The Game, Player Conduct and the Rules
Purpose: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player:
- Play the course as you find it and play the 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 cannot gain any potential advantage over your opponent in match play or other players in stroke play.
1.1
The Game of Golf
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:
- Plays the course as he or she finds it, and
- Plays the ball as it lies.
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.
1.2
Standards of Player Conduct
a
Conduct Expected of All Players
All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by:
- Acting with integrity – for example, by following the Rules, applying all penalties, and being honest in all aspects of play.
- Showing consideration to others – for example, by playing at a prompt pace, looking out for the safety of others, and not distracting the play of another player.
- Taking good care of the course – for example, by replacing divots, smoothing bunkers, repairing ball-marks, and not causing unnecessary damage to the course.
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.
b
Code of Conduct
The Committee may set its own standards of player conduct in a Code of Conduct adopted as a Local Rule.
- The Code may include penalties for breach of its standards, such as a one-stroke penalty or the general penalty.
- The Committee may also disqualify a player for serious misconduct in failing to meet the Code’s standards.
See Committee Procedures, Section 5H (explaining the standards of player conduct that may be adopted).
1.3
Playing by the Rules
a
Meaning of “Rules”; Terms of the Competition
The “Rules” means:
- Rules 1-24 and the Definitions in these Rules of Golf, and
- Any “Local Rules” the Committee adopts for the competition or the course.
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).
b
Applying the Rules
(1) Player Responsibility for Applying the Rules. Players are responsible for applying the Rules to themselves:
- Players are expected to recognize when they have breached a Rule and to be honest in applying their own penalties.
- If a player knows that he or she has breached a Rule that involves a penalty and deliberately fails to apply the penalty, the player is disqualified.
- If two or more players deliberately agree to ignore any Rule or penalty they know applies and any of those players have started the round, they are disqualified (even if they have not yet acted on the agreement).
- When it is necessary to decide questions of fact, a player is responsible for considering not only his or her own knowledge of the facts but also all other information that is reasonably available.
- A player may ask for help with the Rules from a referee or the Committee, but if help is not available in a reasonable time the player must play on and raise the issue with a referee or the Committee when they become available (see Rule 20.1).
(2) Accepting Player’s “Reasonable Judgment” in Determining a Location When Applying the Rules.
- Many Rules require a player to determine a spot, point, line, area or other location under the Rules, such as:
- Estimating where a ball last crossed the edge of a penalty area,
- Estimating or measuring when dropping or placing a ball in taking relief, or
- Replacing a ball on its original spot (whether the spot is known or estimated).
- Such determinations about location need to be made promptly and with care but often cannot be precise.
- So long as the player does what can be reasonably expected under the circumstances to make an accurate determination, the player’s reasonable judgment will be accepted even if, after the stroke is made, the determination is shown to be wrong by video evidence or other information.
- If a player becomes aware of a wrong determination before the stroke is made, it must be corrected (see Rule 14.5).
c
Penalties
(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:
- Another person takes an action that would breach the Rules if taken by the player or caddie and that person does so at the player’s request or while acting with the player’s authority, or
- The player sees another person about to take an action concerning the player’s ball or equipment that he or she knows would breach the Rules if taken by the player or caddie and does not take reasonable steps to object or stop it from happening.
(2) Levels of Penalties. Penalties are meant to cancel out any potential advantage to the player. There are three main penalty levels:
- One-Stroke Penalty. This penalty applies in both match play and stroke play under certain Rules where either (a) the potential advantage from a breach is minor or (b) a player takes penalty relief by playing a ball from a different place than where the original ball lies.
- General Penalty (Loss of Hole in Match Play, Two-Stroke Penalty in Stroke Play). This penalty applies for a breach of most Rules, where the potential advantage is more significant than where only one penalty stroke applies.
- Disqualification. In both match play and stroke play, a player may be disqualified from the competition for certain actions or Rule breaches involving serious misconduct (see Rule 1.2) or where the potential advantage is too significant for the player’s score to be considered valid.
(3) No Discretion to Vary Penalties. Penalties need to be applied only as provided in the Rules:
- Neither a player nor the Committee has authority to apply penalties in a different way, and
- A wrong application of a penalty or a failure to apply a penalty may stand only if it is too late to correct it (see Rules 20.1b(2)-(4), 20.2d and 20.2e).
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:
- When Breaches Resulted from Unrelated Acts. The player gets a separate penalty for each breach.
- When Breaches Resulted from a Single Act or Related Acts. The player gets only one penalty; but if the act or acts breached multiple Rules involving different penalties, the higher-level penalty applies. For example:
- Multiple Procedural Breaches. If a player’s single act or related acts breach more than one of the procedural requirements for marking, lifting, cleaning, dropping, replacing or placing a ball where the penalty is one stroke, such as both lifting a ball without marking its spot and cleaning the lifted ball when not allowed, the player gets one penalty stroke in total.
