A brief look at golf’s new rules that may change your game

By Rahul Banerji

By now, many will be wondering how changes in rules of golf that come into effect from the New Year will affect them. Piloted jointly by the R&A and the USGA after wide-ranging reviews and feedback, it has taken all of six years for the new set of regulations to evolve.

According to the R&A website, the idea behind the move was to ensure the laws were “easier to understand and apply for all golfers and to make the game more attractive and accessible for newcomers”.

Presented here in brief courtesy of the R&A are some of the key new rules that come into effect in just over two weeks and what the two organisations are doing to help make them accessible to all in terms of publications.

Dropping procedure

When taking relief (from an abnormal course condition or penalty area, for example), golfers will now drop from knee height. This will ensure consistency and simplicity in the dropping process while also preserving the randomness of the drop. It amends an early proposal suggesting an inch-high drop

Measuring in taking relief

The golfer’s relief area will be measured by using the longest club in his/her bag (other than a putter) to measure one club-length or two club-lengths, depending on the situation, providing a consistent process for golfers to establish his/her relief area. 

Removing penalty for a double hit

The penalty for accidentally striking the ball more than once in the course of a stroke has been removed. Golfers will simply count the one stroke they made to strike the ball.  

Balls Lost or Out of Bounds: Alternative to Stroke and Distance: 

A new Local Rule will now be available in January 2019, permitting committees to allow golfers the option to drop the ball in the vicinity of where the ball is lost or out of bounds (including the nearest fairway area), under a two-stroke penalty.

It addresses concerns raised at the club level about the negative impact on pace of play when a player is required to go back under stroke and distance. The Local Rule is not intended for higher levels of play, such as professional or elite level competitions. 

Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties

There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

Relaxed putting green rules

There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”)

Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock,etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

Relaxed bunker rules

There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

Relying on player integrity

A player’s “reasonable judgment” when estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance will be upheld, even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged.

Pace-of-play support

Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

Helping in determining line

The current prohibition will be extended so that, once the player begins taking a stance for the stroke, and until the stroke is made, the player’s caddie or playing partner must not deliberately stand on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball for any reason.

There will be no penalty if the caddie accidentally stands on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball, rather than in trying to help in lining up.

The Player’s Edition of the Rules of Golf

An abridged, user-friendly set of the Rules with shorter sentences, commonly used phrases, and diagrams. Written in the “second person,” The Player’s Edition is intended to be the primary publication for golfers.

The Rules of Golf

The full edition of the Rules will be written in the third person and include illustrations. It is intended to be a more thorough version of the revised Rules.

The Official Guide to the Rules of Golf

This “guidebook” replaces the Decisions book and will contain information to best support committees and officials. It includes interpretations on the Rules, committee procedures (available local rules and information on establishing the terms of the competition), and the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities.

It is a comprehensive resource document intended as a supplementary publication.

Adds the R&A, “Players are reminded that the current edition of the Rules of Golf (2016) must be applied when playing, posting scores or competing for the remainder of 2018.The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process.”

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