Golf Rules and Terminology

Golf Terminology

Addressing the Ball - Taking a stance and grounding the club (except in a hazard)

Away - Ball furthest from the hole

Birdie - One stroke under the designated par of a hole

Bogey - Usually one stroke over the designated par of a hole

Divot - Turf displaced by player’s club when making a swing

Dog-leg - A hole in which the route of play angles to the right or left before reaching the putting surface

Eagle - Two stokes under par for a hole

Fairway - Closely mowed route of play between teeing area and putting green

Fore - A warning cry to any person in the way of play

Green - The putting surface

Handicap - A deduction from a player’s gross score devised to match his score against par to equate differential abilities to other players

Hazard - A term used to designate bunkers(sand traps or water areas

Hook - A stroke made by a right-handed player which curves the ball to the left of the target

Match play - Type of competition in which each hole is a separate contest

Par - A numerical standard of scoring excellence hole based on yardage and two putts per green

Stroke play - Competition based on total number of strokes taken

Basic Rules

1.      When driving from the tee you must tee up between the markers and not more than two club lengths behind the markers never in front

2.      If the ball falls off the tee before you take a forward swing you may replace it without penalty

3.      If you swing and miss after addressing the ball it counts one stroke

4.      If you top the ball and knocked it off the tee- it counts as a stroke and must play it where it lies.

5.      You may not improve your lie by moving, breaking, or bending growing vegetation

6.      You may move loose ,natural impediments (tree branches, fallen leaves or stones)

7.      If you play the wrong ball, except in a hazard you loose the hole in match play or are penalized two strokes in stroke play

8.      When the ball must be dropped you must face the hole, stand erect, and drop the ball behind you over your shoulder

9.      In match play, an opponent must take a penalty stroke if he moves a players ball .In both match and stroke play the player must replace the player must place the ball on the spot from which it was moved

10.  In stroke play there is no penalty if a players ball moves an opponent ball the ball moved must be replaced. When both balls lie on the putting green the player whose ball strikes the other players ball must take a two stroke penalty

Obstructions and Out of Play

1)      A ball is lost if it cannot be found within 5 minutes after your side begins to search for it or when another ball is played under the rules. Signal any players behind you to go thru while you look for your ball

2)      If your ball is found after you have played another, you must continue to play the second ball

3)      If your ball lies up against a tree or in some other equally bad spot, you yourself must decide weather you can play it from there or not. If you decide it’s playable, you must play it as it lies, But if you decide it isn’t you may go back to the spot from which you hit it and play a ball adding one penalty stroke to your score for that hole and counting all strokes played or under a one-stroke penalty you may drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

4)      If you think your ball may be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, to save time you may play a provisional ball providing

a)      you do so before going forward to look for your ball and (2)

b)      you tell your opponent what you intend to do before playing it.

5)      If a ball touches an artificial obstruction such as a hose, you may move the hose.

6)      If your ball touches some immovable artificial obstruction, like a bench of drinking fountain you may drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief but no nearer the hole.

7)      If anywhere on the course except in a hazard or a putting green

a)      casual water

b)      ground under repair or

c)      a hole made by a burrowing animal

8)      You may without penalty pick the ball up and drop it outside the area, within one-club-length of the nearest point of relief which is not nearer the hole. But in a bunker your ball lies in casual water, ground under repair or a hole made by a burrowing animal you have a choice of playing as it lies or lifting without penalty and dropping it without penalty in the hazard

9)      If you are certain that your ball is “lost” in ground under repair or in casual water or in a hole made by a burrowing animal you do not have to take a penalty stoke for a lost ball

10)  If a ball is completely covered by sand, fallen leaves or the like in a water hazard or sand trap, you may remove as much of the material as necessary so you can see the top of the ball.

11)  If your ball lands in the sand trap you may not touch the hazard with your hand or club and clear away excess sand.

12)  If you hit your tee shot into the water you may hit again from the tee with a one stroke penalty

13)  If your ball is in a water hazard and you think you can play it as it lies you may do so

Golf Etiquette

1)      When you reach the green leave your bag off the green

2)      If your ball lies against the pin and all of it does not lie below the level of the lip of the hole it cannot be counted as being in the cup

3)      When you pull the pin out the ball drops in it is counted as “holed out”

4)      If the ball falls away from the pin the ball is placed on the lip of the hole

5)      If your ball strikes an unattended flagstick after you play from the green you incur a penalty of loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play

6)      In match play, if your ball hits a pin that has been removed you lose the hole. In stroke play you have to take a two-stroke penalty and you must then play the ball as it lies

7)      In match play if your ball hits the pin when it has been removed or while anyone is holding the pin you lose the hole

8)      In stroke play you take a two-stroke penalty and play the ball as it lies

9)      If leaves or other loose impediments lie on the green you may remove them without penalty. If your ball moves after a loose impediment has been touched, it shall be replaced without penalty.

10)  You must not touch the ground in your line of putt except that you may

a)      Repair a ball mark or an old plug

b)      Lift the ball for cleaning

c)      Remove a loose impediment

11)  If you land on the wrong green you must pick your ball up and drop it within one club length at the nearest point of relief but not nearer the hole

12)  In match play if your opponents ball lies within your line of putt you may ask to have it picked up and marked

13)  If your ball knocks your opponent’s ball into the cup he is considered to have holed out on his previous stroke.

14)  In stroke play when both ball lie on the putting green if your ball strikes a fellow-competitor's ball you must take a penalty of two strokes and the other player’s ball must be returned to its original position.

15)  On the putting green you may lift and clean your ball without penalty

16)  When finished putting player should immediate leave the green.

17)  The most players to play a hole at one time is a foursome

18)  The “course” is the whole area within which play is permitted

19)  Bare patches, scrapes, roads, tracks and paths are not hazards