- Playing Incorrectly Substituted Ball from a Wrong Place. In stroke play, if a player plays a substituted ball when not allowed in breach of Rule 6.3b and also plays that ball from a wrong place in breach of Rule 14.7a, the player gets two penalty strokes in total.
- Combined Procedural and Substitution/Wrong Place Breaches: In stroke play, if a player’s single act or related acts breach one or more procedural requirements where the penalty is one stroke and also breach one or both of the Rules against playing an incorrectly substituted ball and playing from a wrong place, the player gets two penalty strokes in total.
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.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
- All areas inside the boundary edge are in bounds and part of the course.
- All areas outside the boundary edge are out of bounds and not part of the course.
- The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
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:
- Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball or, if unable to stop, by deliberately missing the ball.
- Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.
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 clubhead is deflected or stopped by an outside influence (such as the branch of a tree) whether or not the ball is struck.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, whether or not the ball is struck with the shaft.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, with the clubhead falling and striking the ball.
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
- During the downswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player stops the downswing short of the ball, but the clubhead falls and strikes and moves the ball.
- During the backswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player completes the downswing with the shaft but does not strike the ball.
- A ball is lodged in a tree branch beyond the reach of a club. If the player moves the ball by striking a lower part of the branch instead of the ball, Rule 9.4 (Ball Lifted or Moved by Player) applies.
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 front edge is defined by the line between the forward-most points of two tee-markers set by the Committee, and
- The side edges are defined by the lines back from the outside points of the tee-markers.
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:
- Is specially prepared for putting, or
- The Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).
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:
- The entire prepared area containing both holes is treated as the putting green when playing each hole.
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:
- Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball or, if unable to stop, by deliberately missing the ball.
- Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.
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 clubhead is deflected or stopped by an outside influence (such as the branch of a tree) whether or not the ball is struck.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, whether or not the ball is struck with the shaft.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, with the clubhead falling and striking the ball.
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
- During the downswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player stops the downswing short of the ball, but the clubhead falls and strikes and moves the ball.
- During the backswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player completes the downswing with the shaft but does not strike the ball.
- A ball is lodged in a tree branch beyond the reach of a club. If the player moves the ball by striking a lower part of the branch instead of the ball, Rule 9.4 (Ball Lifted or Moved by Player) applies.
The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:
- All areas inside the boundary edge are in bounds and part of the course.
- All areas outside the boundary edge are out of bounds and not part of the course.
- The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
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:
- All areas inside the boundary edge are in bounds and part of the course.
- All areas outside the boundary edge are out of bounds and not part of the course.
- The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
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:
- All areas inside the boundary edge are in bounds and part of the course.
- All areas outside the boundary edge are out of bounds and not part of the course.
- The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
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:
- A lip, wall or face at the edge of a prepared area and consisting of soil, grass, stacked turf or artificial materials,
- Soil or any growing or attached natural object inside the edge of a prepared area (such as grass, bushes or trees),
- Sand that has spilled over or is outside the edge of a prepared area, and
- All other areas of sand on the course that are not inside the edge of a prepared area (such as deserts and other natural sand areas or areas sometimes referred to as waste areas).
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:
- All areas inside the boundary edge are in bounds and part of the course.
- All areas outside the boundary edge are out of bounds and not part of the course.
- The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
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:
- All areas inside the boundary edge are in bounds and part of the course.
- All areas outside the boundary edge are out of bounds and not part of the course.
- The boundary edge extends both up above the ground and down below the ground.
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:
- Any body of water on the course (whether or not marked by the Committee), including a sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open watercourse (even if not containing water), and
- Any other part of the course the Committee defines as a penalty area.
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:
- Yellow penalty areas (marked with yellow lines or yellow stakes) give the player two relief options (Rules 17.1d(1) and (2)).
- Red penalty areas (marked with red lines or red stakes) give the player an extra lateral relief option (Rule 17.1d(3)), in addition to the two relief options available for yellow penalty areas.
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:
- This means that all ground and anything else (such as any natural or artificial object) inside the edge is part of the penalty area, whether on, above or below the surface of the ground.
- If an object is both inside and outside the edge (such as a bridge over the penalty area, or a tree rooted inside the edge with branches extending outside the edge or vice versa), only the part of the object that is inside the edge is part of the penalty area.
The edge of a penalty area should be defined by stakes, lines or physical features:
- Stakes: When defined by stakes, the edge of the penalty area is defined by the line between the outside points of the stakes at ground level, and the stakes are inside the penalty area.
- Lines: When defined by a painted line on the ground, the edge of the penalty area is the outside edge of the line, and the line itself is in the penalty area.
- Physical Features: When defined by physical features (such as a beach or desert area or a retaining wall), the Committee should say how the edge of the penalty area is defined.
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:
- Falls straight down, without the player throwing, spinning or rolling it or using any other motion that might affect where the ball will come to rest, and
- Does not touch any part of the player’s body or equipment before it hits the ground (see Rule 14.3b).
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:
- Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball or, if unable to stop, by deliberately missing the ball.
- Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.
