The Rules of Golf
Who administers them and how?
It is only comparatively recently in the history of the game that the rules
have been ‘standardized’ across regional and national borders. These
days, the official body responsible for the rules is one formed of representatives
of the US Golf Association (USGA) and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
in Scotland (R&A). A new set of rules of golf is issued every 4 years (subject
to need), the next one falling due in 2004. In between, the rules committee
may be called upon for a ‘decision’ affecting the rules, and the
results of these decisions are published – see the web sites at www.usga.com
and www.randa.org for a list of current decisions. Every 4 years it Is decided
whether the rules themselves require to be update a s a result of these decisions.
Introduction to The Rules of Golf
For a relatively uncomplicated game, where the principle is to knock a ball
into a distant hole and repeat the exercise up to 18 times, golf does have a
large and seemingly complex rule book. In fact, the rules of golf are one of
the most discussed subjects on the planet, and new situations always seem to
arise which cause the ruling bodies to issue ‘decisions’ on the
rules. These are eventually incorporated into the rules of the game.
Golf prides itself on being an honorable game, and depends to a very large
extent on the
honesty and integrity of the players themselves. It is a frequent
occurrence on the course
to hear a player ‘own up’ to the fact that
they hit the ball twice when playing out of a
hazard, or disturbed the ball
or the ground around it whilst playing a shot – and taking the necessary
penalty. Sadly, this is not always the case, and the rules were largely put
in place to prevent cheating and other unseemly behavior!
Rules are rules, and there are even penalties for players agreeing to waive
them. But remember, the most important element of all is the ‘spirit’
of the game and the way in which it is played.
The following section covers the main areas of etiquette on the golf course,
definitions, and the rules themselves. These are extracted from the rules of
golf, as defined by the US Golf Association in conjunction with the Royal and
Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Scotland. It is for guidance only. If you
require a full definition of the rules, for example, to settle a dispute over
a situation arising in a game you were involved in, you should refer to the
full official ‘rules of golf’. These can be found on the USGA web
site.
In addition, there is provision for ‘Local Rules’ These are set
by the Committee of a Club and are intended to cover specific local situations
such as roads crossing the course. They will normally be found on the scorecard
of the course in question.