What Are The Top Three Rules of #Golf You Always Follow?

Do You Always Follow The Rules of Golf or, as in the game of Monopoly, do you sometimes make up your own?

Most golfers lie somewhere in the gray area of the sport and, for beginners in particular, golf is more recreational than competitive. Newbies, for example, are more concerned with getting the golf ball airborne than figuring out the nearest point of relief...and that's fine until you learn the game.

It's your game, play anyway you like, just don't boast about your score...unless, of course, you follow the Rules.

QUESTION: How many golfers reading this blog carry in their bag the Rules of Golf book?

Okay, quickly rummage through your golf bag...snack bar (check), divot repair tool (check), bag of tees (check)....Rules of Golf book? Hmm...

Why not...do you find it too cumbersome to carry and, if need be, to open the book to find the correct ruling at the time of infraction?

Why do we need to follow the rules anyway...it's just a game...you may ask.

The rules were designed by the USGA (and R&A) for everyone so that you can develop an accurate handicap, allowing golfers to play with other players regardless of skill level...in order to be on an equal footing.

I am sure you have come across those players who bend/break the rules for their benefit (and I'm not talking about beginners - we'll give them a break for the purposes of this article - also, I guess it's okay if everyone in the group decides to play a friendly, non competitive match as there as separate rules for recreational golf.

The question of Sportsmanship and The Rules of Golf has also come up previously on the LPGA Tour and has been answered previously by Golf for Beginners - click the above link for the answer.

Have you seen these rule breakers in any of your rounds?
- Ball kicking to offer a better lie (in more ways than one!).
- Giving up on a hole and taking a double instead of a ... 19?
- Finding the wrong ball in the woods and claiming it for play.
- Not putting the ball into the cup as the first putt sails six feet past and then knocking the ball loosely   with one hand - whether or not it drops in in the hole it is counted (a great score-saver).
- Playing Mulligans all day long - hit a ball, don't like it, hit another and the first one doesn't count      throughout the round.
- Boast about your low score at the 19th hole.

Well, just in case you don't follow the rules because you don't understand them, you are now in luck. The fourth edition of The Rules of Golf in Plain English has just been published so, no more excuses.

According to the book notes on Amazon, "The earliest standards for the game of golf included just three hundred thirty eight words and thirteen rules, which included what to do if your ball had the misfortune of falling into “watery filth” and how to proceed if your ball was stopped by a horse."

Additions to the Rules now has grown the book to over forty-thousand words...no wonder golfers don't read them!

Golf for Beginners believes you should always follow the rules of any sport.
If you don't have the book of rules handy, here are three rules we believe you should always follow:
- Count every stroke and penalty so that you can track your improvement in the game.
- Play the ball as it lies
- Maintain proper etiquette throughout - no matter what you come up against - during your round.

We believe that the rules add to the enjoyment of the game for yourself and your playing partners. Start today if you are a beginner golfer and, if you are an advanced player, know that playing by the rules is as important as getting that golf ball airborne!

What are the most important rules of golf which you always follow? IF you could change one rule, what would it be?

Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

How Will You Start YOUR #Golf Season?

The golf season is already in full swing down in the southern and western states (East and West Coast Swing) but for many golfers who are just dusting off their clubs, the hard and fast rules have not yet settled in.

Have no fear!

If you are not playing in competition and are out for a friendly round with a few of your mates, set the rules right from the beginning of the round.

Here are a few helpful golf tips to get you started:

- If the golf course is very muddy (and they usually are this time of year), make sure you emphasize the ever important, "Lift, Clean and Place" Rule. Although the PGA of America did not consider using this rule during the U.S. Open, it sure can help during a sloppy round on your home course!

- It might also be equally important to make known the embedded ball rule.

According to Golf Digest, it's not a good idea to use your new Titleist Pro V1's either as your swing is not yet in the groove and these pearly whites (or yellows) will probably find their way into someone else's bag. Better to stick with leftovers for now.

- Since you are not Tiger Woods and if you are not in competition and only out for a bit of fun, if your ball lands safely on the fairway but lands in a divot, MOVE YOUR BALL OUT OF THE DIVOT! Make sure you alert your playing partners beforehand but... why should you be penalized on the fairway because a previous golfer did not replace the turf?

- Read up on Etiquette and respecting another golfer's space and line. Be polite to your fellow players. Did you know that "nine out of ten greenskeepers believe that players should pass an etiquette test before playing golf?"

Read more: Should Golfers Have to Pass an Etiquette Test?
Do You Believe that Golf Is Becoming an Impolite Game?

- This is not the time of year to play the odds - instead of trying low percentage shots, get your golf ball safely to the green, putt in and move on to avoid the dreaded snowman making an appearance on your card.

- Is this your first round of the season? It's probably not a good idea to keep score. If you're out with another single, why not suggest another type of format like match play; it's fun to play, less stressful, each hole is it's own adventure and it's easy to score without having to mark a card!

