The rules of golf can create interesting discussions on and off the golf course. This is the first in a series that I’m writing on the basics of the rules of golf. I hope that you enjoy them and that they prove useful on the golf course.

This rule has been changed recently, but normally you cannot use an artificial device or equipment for measuring distance to the flag or your next golf shot. Effective January 1, you can use these devices, but only in golf tournaments at the tournament director’s discretion. I personally am glad they didn’t take this rule and open it wide open. I see way to many golfers stepping off distances multiple times. As if they had a 146 ½ yard golf club in their bag. Can you imagine if they had a distance meter that they could play with between golf shots. We’d have 6 hour rounds of golf.

The rules of golf state that you shouldn’t ask for advice from anyone except your partner or caddie. I didn’t know this one for a long time. Now I’ve played with many golfers who would say it should be a rule not to offer golf swing instruction during a round of golf; if someone asks fine, but no unsolicited advice. I’ve seen some pretty tense conversations on the golf course when it has occurred, but it’s never bothered me, I need all the help I can get.

In four-ball competitions, you can actually choose what order to play in based on what you and your partner think is best. Until I read this one, I thought that the normal rules of golf dictated the order of play. What is four-ball format you ask? A fancy way to describe what I call “best ball”. Teams of two golfers play each other, each golfer plays his golf ball all the way through the hole and the team that has the player with the lowest score wins the hole. In this type of golf competition, this rule allows golf partners to adapt to particular golf courses, how you are playing that day and many factors that could affect your scoring.

A number of golfers don’t realize that there is a very specific area of the tee box on every golf hole that you should hit your tee shot from. The area must be between the tee markers and no more than two club lengths behind the front (not back) edges of the tee markers. Hitting from outside this area incurs a penalty stroke.

I will continue to roll out this series of articles to help with understanding the rules of golf. If you have a good interpretation for a rule, or a question on the rules of golf, either post your comments below or ask a question of The Golf Nut by clicking on the link in the upper right hand corner of this page.