Rule 1 --
The Game
A. The holes of the course must be played in
order (l through 9, 10 through 18 or 1
through 18).
B. You must always play by the Rules. You
are not allowed to change them.
Rule 2 -- Match Play
A. In match play, each hole is a separate
contest. If you win the first hole, you are
"one up"; if you lose it, you are "one
down"; if you tie it, you are "all square."
B. You have won the match when, for example,
you are three up and there are only two
holes left to play.
C. Anyone you are playing against is your
"opponent."
Rule 3 -- Stroke Play
A. In stroke play, the competitor with the
lowest total score for the round (9 or 18
holes) is the winner.
B. You must play the ball into the hole
before starting the next hole. No "gimmies!"
C. Anyone you are playing with is a
fellow-competitor
Rules 4 & 5 -- Clubs and the Ball
A. You may carry no more than fourteen
clubs.
B. Normally, you may not change balls during
the play of a hole. However, if you damage
or cut your ball, you may do so after first
asking your opponent or a fellow competitor.
Rule 6 -- Things a Player Should Do
A. Read the notices given to you by the
tournament officials.
B. Always use your proper handicap.
C. Know your tee time or starting time.
D. Make sure you play your own ball (put a
mark on the ball with a pencil in case
someone else is using an identical ball.
E. In stroke play, make sure your score for
each hole is right before you turn in your
card.
F. Keep playing unless there is lightning,
you are ill or an official tells you to
stop.
Rule 7 -- Practice
You may not hit a practice shot during play
of a hole, or from any hazard. Note: Always
read the local rules about practice.
Rule 8 -- Advice on How to Play
A. During a round, you may not ask anyone
except your caddie or partner for advice on
how to play. However, you may ask about
Rules or the position of hazards or the
flagstick.
B. You may not give advice to your opponent
or a fellow-competitor
Rule 9 -- Advising Opponent on Strokes Taken
In match play, you must tell your opponent
the number of strokes you have taken if you
are asked.
Rule 10 -- When to Play a Shot
A. The player who has the lowest score on a
hole has the right to play first on the next
hole . This is called the "honor."
B. During play of a hole, the player whole
ball is farthest from the hole plays first.
C. If you play out of turn, in match play
your opponent may make you replay, but this
is not so in stroke play.
Rule 10 -- When to Play a Shot
A. The player who has the lowest score on a
hole has the right to play first on the next
hole . This is called the "honor."
B. During play of a hole, the player whole
ball is farthest from the hole plays first.
C. If you play out of turn, in match play
your opponent may make you replay, but this
is not so in stroke play.
Rule 11 -- Teeing Ground
A. Tee your ball between the tee-markers or
a little behind them. You may go behind them
as two club lengths.
B. If you ball accidentally falls off the
tee, you may replace it without penalty.
Rule 12 -- Finding Ball in Hazard --
Identifying Ball
A. A hazard is any bunker (area of sand) or
water hazard (lake, pond, creek, etc).
B. In a bunker or water hazard, if your ball
is covered by wand or leaves, you may remove
enough of the sand or leaves to be able to
see a part of the ball.
C. You may lift your ball to identify it
anywhere except in a hazard. You must tell
your opponent or fellow competitor before
you lift your ball to identify it.
Rule 13 -- Playing the Ball as It Lies and
the Course as You Find It
A. You must play the ball as it lies. You
may not move it to a better spot.
B. You may not improve your lie by pressing
down behind the ball. The club may be
grounded only lightly behind the ball.
C. You may not improve the area of your
intended swing or line of play by bending or
breaking anything growing, such as tree
limbs or weeds.
D. In a hazard, you may not touch the sand,
ground or water with the club before or
during your backswing.
E. In a hazard, you may not remove loose
impediments (natural things such as leaves
or twigs) but you may remove obstructions
(artificial objects such as bottles or
rakes.)
Rule 14 -- Striking the Ball
A. You must fairly strike the ball with the
head of the club. You may not push, scrape
or rake the ball.