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 clubhead is deflected or stopped by an outside influence (such as the branch of a tree) whether or not the ball is struck.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, whether or not the ball is struck with the shaft.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, with the clubhead falling and striking the ball.
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
- During the downswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player stops the downswing short of the ball, but the clubhead falls and strikes and moves the ball.
- During the backswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player completes the downswing with the shaft but does not strike the ball.
- A ball is lodged in a tree branch beyond the reach of a club. If the player moves the ball by striking a lower part of the branch instead of the ball, Rule 9.4 (Ball Lifted or Moved by Player) applies.
The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.
But a stroke has not been made if the player:
- Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball or, if unable to stop, by deliberately missing the ball.
- Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.
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 clubhead is deflected or stopped by an outside influence (such as the branch of a tree) whether or not the ball is struck.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, whether or not the ball is struck with the shaft.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, with the clubhead falling and striking the ball.
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
- During the downswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player stops the downswing short of the ball, but the clubhead falls and strikes and moves the ball.
- During the backswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player completes the downswing with the shaft but does not strike the ball.
- A ball is lodged in a tree branch beyond the reach of a club. If the player moves the ball by striking a lower part of the branch instead of the ball, Rule 9.4 (Ball Lifted or Moved by Player) applies.
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
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:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
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:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
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:
- A player or side wins a hole in the match by completing the hole in fewer strokes (including strokes made and penalty strokes), and
- The match is won when a player or side leads the opponent or opposing side by more holes than remain to be played.
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):
- A player’s or side’s score for a round is the total number of strokes (including strokes made and any penalty strokes) to hole out on each hole, and
- The winner is the player or side who completes all rounds in the fewest total strokes.
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:
- A player or side wins a hole in the match by completing the hole in fewer strokes (including strokes made and penalty strokes), and
- The match is won when a player or side leads the opponent or opposing side by more holes than remain to be played.
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):
- A player’s or side’s score for a round is the total number of strokes (including strokes made and any penalty strokes) to hole out on each hole, and
- The winner is the player or side who completes all rounds in the fewest total strokes.
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:
- A player or side wins a hole in the match by completing the hole in fewer strokes (including strokes made and penalty strokes), and
- The match is won when a player or side leads the opponent or opposing side by more holes than remain to be played.
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:
- Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball or, if unable to stop, by deliberately missing the ball.
- Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.
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 clubhead is deflected or stopped by an outside influence (such as the branch of a tree) whether or not the ball is struck.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, whether or not the ball is struck with the shaft.
- The clubhead separates from the shaft during the downswing and the player continues the downswing with the shaft alone, with the clubhead falling and striking the ball.
The player's action does not count as a stroke in each of following situations:
- During the downswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player stops the downswing short of the ball, but the clubhead falls and strikes and moves the ball.
- During the backswing, a player's clubhead separates from the shaft. The player completes the downswing with the shaft but does not strike the ball.
- A ball is lodged in a tree branch beyond the reach of a club. If the player moves the ball by striking a lower part of the branch instead of the ball, Rule 9.4 (Ball Lifted or Moved by Player) applies.
To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either:
- Placing a ball-marker right behind or right next to the ball, or
- Holding a club on the ground right behind or right next to the ball.
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:
- Falls straight down, without the player throwing, spinning or rolling it or using any other motion that might affect where the ball will come to rest, and
- Does not touch any part of the player’s body or equipment before it hits the ground (see Rule 14.3b).
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:
- Placing a ball-marker right behind or right next to the ball, or
- Holding a club on the ground right behind or right next to the ball.
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):
- A player’s or side’s score for a round is the total number of strokes (including strokes made and any penalty strokes) to hole out on each hole, and
- The winner is the player or side who completes all rounds in the fewest total strokes.
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:
- In play, or
- No longer in play because it had been lifted from the course or was lost or out of bounds.
A substituted ball is the player’s ball in play even if:
- It was replaced, dropped or placed in a wrong way or wrong place, or
- The player was required under the Rules to put the original ball back in play rather than to substitute another ball.
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 after replacing it on the wrong spot or without replacing it when required by the Rules.
- Playing a dropped ball from outside the required relief area.
- Taking relief under a wrong Rule, so that the ball is dropped in and played from a place not allowed under the Rules.
- Playing a ball from a no play zone or when a no play zone interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or swing.
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):
- A player’s or side’s score for a round is the total number of strokes (including strokes made and any penalty strokes) to hole out on each hole, and
- The winner is the player or side who completes all rounds in the fewest total strokes.
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:
- In play, or
- No longer in play because it had been lifted from the course or was lost or out of bounds.
A substituted ball is the player’s ball in play even if:
- It was replaced, dropped or placed in a wrong way or wrong place, or
- The player was required under the Rules to put the original ball back in play rather than to substitute another ball.
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 after replacing it on the wrong spot or without replacing it when required by the Rules.
- Playing a dropped ball from outside the required relief area.
- Taking relief under a wrong Rule, so that the ball is dropped in and played from a place not allowed under the Rules.
- Playing a ball from a no play zone or when a no play zone interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or swing.
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).