Purpose: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player:
Golf is played in a round of 18 (or fewer) holes on a course by striking a ball with a club.
Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green (or when the Rules otherwise say the hole is completed).
For each stroke, the player:
But there are exceptions where the Rules allow the player to alter conditions on the course and require or allow the player to play the ball from a different place than where it lies.
All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by:
There is no penalty under the Rules for failing to act in this way, except that the Committee may disqualify a player for acting contrary to the spirit of the game if it finds that the player has committed serious misconduct.
Penalties other than disqualification may be imposed for player misconduct only if those penalties are adopted as part of a Code of Conduct under Rule 1.2b.
The Committee may set its own standards of player conduct in a Code of Conduct adopted as a Local Rule.
See Committee Procedures, Section 5H (explaining the standards of player conduct that may be adopted).
The “Rules” means:
Players are also responsible for complying with all “Terms of the Competition” adopted by the Committee (such as entry requirements, the form and dates of play, the number of rounds and the number and order of holes in a round).
See Committee Procedures, Section 5C and Section 8 (Local Rules and full set of authorized Model Local Rules); Section 5A(Terms of the Competition).
(1) Player Responsibility for Applying the Rules. Players are responsible for applying the Rules to themselves:
(2) Accepting Player’s “Reasonable Judgment” in Determining a Location When Applying the Rules.
(1) Actions Giving Rise to Penalties. A penalty applies when a breach of a Rule results from a player’s own actions or the actions of his or her caddie (see Rule 10.3c).
A penalty also applies when:
(2) Levels of Penalties. Penalties are meant to cancel out any potential advantage to the player. There are three main penalty levels:
(3) No Discretion to Vary Penalties. Penalties need to be applied only as provided in the Rules:
In match play, the player and opponent may agree how to decide a Rules issue so long as they do not deliberately agree to apply the Rules in the wrong way (see Rule 20.1b(1)).
(4) Applying Penalties to Multiple Breaches of the Rules. If a player breaches multiple Rules or the same Rule multiple times before an intervening event happens (such as making a stroke or becoming aware of the breach), the penalty that applies depends on what the player did:
But any penalty strokes a player gets for taking penalty relief (such as a one-stroke penalty under Rules 17.1, 18.1 and 19.2) are always applied in addition to any other penalties.
[Clarification available: Playing From a Wrong Place Is Related to Causing the Ball to Move]
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
The course is made up of the five defined areas of the course.
The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.
But a stroke has not been made if the player:
When the Rules refer to "playing a ball," it means the same as making a stroke.
The player's score for a hole or a round is described as a number of "strokes" or "strokes taken," which means both all strokes made and any penalty strokes (see Rule 3.1c).
Interpretation Stroke/1 - Determining If a Stroke Was Made
If a player starts the downswing with a club intending to strike the ball, his or her action counts as a stroke when:
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
The area the player must play from in starting the hole he or she is playing.
The teeing area is a rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where:
The teeing area is one of the five defined areas of the course.
All other teeing locations on the course (whether on the same hole or any other hole) are part of the general area.
When a ball is at rest in the hole after a stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green.
When the Rules refer to “holing out” or “hole out,” it means when the player’s ball is holed.
For the special case of a ball resting against the flagstick in the hole, see Rule 13.2c (ball is treated as holed if any part of the ball is below the surface of the putting green).
Interpretation Holed/1 - All of the Ball Must Be Below the Surface to Be Holed When Embedded in Side of Hole
When a ball is embedded in the side of the hole, and all of the ball is not below the surface of the putting green, the ball is not holed. This is the case even if the ball touches the flagstick.
Interpretation Holed/2 - Ball Is Considered Holed Even Though It Is Not "At Rest"
The words "at rest" in the definition of holed are used to make it clear that if a ball falls into the hole and bounces out, it is not holed.
However, if a player removes a ball from the hole that is still moving (such as circling or bouncing in the bottom of the hole), it is considered holed despite the ball not having come to rest in the hole.
The area on the hole the player is playing that:
The putting green for a hole contains the hole into which the player tries to play a ball. The putting green is one of the five defined areas of the course. The putting greens for all other holes (which the player is not playing at the time) are wrong greens and part of the general area.
The edge of a putting green is defined by where it can be seen that the specially prepared area starts (such as where the grass has been distinctly cut to show the edge), unless the Committee defines the edge in a different way (such as by using a line or dots).
If a double green is used for two different holes:
But the Committee may define an edge that divides the double green into two different putting greens, so that when a player is playing one of the holes, the part of the double green for the other hole is a wrong green.