B. You must not hit your ball while it is
moving.
Rule 15 -- Playing a Wrong Ball
A. In match play, if you play a ball that is
not yours, you lose the hole unless the
wrong ball in a hazard, you must then play
the right ball.
B. In stroke play, if you play a ball that
is not yours, you must take a two-stroke
penalty unless the wrong ball was played in
a hazard. You must then play out the hole
with your own ball. If you do not do so, you
are disqualified.
Rule 16 -- The Putting Green
A. If any part of your ball is touching the
green, it is on the green.
B. When your ball is on the green, you may
brush away leaves and other loose
Impediments on your line of putt with your
hand or a club. Do not fan them with a cap
or towel.
C. You should repair ball marks or old hole
plugs but you may not repair marks made by
spikes or shoes, if they are on your line of
putt.
D. You may not test the surface of the green
by rolling a ball or scraping the surface.
E. Always mark your ball by putting a small
coin or other marker behind it when you want
to pick it up to clean or get it out of
another player's way.
Rule 17 -- The Flagstick
If your ball is off the green, there is no
penalty if you play and your ball strikes
the flagstick, provided no one is holding
the flagstick.
If your ball is on the green, do not putt
with the flagstick in the hole. Either take
the flagstick out or ask another player to
hold it and take it out when you play your
ball. If you putt and your ball hits the
flagstick when it is in the hole, in match
play you lose the hole. In stroke play, you
must add two penalty strokes to your score
for the hole.
Rule 18 -- Moving the Ball
A. If you or your partner move either of
your balls on purpose or accidentally, add a
penalty stroke to your score, replace and
play it.
B. If your ball is moved by someone or
something other than you or your partner,
(An outside agency) there is no penalty, but
you must replace it. If the ball is moved by
wind or water, you must play it as it lies.
C. Once you address the ball, if the ball
moves, add a penalty stroke and replace the
ball.
D. If you move a loose impediment within one
club-length of the ball and the ball moves,
add a penalty stroke, replace it and play
it. On the putting green, there is no
penalty.
Rule 19 -- Ball in Motion Deflected or
Stopped
A. If your ball hits an outside agency,
(bird, rake, etc.), it is called a "rub of
the green." There is no penalty and the ball
is played as it lies.
"Rub of the green." Play the ball as it
lies. No penalty.
Hit you, partner, caddie or equipment, you
lose the hole. 2 stroke penalty.
Hit your opponent, caddie or equipment, you
may replay the shot.
Hit fellow competitor, caddie or equipment,
no penalty.
B. If your ball hits you, your partner, your
caddie, or your equipment in match play you
lose the hole. In stroke play, you are
penalized two strokes and you must play your
ball as it lies.
C. If your ball hits your opponent, his
caddie, or his equipment, there is no
penalty; you may play the ball as it lies or
replay the shot.
D. If your ball hits a fellow competitor,
caddie or equipment in stroke play, there is
no penalty and the ball is played as it
lies. These are the same as outside agencies
in stroke play.
E. If your ball hits another ball and moves
it, you must play your ball as it lies. The
owner of the other ball must replace it. If
your ball is on the green when you play and
the ball which your ball hits is also on the
green, you are penalized two strokes in
stroke play. Otherwise, there is no penalty.
Rule 20 -- Lifting and Dropping the Ball
A. If you are going to life your ball under
a Rule and the Rule requires that the ball
be replaced, you must put a ball-marker
behind the ball before you lift it.
B. When you drop a ball, stand erect, hold
your arm out straight and drop it.
C. If a dropped ball hits the ground and
rolls into a hazard, out of hazard, more
than two club-lengths, nearer the hole or,
if you are dropping away from an immovable
obstruction or ground under repair, etc.,
back into the obstruction or ground under
repair, you must re-drop. If the same thing
happens when you re-drop, you must place the
ball where it struck the ground when it was
re-dropped.
Rule 21 -- Cleaning the Ball
You may usually clean your ball when you are
allowed to lift it. Except on the green, you
may not clean the ball when you lift it for
identification, because it interferes with
another player, or to determine if it is
unfit.
