How to Become a Golf Rules Official
Rules officials make golf competitions fair and run smoothly. They make rulings, set up courses, manage pace of play and help players understand their options. Most start as volunteers at club or…
Topic
Golf rules
29 articles tagged “golf rules”.
Who Runs Golf? Governing Bodies and Organisations Explained
Golf has a layered structure: global rules bodies that write the rules, national associations that run amateur golf and handicaps, regional associations, professional associations, tours and…
The History of Golf Handicaps: From Odds to WHS
The handicap system is one of golf's great strengths: it lets golfers of different abilities compete fairly. But it took well over a century to reach today's unified World Handicap System. Here's how…
Golf Ball Numbers and Markings Explained
Every golf ball carries markings: a number, a model name, sometimes an alignment line or arrow. Golfers add their own dots, initials or logos. These markings help you identify your ball, aim putts…
Practising During a Round: What the Rules Allow
Can you hit a few putts on the green you just finished? Can you chip a ball while waiting on a tee? Can you play the course before a competition on the same day? The rules on practice catch out many…
Golf Penalties Explained: One Stroke, Two Strokes or DQ
Golf has three main levels of penalty: one stroke, the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play or loss of the hole in match play) and disqualification. Knowing which applies in common situations…
Common Golf Disqualifications and How to Avoid Them
Few things are more frustrating in golf than playing well and then being disqualified for a mistake you didn't know you'd made. Most disqualifications in club competitions come from a handful of…
Yardage Books Explained: How to Use a Course Guide
A yardage book, sometimes called a course guide or strokesaver, is a small booklet with a diagram and distances for every hole. Professional caddies make detailed books for each event, and many…
Playing Golf in Fog: Safety, Rules and Strategy
Morning fog can roll across a golf course and leave you unable to see the fairway, the green or the group in front. It's eerie, sometimes beautiful, and it raises real questions about safety and how…
Golf Playoffs Explained: How Ties Are Decided
When two or more golfers finish level at the top of a leaderboard, something has to separate them. Professional tournaments usually use playoffs, either sudden death or over several holes. Match play…
Autumn Golf: How to Play Well as the Seasons Change
Autumn can be the best time of year to play golf: courses are often in great condition after summer, temperatures are comfortable and the colours can be spectacular. But conditions change quickly…
The History of the Rules of Golf: From 13 Rules to Today
Today's Rules of Golf run to dozens of rules with detailed interpretations, but they began with just 13. Over nearly three centuries, the rules have grown, been unified across the world and, more…