I. The Committee
- 1. The Role of the Committee
- A. General Play
- B. Competitions
II. General Play
- 2. Course Marking for General Play
- A. Out of Bounds
- (1) General Guidance for Determining and Marking Boundaries
- (2) Marking Internal Boundaries
- B. Teeing Areas
- C. Penalty Areas
- (1) Deciding When to Mark Area that Does Not Contain Water as Penalty Area
- (2) How to Mark or Define the Edge of a Penalty Area
- (3) Determining Where to Mark the Edge of a Penalty Area
- (4) Whether to Mark a Penalty Area as Red or Yellow
- (5) Change in Status of a Penalty Area Between Red and Yellow
- (6) Defining a Penalty Area as a No Play Zone
- (7) Body of Water Adjacent to Course
- D. Bunkers
- E. Putting Greens
- F. Abnormal Course Conditions
- (1) Deciding What Areas to Mark as Ground Under Repair
- (2) How to Mark or Define the Edge of Ground Under Repair
G. No Play Zones - (1) What May Be Marked as a No Play Zone
- (2) How to Mark a No Play Zone
- H. Integral Objects
- I. Dropping Zones
- (1) When to Use Dropping Zones
- (2) Where to Position Dropping Zones
- A. Out of Bounds
- 3. Local Rules for General Play
- 4. Additional Considerations for General Play
- A. Pace of Play and Code of Conduct
- (1) Pace of Play Policy
- (2) Code of Conduct Policy
- B. Suspending Play
- C. Providing Rules Support
- A. Pace of Play and Code of Conduct
III. Competitions
- 5. Before the Competition
- A. Setting the Terms of the Competition
- (1) Eligibility
- (2) Entry Requirements and Dates
- (3) Format, Including Handicap Allowance
- (4) Terms for Other Forms of Play
- (5) When Scorecard Has Been Returned
- (6) How Ties Will Be Decided
- (7) When the Result of the Competition Is Final
- (8) Changing Terms of the Competition After Competition Has Started
- (9) Anti-Doping
- B. Marking the Course
- (1) Out of Bounds
- (2) Penalty Areas
- (3) Bunkers
- (4) Abnormal Course Conditions and Integral Objects
- (5) No Play Zones
- (6) Temporary Obstructions
- C. Local Rules (Including Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities)
- D. Defining Practice Areas
- E. Teeing Areas and Hole Locations
- (1) Selecting Teeing Areas
- (2) Selecting Hole Locations
- F. Draw, Groups and Starting Times
- (1) The Draw
- (2) Starting Times and Playing Groups
- (3) Markers
- (4) Starting Areas
- G. Pace of Play Policy
- H. Code of Conduct Policy
- (1) Setting a Code of Conduct
- (2) Determining Penalties for Breach of Code
- (3) Sample Penalty Structure for a Code of Conduct
- (4) Spirit of the Game and Serious Misconduct
- I. Information for Players and Referees
- (1) Local Rules
- (2) Grouping or Draw Sheets
- (3) Hole Location Sheets
- (4) Scorecards Including Handicap Stroke Index Allocations
- (5) Pace of Play and Code of Conduct Policies
- (6) Evacuation Plan
- A. Setting the Terms of the Competition
- 6. During the Competition
- A. Starting
- B. The Course
- (1) Course Maintenance During Round
- (2) Setting Hole Locations and Teeing Areas
- C. Providing Rules Assistance to Players
- (1) Referees in Match Play
- (2) Referees in Stroke Play
- (3) Limiting Role of Committee Members and Referees
- (4) Referee Authorizes Player to Breach a Rule
- (5) Referee Warns Player About to Breach Rule
- (6) Disagreement with Referee’s Decision
- (7) How to Resolve Questions of Fact
- (8) True State of the Match Not Determinable
- (9) Handling Ruling When Player Proceeds Under Inapplicable Rule
- (10) Handling Wrong Rulings in Match Play
- (11) Handling Wrong Rulings in Stroke Play
- (12) Combining Match Play and Stroke Play
- D. Enforcing Pace of Play
- E. Suspensions and Resumptions
- (1) Immediate and Normal Suspensions of Play
- (2) Deciding When to Suspend and Resume Play
- (3) Resumption of Play
- (4) Whether to Cancel Round
- (5) Player Refuses to Start or Picks Up Due to Weather Conditions
- (6) Removal of Temporary Water or Loose Impediments from Putting Green
- (7) Match Begun in Ignorance Course Closed
- F. Scoring
- (1) Match Play
- (2) Stroke Play
G. Making Cuts; Establishing Draws; Creating New Groups - (1) Making Cuts and Creating New Groups
- (2) Dealing with Withdrawals and Disqualifications in Match Play
- (3) Dealing with Withdrawals and Disqualifications in Stroke Play
- (4) Qualifying for Match Play
- (5) Misapplication of Handicap Affects Match-Play Draw
- 7. After the Competition
- A. Resolving Ties in Stroke Play
- (1) Disqualification or Concession of Defeat in Stroke-Play Play-Off
- (2) Some Players Do Not Complete Stroke-Play Play-Off
- B. Finalizing Results
- C. Awarding Prizes
- D. Rules or Scoring Issues Arising After Competition
- A. Resolving Ties in Stroke Play
IV. Model Local Rules and Other Forms of Play
- 8. Model Local Rules
- A. Out of Bounds and Course Boundaries
- B. Penalty Areas
- C. Bunkers
- D. Putting Greens
- E. Special or Required Relief Procedures
- F. Abnormal Course Conditions and Integral Objects
- G. Restrictions on Use of Specific Equipment
- H. Defining Who May Help or Give Advice to Players
- I. Defining When and Where Players May Practise
- J. Procedures for Bad Weather and Suspensions of Play
- K. Pace of Play Policies
- L. Unauthorized Local Rules
- 9. Other Forms of Play
- A. Modified Stableford
- B. Greensomes
- C. Scramble
- D. Best Two of Four Scores to Count