The Rules of Golf

The rules of golf can seem intimidating when you first attempt to understand them. Below I have summarized some of the rules that mid to high handicap golfers will find useful to understand and in many cases may not be aware of.

Most of the rules of golf that I discuss below probably won’t come into play unless you are playing in a golf tournament. But I believe that it is important for all amateur golfers to know how to apply the basic rules during a round.
It’s not just the pros that need to mark their golf ball before a round. During play, if you can’t clearly identify your golf ball, it is considered lost. (27) A lost ball results in a stroke and distance penalty. Using a sharpie permanent marker, you can put a distinguishing small mark or set of letters on your golf ball.
Double check how many golf clubs you have in your golf bag. The rules (4-4) limit you to 14 total clubs. With all of the new utility golf clubs available today, it’s easy to find yourself in violation of this one if someone decided to call you on it during your club championship. I see a lot of amateur golfers who have lots of clubs in their golf bag that they have tried but no longer use. This can cause a penalty in a tournament.
You may practice your golf swing but not play a practice stroke while playing a hole. Between holes you may practice chipping and putting on or near the putting green of the golf hole last played or the tee of the next hole but not from a hazard. (7-2). I see a lot of golfers hit a practice shot with an old golf ball into the river or into the woods to loosen up or if they are struggling during a particularly tough round of golf. If it’s just a friendly round with your regular foursome, they probably won’t call you on it. But be careful not to get into that habit.
In stroke play, the player whose golf ball is farthest from the hole hits first. Here is an interesting twist. Although not generally observed, this would mean that if you have a very long putt and your competitor (or partner) has a short sand shot around the green and is closer to the hole than you, you technically putt before he hits. This is a good way to mess with someone’s head during a competitive round of golf. To do this you could go ahead and putt since it is your turn. If you make it or put it close enough for a gimme, it can definitely rattle your opponent. Also, the player with the lowest score on a hole tees off first on the next hole. Generally there is no penalty for playing out of turn. (10-2)
These are just a few rules that many golfers may not be clear on. If you are going to play in scramble golf tournaments or any golf tournaments for that matter, it’s probably a good idea to brush up on your knowledge of the rule book.