- While PGA.com emphasizes the Rules of Golf for all level of play, some newbies, returnees, recreational golfers (or players who haven't hit the links all season), might be inclined to take advice from US Recreational Golf Association founder, David Felker, who believes that fun, friends and a beautiful course trump score when you are playing with like-minded mates. Enjoy the journey... and remember, "you do not have to be a great golfer to have fun."

How do YOU Kick Off your Golf Season? Comment below on this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Experience The Rules of #Golf in an Entirely New Way

The world of golf is gaining technological steam, from the latest on-glove wearables and virtual putting greens to interactive videos designed to allow instructors to help students without ever having to see them in person. 

Now, the internet is helping players, both beginners and those who need a touch up on the rules of golf, to gain an education the fun and easy way.

I was sent a note last week from a representative of the USGA discussing a new interactive education tool designed to teach The Rules of Golf in a "new" way, by encouraging social sharing and active participation.

"The Rules of Golf Experience”, is said to be free for everyone (does not require a USGA membership) and is the first of its kind in the wealth of information it provides (a thousand pages of curriculum organized by fifteen subjects, seventy-three lessons and almost two hundred topics).

Everything from what to do when your ball rests on the cart path to the difference between yellow and red marker water hazards, are covered in the Rules. 

The digital experiences are designed to be fun, interactive, rewarding and challenging thus increasing a student's retention and engagement rate, with an average of twenty-minute session lengths). 

The email also stated that there are guest appearances by top golfers including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Paula Creamer, although I have not yet found any celebrity golf faces.

Sign up via Facebook or email and, once you do, you get a "scorecard" which allows you to explore new subjects. I think you should start where I did, with the topic, "The Principles Behind the Rules of Golf", by Richard S. Tufts (and I earned four "tees"!)

Guidelines to Begin Your Golf Experience:

1. Great Principle #1: You play the course as you find it.
2. Great Principle #2: Put your ball in play at the start of the hole, play only your own ball and do not touch it until you lift it from the hole.

Hmmm, seems simple enough but I think I've seen more than a few amateurs make these mistakes on the golf course...

Or, why not watch a video on what to do when your golf ball is unplayable?

Brush up on your golf etiquette and knowledge of the game without leaving the comfort of your home and, for times when you are out on the course, keep your handy rules book with you (as I do).

Do you think you'll use this new interactive experience? Let us know on our Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Winter Rules in the Summer? On the PGA Tour? #golf

There are rules in every sport; golf is no exception. The Rules of Golf were written in conjunction between USGA and R&A with both player and golf course in mind. Learn the rules and you will most certainly maximize the pleasure you receive during a game. This short blog (below) was written by Richard E. Todd and reminds us why rules are used from the beginner to PGA Tour player.

Earlier this month, at The 2015 Honda Classic, the PGA Tour initiated the Preferred Lies rule. Most golfers know this term as winter rules or more simply as lift, clean, and place.

Touching the ball while in the fairway you say? Blasphemous? No. This decision is allowed by the USGA and is done to limit excessive damage to the golf course from strokes made on poor turf conditions while also promoting fair play. And it’s not the first time the PGA Tour has used this rare option.

So, when are you allowed to give yourself a better lie and stay within the rules of golf?

This option is only available under local rules when specific approval is given by the Committee of that course, under USGA Rules of Golf appendix I-4.b, and is a temporary ruling that may apply only to specific holes.

How do you exercise this rule?

When the course you’re playing has given specific authority to do so, and your ball is in the fairway (known in the rule book as any closely mowed area through the green), simply announce to your competitor your intention to enact the ruling, mark your ball, lift it, clean off any debris if you desire, and set it on the ground as close as possible to the original location but no closer to the green.

Sorry, you aren’t able to better your lie when you’re in the rough or a hazard under this option.

An example of this rule is further explained in my book, The Golf Rules, where a group comes upon a hole that flooded due to an overnight storm.

This rule and many others can increase the enjoyment of a round of golf and help lower your scores.

Unfortunately, many golfers are not educated on their options. To help with this problem, I published a funny yet educational series of books on stroke play, match play, and golf etiquette. If interested in a good golf read and potentially learning more about the sport that can last you a lifetime, check out TheGolfRules.com. You can also read about situations surrounding the Rules of Golf on the official USGA website.


Do you play by the Rules or are you just beginning to learn them? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and below, on this golf blog.

Richard E Todd, Bio:

Author of The Golf Rules, Todd has written an educational and entertaining series of books on stroke play, match play, golf etiquette, and Short Stories from the Long Links, has been heard on the PGA Tour radio station and seen in On The Green magazine.  Contact him at Richard@TheGolfRules.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and at www.TheGolfRules.com.

photos: Golf Digest, The Golf Rules, Foxnews.com

The views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent Golf for Beginners.