The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.
But a stroke has not been made if the player:
When the Rules refer to "playing a ball," it means the same as making a stroke.
The player's score for a hole or a round is described as a number of "strokes" or "strokes taken," which means both all strokes made and any penalty strokes (see Rule 3.1c).
Interpretation Stroke/1 - Determining If a Stroke Was Made
If a player starts the downswing with a club intending to strike the ball, his or her action counts as a stroke when:
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
The course is made up of the five defined areas of the course.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
The course is made up of the five defined areas of the course.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
The course is made up of the five defined areas of the course.
A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.
These are not part of a bunker:
Bunkers are one of the five defined areas of the course.
A Committee may define a prepared area of sand as part of the general area (which means it is not a bunker) or may define a non-prepared area of sand as a bunker.
When a bunker is being repaired and the Committee defines the entire bunker as ground under repair, it is treated as part of the general area (which means it is not a bunker).
The word “sand” as used in this Definition and Rule 12 includes any material similar to sand that is used as bunker material (such as crushed shells), as well as any soil that is mixed in with the sand.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
The course is made up of the five defined areas of the course.
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
The course is made up of the five defined areas of the course.
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.
See Committee Procedures, Section 6C (explaining the responsibilities and authority of a referee).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.
See Committee Procedures, Section 6C (explaining the responsibilities and authority of a referee).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
An area from which relief with a one-stroke penalty is allowed if the player’s ball comes to rest there.
A penalty area is:
A penalty area is one of the five defined areas of the course.
There are two different types of penalty areas, distinguished by the colour used to mark them:
If the colour of a penalty area has not been marked or indicated by the Committee, it is treated as a red penalty area.
The edge of a penalty area extends both up above the ground and down below the ground:
The edge of a penalty area should be defined by stakes, lines or physical features:
When the edge of a penalty area is defined by lines or by physical features, stakes may be used to show where the penalty area is, but they have no other meaning.
When the edge of a body of water is not defined by the Committee, the edge of that penalty area is defined by its natural boundaries (that is, where the ground slopes down to form the depression that can hold the water).
If an open watercourse usually does not contain water (such as a drainage ditch or run-off area that is dry except during a rainy season), the Committee may define that area as part of the general area (which means it is not a penalty area).
To hold the ball and let go of it so that it falls through the air, with the intent for the ball to be in play.
If the player lets go of a ball without intending it to be in play, the ball has not been dropped and is not in play (see Rule 14.4).
Each relief Rule identifies a specific relief area where the ball must be dropped and come to rest.
In taking relief, the player must let go of the ball from a location at knee height so that the ball:
To place a ball by setting it down and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.
If the player sets a ball down without intending it to be in play, the ball has not been replaced and is not in play (see Rule 14.4).
Whenever a Rule requires a ball to be replaced, the Rule identifies a specific spot where the ball must be replaced.
Interpretation Replace/1 - Ball May Not Be Replaced with a Club
For a ball to be replaced in a right way, it must be set down and let go. This means the player must use his or her hand to put the ball back in play on the spot it was lifted or moved from.
For example, if a player lifts his or her ball from the putting green and sets it aside, the player must not replace the ball by rolling it to the required spot with a club. If he or she does so, the ball is not replaced in the right way and the player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 14.2b(2) (How Ball Must Be Replaced) if the mistake is not corrected before the stroke is made.
The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.
But a stroke has not been made if the player:
When the Rules refer to "playing a ball," it means the same as making a stroke.
The player's score for a hole or a round is described as a number of "strokes" or "strokes taken," which means both all strokes made and any penalty strokes (see Rule 3.1c).
Interpretation Stroke/1 - Determining If a Stroke Was Made
If a player starts the downswing with a club intending to strike the ball, his or her action counts as a stroke when:
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.
But a stroke has not been made if the player:
When the Rules refer to "playing a ball," it means the same as making a stroke.
The player's score for a hole or a round is described as a number of "strokes" or "strokes taken," which means both all strokes made and any penalty strokes (see Rule 3.1c).
Interpretation Stroke/1 - Determining If a Stroke Was Made
If a player starts the downswing with a club intending to strike the ball, his or her action counts as a stroke when:
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Anything used, worn, held or carried by the player or the player’s caddie.
Objects used for the care of the course, such as rakes, are equipment only while they are being held or carried by the player or caddie.
Interpretation Equipment/1 - Status of Items Carried by Someone Else for the Player
Items, other than clubs, that are carried by someone other than a player or his or her caddie are outside influences, even if they belong to the player. However, they are the player's equipment when in the player's or his or her caddie's possession.
