and start to look for the original tee shot. If you cannot locate the original, the next stroke with the provisional ball is the fourth. BALL ASSISTING OR INTERFERING WITH PLAY MUST BE MARKED AND LIFTED. There are times when a player whose ball lies off the green ask that a ball lying near the flagstick NOT be lifted. This violates USGA rule 22, and “In stroke play if competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any other player they are disqualified”.

Question: ‘Play the ball as it lies’ is one of the rules of which sport?
Answer: Golf