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 ...

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 ...

In 2014, the USGA celebrated its 120th anniversary as the national governing body for golf in the United States, its territories and Mexico. A lot of history has been made in the first 120 years, and ...

This will allow for the Handicap Index to be updated as new scores are posted. If fewer than 20 scores are recorded on a player’s scoring record the adjustment is applied to all recorded Score ...

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 ...

(*or minus any handicap stroke(s) that a plus handicap player gives back on that hole.) (See Diagram 3.1b.) Finishing positions and prize winners, and Number of strokes given or received for different ...

Purpose of Rule: Rule 14 covers when and how the player may mark the spot of a ball at rest and lift and clean the ball and how to put a ball back into play so that the ball is played from the right ...

Scoring either by gross scores (no handicap strokes applied) or net scores (handicap strokes applied). Most of the Rules apply in both forms of play, but certain Rules apply in only one or the other.

For a 9-hole score to be acceptable for handicap purposes, all 9 holes must be played. If a player has not played at least 9 holes, the score is not acceptable for handicap purposes.

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

A score submitted for handicap purposes must be made available for peer review as soon as possible after completion of the round. To facilitate the process of peer review: (i) A player, or someone ...

Purpose of Rule: Rule 21 covers four other forms of individual play, including three forms of stroke play where scoring is different than in regular stroke play: Stableford (scoring by points awarded ...