USGA issues new Rules of Golf changes

The USGA has published the first comprehensive changes to the Rules of Golf in 4 years. The changes to the Rules generally fall into two broad categories: “(1) those that improve the clarity of the Rules and (2) those that reduce the penalties in certain circumstances to ensure that they are proportionate…”

Most of the rules changes are minor word tweaks, but we found a few of them to be significant and address some common questions that players have while out on a course. Here are some examples:

A ball is deemed “lost’’ if:

“a. It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player’s side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or

"b. The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place; or

"c. The player has put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 27-1a); or

"d. The player has put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (see
Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (see Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (see Rule 25-1c) or is in a water hazard (see Rule 26-1); or

"e. The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball.”

Here is another rule we've had a lot of discussion about on the course:

“If a ball lying in or on an obstruction or in an abnormal ground condition is accidentally moved during search, there is no penalty…”

“If a player has reason to believe a ball at rest is his and it is necessary to lift the ball in order to identify it, he may lift it. If the ball is the player’s ball and he lifts his ball in order to identify it when not necessary to do so, he incurs a penalty
of one stroke…”

And the many changes that have been made to equipment in the last 4 years are also dealt with in some of the Rule changes, including what a player may carry in his bag during tournament play, and identification requirements for new drivers. For example, a Tournament Committee “may require, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), that any driver the player carries must have a clubhead, identified by model and loft, that is named on
the current List of Conforming Driver Heads issued by the USGA.”

The USGA, in conjunction with the R&A in St. Andrews, Scotland, writes, interprets and maintains the Rules of Golf to guard the tradition and integrity of the game. The two organizations are joint authors and owners of The Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf. Through an agreement with the R&A, the Rules jurisdiction of the USGA includes only the United States, its possessions and Mexico. The latest version went into effect Jan. 1, 2004, with the next revision taking effect Jan. 1, 2008.

For a complete look at the Rules changes, or to purchase a copy of the Rules, visit the USGA web site at:

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/pdf/2008Principal_Changes.pdf