The Rules Of Golf

Did you know that an Ant Hill is classed as a loose impediment? A player is entitled to remove an ant hill under Rule 23-1.

An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty.

Click here for more information on obtaining relief from Ant Hills and Fire Ants.

Do you know the difference between movable and immovable obstructions, or the difference between permanent and temporary structures?

Under the rules of golf, which ones are you entitled to relief from?

The Rules of Golf contains over 50 Definitions around which the Rules are formed. The following are some of the most common definitions:

• Obstruction - anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths. The following are not considered to be Obstructions (ie they are deemed to be fixed and cannot be moved):
• Objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings
• any part of an immovable man-made object which is out of bounds
• any construction declared by the Committee in the Local Rules to be an integral part of the course

• An Obstruction is a classed as a Movable Obstruction if it may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. Otherwise, it is an immovable obstruction.
• Teeing Ground - the starting place for the hole, defined by two tee markers. The teeing area extends two club lengths backwards from the tee markers.
• Through the Green - the whole area of the golf course except the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played and all hazards.
• Hazards - any bunker or water hazard.
• Putting Green - an area specially prepared for putting and containing a 4.25 inch diameter hole.
• Out of Bounds - ground on which play is prohibited i.e. not part of the course. A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds. When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is considered to be out of bounds.
• Loose Impediments - natural objects such as stones, leaves and twigs provided they are not fixed or growing, are not solidly embedded and are not sticking to the ball.
• Casual Water - any temporary accumulation of water on the course which is visible before or after the player takes his stance.
• Ground Under Repair (GUR) - any portion of the course so marked by the Committee. Tree limbs piled for removal are also considered ground under repair.

Frequently Asked Questions

A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds."Out of bounds" is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee.

When out of bounds is defined by reference to stakes or a fence or as being beyond stakes or a fence, the out of bounds line is determined by the nearest inside points at ground level of the stakes or fence posts (excluding angled supports). When both stakes and lines are used to indicate out of bounds, the stakes identify out of bounds and the lines define out of bounds. When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is out of bounds. The out of bounds line extends vertically upwards and downwards.

A player may stand out of bounds to play a ball lying within bounds.

Objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed. Stakes identifying out of bounds are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed.

Yes. As long as the ball is in the teeing area, you may stand where you want.

You can repair ball marks on the putting surface. You cannot repair a ball mark that is not on the putting surface until after you have played your stroke, even if the ball is between your ball and the hole. You CANNOT repair spike marks until after you have holed out.

Follow this link for instructions on the best way to repair a Golf Ball pitch mark.

What the rules committee deems it so.

Unfortunately this issue came up at the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits when Dustin Johnson was penalized two strokes for grounding his club in what he thought was a "waste area" when in fact it was a bunker.

The course at Whistling Straits has over one thousand bunkers - even the course superintendent is unsure of the exact number. To allow the spectators better access to the course, the PGA Championship Rules Committee decided that spectators would be allowed to walk through, and stand in, any bunker that was "outside the ropes". However, for tournament play, these bunkers were still classed as regular bunkers, and being a hazard, players can not ground their club. Players were made aware of this ruling before the tournament began. Each player received a rules sheet with this information, and notices were posted in the locker room to highlight this local rule. Unfortunately, because of the large crowds around the 18th hole, Dustin Johnson did not realize his ball was in a hazard. He grounded his club before hitting his shot, and went on to make a bogey on the hole.

Or so he thought.

When he finished play, a rules official brought the infringement to his attention. Dustin had to take a two stroke penalty and so ended up signing for a triple bogey 7 on the hole. Instead of being involved in a 3-way playoff for the title, Johnson finished in a tie for 5^th place.

A similar ruling was made the last time the PGA Championship was played at Whistling Straits. On that occasion Stuart Appleby was penalized 4 strokes - 2 for grounding his club in a hazard and 2 for removing a loose impediment from a hazard.

Click here to take a Quiz and see how well you can interpret the Rules of Golf.

Knowing the Rules can work to your advantage. A clear example is the ruling where Tiger Woods was allowed to get help from the gallery at the 1999 Phoenix Open to remove a large rock from in front of his ball. It took 12 people to move the rock, but that was legal under the Rules of Golf because

• Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty (Rule 23-1)
• The Definition of "Loose Impediments" states that a stone is a loose impediment if it is not "solidly embedded." (Decision 23/2)
• Stones of any size (not solidly embedded) are loose impediments and may be removed, provided removal does not unduly delay play (Decision 23-1/2)
• spectators, caddies, fellow-competitors, etc., may assist a player in removing a large loose impediment (Decision 23-1/3)

The Rules and Decisions shown on this website are a summary of the principal Rules of Golf published by The United States Golf Association (USGA) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A).

The USGA, in conjunction with The R & A in St. Andrews, Scotland, writes, interprets and maintains the Rules of Golf to guard the tradition and integrity of the game. The USGA is the governing body of golf in the United States and Mexico, while The R & A is the governing body in all other parts of the world.

The Rules are reviewed jointly by the USGA and The R & A Rules Limited. Any proposed change must be agreed by both bodies before it can be adopted. The Rules are revised on a four-year cycle. The latest version went into effect Jan. 1, 2008, with the next revision taking effect Jan. 1, 2012.

In case of doubt, please refer to the complete rules which can be found on the USGA website or on the R & A website.

The important principles to remember when playing golf:

• Play the course as you find it.
• Play the Ball as it lies.
• If you can't do either, do what's fair.