Rules of Golf 2023 - 5 Key Changes
Explanatory Video link here
Temporary Entries re New H/C System
Local Rule regarding Buggy use in Competitions - [here][14]
Entering a "CASUAL ROUND" score on HDID - instructions from Belton Woods here
HDID Tutorial on competition booking, signing in and score entry - click here
Rules of Golf
(Local Rules further down page)
The rules of golf are set out and published by The R&A and may be found here.
SUMMARY OF RULES OF GOLF 2019 CHANGES
OFF THE GREEN, IF YOU MOVE YOUR BALL WHILE LOOKING FOR IT, OR ACCIDENTALLY STAND ON IT OR KICK IT WHILE SEARCHING, THERE IS NO PENALTY AND YOU MUST REPLACE IT, NOT DROP IT
ON THE PUTTING GREEN, ACCIDENTALLY CAUSING YOUR BALL TO MOVE IS NO LONGER A PENALTY- AND SHOULD BE RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION
NO LONGER A PENALTY IF YOUR BALL IS ACCIDENTALLY DEFLECTED OFF AN OPPONENT, CADDIE, YOURSELF OR ANY EQUIPMENT AND THE BALL IS PLAYED AS IT LIES
A DOUBLE HIT IS NO LONGER A PENALTY IF DONE ACCIDENTALLY (NOT SURE HOW YOU COULD DO THIS ON PURPOSE!!)
NO LONGER A PENALTY IF YOU HIT A FLAGSTICK WHETHER ATTENDED OR NOT, WHEN PUTTING ON THE GREEN
YOU CAN NOW REPAIR MOST MARKS/DAMAGE ON THE PUTTING GREEN – WITH EXCEPTION OF AERATION HOLES AND NATURAL SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS
NO LONGER A PENALTY IF YOU TOUCH THE ‘LINE OF PLAY’ (new term, not using ‘line of putt’) WHEN ON A PUTTING GREEN
IF YOUR BALL ON THE GREEN HAS ALREADY BEEN MARKED, CLEANED & REPLACED – AND THEN MOVES, IT MUST BE REPLACED TO ITS ORIGINAL SPOT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT CAUSED IT TO MOVE. IF YOU HAVEN’T YET MARKED YOUR BALL, AND IT MOVES, THEN YOU PLAY IT FROM WHERE IT LIES
A CADDIE NO LONGER NEEDS PERMISSION FROM THE PLAYER TO LIFT & MARK THEIR PLAYER’S BALL. THE CADDIE CAN ONLY REPLACE THE BALL IF HE/SHE WAS THE ONE TO MARK IT ORIGINALLY.
THE BALL MUST BE DROPPED FROM KNEE HEIGHT AND NOT TOUCH YOU AS IT IS BEING DROPPED THERE WILL BE A SPECIFIC AREA THAT THE BALL MUST COME TO REST IN (IE ONE CLUB LENGTH OR TWO) – IF THE BALL FAILS TO COME TO REST IN THIS AREA THEN IT WILL BE PLACED AFTER 2 DROP ATTEMPTS
MEASURING RELIEF IS DONE BY USING YOUR LONGEST CLUB (BUT NOT YOUR PUTTER)
SEARCHING FOR A LOST BALL IS NOW 3 MINUTES
‘THROUGH THE GREEN’ IS NOW CALLED ‘THE GENERAL AREA’
A PLUGGED/EMBEDDED BALL CAN NOW BE DROPPED WITHOUT PENALTY ANYWHERE ON THE COURSE (OUTSIDE OF A PENALTY AREA/HAZARD) BUT A CLUB’S LOCAL RULE CAN BE IMPOSED TO RESTRICT THIS TO FAIRWAY HEIGHT GRASS AREAS ONLY IF NO LOCAL RULE IN PLACE THEN IT IS ANY GENERAL AREA
YOU CAN REPLACE/SUBSTITUTE YOUR GOLF BALL ANY TIME YOU ARE TAKING A DROP WHETHER A FREE DROP OR A PENALTY DROP
ALL HAZARDS ARE NOW CALLED ‘PENALTY AREAS’ BUT YELLOW AND RED MARKINGS CAN STILL BE USED. OTHER AREAS AROUND THE COURSE TO BE AVOIDED CAN BE DEEMED ‘PENALTY AREAS’ BY THE COURSE COMMITTEE e.g. PLANT BORDERS, etc.
RELIEF CAN NO LONGER BE TAKEN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PENALTY AREA TO THE GREEN SIDE OF A LATERAL WATER HAZARD/RED MARKED PENALTY AREA (UNLESS A LOCAL RULE IS IN PLACE)
YOU ARE NOW ALLOWED TO GROUND YOUR CLUB AND REMOVE LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS IN A ‘PENALTY AREA’ (EXCLUDING BUNKERS)
YOU CAN NOW MOVE LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS IN A BUNKER 😊 BUT YOU ARE STILL NOT ALLOWED TO GROUND YOUR CLUB IN A BUNKER PRIOR TO MAKING YOUR STROKE OR PRACTICE SWING
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PLAY YOUR BALL IN THE BUNKER YOU MAY TAKE A 2-SHOT PENALTY DROP OUTSIDE OF THE BUNKER, GOING BACK IN LINE FROM THE BALL LAND THE PIN
YOU MAY CONTINUE TO USE A DAMAGED CLUB DURING A ROUND OF GOLF
YOU CANNOT REPLACE A CLUB IF YOU OR YOUR CADDIE CAUSED THE DAMAGE IN ANGER
YOU CAN REPLACE YOUR GOLF BALL IF IT HAS BECOME CUT OR CRACKED
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL YOUR PLAYING PARTNER THAT YOU ARE DOING THIS
DMD’S CAN NOW BE USED AT ALL TIMES UNLESS A LOCAL RULE IS IN PLACE PROHIBITING THEIR USE
USING A CADDIE TO HELP YOU LINE UP ON ANY SHOT IS NOW PROHIBITED!
PLAYERS ARE NOW ALLOWED NO MORE THAN 40 SECS TO PLAY A SHOT
PLAYING OUT OF TURN, IN ANY FORMAT, IS ENCOURAGED TO HELP SPEED UP PLAY IN MATCHPLAY THIS IS BY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PLAYERS
YOU NO LONGER NEED TO INFORM YOUR PLAYING PARTNER, REGARDLESS OF THE COMP FORMAT, IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON LIFTING YOUR GOLF BALL, WHETHER TO INSPECT FOR DAMAGE, TO SEE IF IT IS EMBEDDED OR TO IDENTIFY YOUR BALL
YOU CAN NO LONGER BE PENALISED AFTER THE EVENT IF YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND TO MAKE A DECISION ON TAKING A DROP THAT WAS NOT 100% ACCURATE. YOUR BEST JUDGEMENT, AT THE TIME, IS DEEMED SUFFICIENT
Videos Explaining Golf Rules
Courtesy of Swing by Swing
Accidentally hitting ball - Penalty or not?
Placing ball moved - not dropping
Accidentally moving ball while searching
Accidentally moving ball on green
Repairing Putting Surface
Substituting ball whilst taking relief
Double Hit Rule - No penalty
Leaving the flagstick in whilst putting on the green.
No penalty for accidental deflection of ball by players or equipment
Dropping ball from knee height
Change of rules in Bunkers
Ball at rest moves - new standard
Stroke and Distance alternative
Lifting ball to identify
Local Rules
These rules are additional to the R&A rules above and relate to playing at Belton Woods GC.
The current local rules are as follows:
Temporary Local Rule - Weed Killer May 2016
New Local Rule Jan 2017
Competition Conditions for Gents Section BWS