For example, if a player asks a spectator to carry his or her umbrella, the umbrella is an outside influence while in the spectator's possession. However, if the spectator hands the umbrella to the player, it is now his or her equipment.
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:
Match play can be played as a singles match (where one player plays directly against one opponent), a Three-Ball match or a Foursomes or Four-Ball match between sides of two partners.
A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.
In the regular form of stroke play (see Rule 3.3):
Other forms of stroke play with different scoring methods are Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey (see Rule 21).
All forms of stroke play can be played either in individual competitions (each player competing on his or her own) or in competitions involving sides of partners (Foursomes or Four-Ball).
A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:
Match play can be played as a singles match (where one player plays directly against one opponent), a Three-Ball match or a Foursomes or Four-Ball match between sides of two partners.
A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.
In the regular form of stroke play (see Rule 3.3):
Other forms of stroke play with different scoring methods are Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey (see Rule 21).
All forms of stroke play can be played either in individual competitions (each player competing on his or her own) or in competitions involving sides of partners (Foursomes or Four-Ball).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:
Match play can be played as a singles match (where one player plays directly against one opponent), a Three-Ball match or a Foursomes or Four-Ball match between sides of two partners.
The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play.
The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.
But a stroke has not been made if the player:
When the Rules refer to "playing a ball," it means the same as making a stroke.
The player's score for a hole or a round is described as a number of "strokes" or "strokes taken," which means both all strokes made and any penalty strokes (see Rule 3.1c).
Interpretation Stroke/1 - Determining If a Stroke Was Made
If a player starts the downswing with a club intending to strike the ball, his or her action counts as a stroke when:
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either:
This is done to show the spot where the ball must be replaced after it is lifted.
To hold the ball and let go of it so that it falls through the air, with the intent for the ball to be in play.
If the player lets go of a ball without intending it to be in play, the ball has not been dropped and is not in play (see Rule 14.4).
Each relief Rule identifies a specific relief area where the ball must be dropped and come to rest.
In taking relief, the player must let go of the ball from a location at knee height so that the ball:
To place a ball by setting it down and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.
If the player sets a ball down without intending it to be in play, the ball has not been replaced and is not in play (see Rule 14.4).
Whenever a Rule requires a ball to be replaced, the Rule identifies a specific spot where the ball must be replaced.
Interpretation Replace/1 - Ball May Not Be Replaced with a Club
For a ball to be replaced in a right way, it must be set down and let go. This means the player must use his or her hand to put the ball back in play on the spot it was lifted or moved from.
For example, if a player lifts his or her ball from the putting green and sets it aside, the player must not replace the ball by rolling it to the required spot with a club. If he or she does so, the ball is not replaced in the right way and the player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 14.2b(2) (How Ball Must Be Replaced) if the mistake is not corrected before the stroke is made.
To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either:
This is done to show the spot where the ball must be replaced after it is lifted.
A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.
In the regular form of stroke play (see Rule 3.3):
Other forms of stroke play with different scoring methods are Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey (see Rule 21).
All forms of stroke play can be played either in individual competitions (each player competing on his or her own) or in competitions involving sides of partners (Foursomes or Four-Ball).
To change the ball the player is using to play a hole by having another ball become the ball in play.
The player has substituted another ball when he or she puts that ball in play in any way (see Rule 14.4) instead of the player’s original ball, whether the original ball was:
A substituted ball is the player’s ball in play even if:
Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play his or her ball under the Rules.
Examples of playing from a wrong place are:
Playing a ball from outside the teeing area in starting play of a hole or in trying to correct that mistake is not playing from a wrong place (see Rule 6.1b).
A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.
In the regular form of stroke play (see Rule 3.3):
Other forms of stroke play with different scoring methods are Stableford, Maximum Score and Par/Bogey (see Rule 21).
All forms of stroke play can be played either in individual competitions (each player competing on his or her own) or in competitions involving sides of partners (Foursomes or Four-Ball).
To change the ball the player is using to play a hole by having another ball become the ball in play.
The player has substituted another ball when he or she puts that ball in play in any way (see Rule 14.4) instead of the player’s original ball, whether the original ball was:
A substituted ball is the player’s ball in play even if:
Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play his or her ball under the Rules.
Examples of playing from a wrong place are:
Playing a ball from outside the teeing area in starting play of a hole or in trying to correct that mistake is not playing from a wrong place (see Rule 6.1b).