Purpose of Rule: This Rule allows you to do things on the putting green that are normally not allowed off the putting green, such as being allowed to mark, lift, clean and replace your ball and to ...

Purpose of Rule: Rule 4 covers the equipment that you may use during your round. Based on the principle that golf is a challenging game in which success should depend on your judgment, skills and ...

Net double bogey, and Net par. It is important that an accurate par be established for each hole on a golf course for both men and women, and these values should be printed alongside each hole on the ...

You must fairly strike at the ball with the head of the club such that there is only momentary contact between the club and the ball and you must not push, scrape or scoop the ball. If your club ...

Purpose of Rule: Rule 17 is a specific Rule for penalty areas, which are bodies of water or other areas defined by the Committee where a ball is often lost or unable to be played. For one penalty ...

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Purpose of Rule: Rule 16 covers when and how you may take free relief by playing a ball from a different place, such as when you have interference by an abnormal course condition or a dangerous animal ...

Anthony Petitti, of Irvington, N.Y., is in his third year as a member of the USGA Executive Committee. Petitti, who was announced as the next commissioner of the Big 10 Conference on April 12, 2023, ...

Purpose of Rule: Rule 18 covers taking relief under penalty of stroke and distance. When your ball is lost outside a penalty area or comes to rest out of bounds, the required progression of playing ...

USGA Members are essential to the success of our vision to create a more welcoming, sustainable and accessible game for all golfers. By funding research and innovation to foster the sustainability of ...

When starting a hole, if you play a ball from outside the teeing areaTeeing Area: The area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing. The teeing area is a rectangle that is two ...

Play the course as you find it and play your ball as it lies. Play by the Rules and in the spirit of the game. You are responsible for applying your own penalties if you breach a Rule, so that you ...