Rule 22 -- Ball Interfering with or
Assisting Play
A. If another ball interferes with your
swing or is in your line of putt, you may
ask the owner of the ball to lift it.
B. If your ball is near the hole and might
serve as a backstop for another player, you
may lift your ball.
Rule 23 -- Loose Impediments
Loose impediments are natural objects that
are not growing or fixed -- such as leaves,
twigs, branches, worms and insects. You may
remove a loose impediment except when your
ball and the loose impediment lie in a
banker or water hazard. (Exception see Rule
12)
Rule 24 -- Obstructions
A. Obstructions are artificial or man-made
objects. Bottles, tin cans, rakes, etc., are
movable obstructions. Sprinkler heads,
shelter houses, cart paths, etc., are
Immovable obstructions.
B. Movable obstructions anywhere on the
course may be removed. If the ball moves, It
must be replaced without penalty.
C. You may drop your ball away from an
immovable obstruction if it interferes with
your swing or stance. Find the nearest point
not nearer the hole where you can play
without interference with your swing or
stance. Drop the ball within one club-length
of that point. (You may move your ball away
from an immovable obstruction if it
Interferes with your swing or stance.) Note:
You should not pick up the ball from an
Obstruction until you have established the
nearest point of relief.
Rule 25 -- Casual Water; Ground Under
Repair; Animal Holes
A. Casual water is any temporary puddle of
water caused by rain or over watering.
Ground under repair is any damaged area
which the Committee has marked as\ such.
B. If your ball or your stance is in casual
water, ground under repair or a burrowing
animal hole, you may either play the ball as
it lies or find the nearest place not nearer
the hole which gives you relief and drop the
ball within one club-length of that place.
C. If you ball is in casual water, etc., and
you cannot find it, determine where the ball
entered the area and drop a ball within one
club-length of that place without penalty.
D. If your ball is on the wrong green, find
the nearest place off the green which is not
nearer the hole and drop the ball within one
club-length of that place.
Rule 26 -- Water Hazards
A. Water hazard margins are identified by
yellow stakes or lines. Lateral water hazard
margins are identified by red stakes or
lines.
B. If your ball is in a water hazard or a
lateral water hazard, you may play it as it
lies. If you cannot find it or do not wish
to play it, add a penalty stroke and drop
and play another ball from where you last
played or drop a ball behind the water
hazard as far back as you wish. If you
decide to drop behind the hazard, drop the
ball so that there is a straight line
between the hole, where your ball last
crossed the hazard margin and where you drop
the ball. If your ball is in a lateral water
hazard, you may also drop a ball within two
club-lengths of where the ball last crossed
the hazard margin, no nearer to the hole.
Rule 27 -- Ball Lost or Out of Bounds
A. A ball is lost if it is not found within
five minutes after you first begin to
search.
B. A ball is out of bounds when all of it
lies beyond the inside line of objects such
as white stakes, or a fence or wall that
marks the playing area.
C. If your ball is lost or out of bounds,
you must add a penalty stroke to your score
and play another ball from where you played
your last shot.
D. If you think your ball may be lost or out
of bounds, you may plan another ball
(provisional ball) from the place where your
first ball was played. You must tell your
opponent or fellow-competitor that you are
playing a provisional ball and play it
before you look for the first ball. If you
cannot find your first ball or If it is out
of bounds, you must count the strokes with
the first and provisional balls, add a
penalty stroke and play out the hole with
the provisional ball. If you find your first
ball in bounds, continue play with it and
pick up the provisional ball.
Rule 28 -- Ball Unplayable
If your ball is under a tree or in some
other bad situation and you decide you
cannot play it, add a penalty stroke and do
one of the following:
Go back to where you played the last shot
and play a ball from there
Measure two club-lengths from the unplayable
lie, drop a ball and play from there
Keep the unplayable lie between where you
drop the ball and the hole, go back as far
as you wish on a straight line and drop and
play the ball.
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