Morris on the rules
Golf rules explained: the situations you meet
First the good news: the rulebook is long but the course throws a dozen situations at you over and over. Here is what to do in each, and what it costs. The rules are the R&A and USGA Rules of Golf as they stand since 2023.
A rules or etiquette question on the course?
Ask MorrisBy Morris, by Badgie Golf · Updated
The situations you meet
- 1
Out of bounds or lost ball
White stakes or lines mark out of bounds. If your ball is out of bounds or not found after three minutes, you add one penalty stroke and play again from the spot of your previous shot (stroke and distance). A provisional ball saves the walk back. Some clubs have a local rule that lets you drop near where the ball was lost or went out for two penalty strokes instead; the scorecard says whether it applies.
- 2
Penalty areas
Yellow or red stakes or lines. You may play the ball as it lies with no penalty, and you may touch the ground or water with the club. If you do not want to, take relief for one penalty stroke: back on the line, or play again from where you hit; with red, also sideways within two club-lengths.
- 3
Unplayable lie
You alone decide your ball is unplayable, except in a penalty area. Three options for one penalty stroke: play again from where you hit, drop back on the line from the hole through the ball, or drop within two club-lengths, no nearer the hole. If the ball is in a bunker and you want to drop outside it, the penalty is two strokes.
- 4
Free relief
Ground under repair, immovable obstructions such as cart paths and sprinkler heads, and abnormal course conditions like standing water: you get relief with no penalty, within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole.
- 5
On the green
Mark the ball before you lift it (lifting without marking costs a stroke), clean it, replace it. The flagstick may stay in. You may repair pitch marks and other damage on the green.
A few things nobody tells you
In stroke play, who plays first is etiquette, not a rule: the player ready first goes, which keeps the pace (ready golf). If you spot a breach, tell your group instead of staying quiet: a penalty stroke is an annoyance, knowingly hiding one risks disqualification.
For behaviour on the course, see golf etiquette; for the points game that forgives a bad hole, see Stableford scoring.
When you are stuck in a situation
Describe it to Morris on WhatsApp: where the ball is, what is around it, whether it is stroke play or match play. He tells you the rule, your options and what each costs. In a competition, the committee or referee has the last word. And if you want to know why so many balls end up out of bounds, the video below shows the cause.
When you want an AI to check a rule for you, read AI and the rules of golf: when to trust it first.
When the ball keeps going where you do not want it, find out why
Drop a video of one swing here
One swing, face-on or down the line, your whole body in the frame. Up to 20 seconds.
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Golf rules questions
How many clubs can I carry?
Fourteen at most. If you start or play with more, the penalty in stroke play is two strokes for each hole where it happened, up to a maximum of four. Count them before you tee off, especially if you borrowed a club or added one to your bag.
How long can I search for a lost ball?
Three minutes from the moment you start looking. After that the ball is lost. If you find it inside the time, you play it as it lies. If you think a shot may be lost or out of bounds, play a provisional ball, and say "provisional" before you hit it.
What is the difference between red and yellow stakes?
Both mark a penalty area, which used to be called a water hazard. For one penalty stroke you may play again from where you hit, or drop on the line back from the point where the ball last crossed the edge. Red adds a third option: drop within two club-lengths of that point, no nearer the hole. White stakes mean out of bounds, which is different.
How do I drop a ball?
From knee height, letting it fall straight down without touching your body or equipment. It has to come to rest in the relief area you measured first: one club-length for free relief, two club-lengths when you take a penalty. If it rolls out, drop again; if it rolls out again, place it where it first touched the ground on the second drop.
Can I leave the flagstick in when I putt?
Yes. Since 2019 you may putt with the flagstick in the hole, and there is no penalty if the ball hits it. You may take it out too. On the green you can also mark, lift and clean the ball, and repair any damage such as pitch marks.
What happens if I play the wrong ball?
In stroke play it is a two-stroke penalty, and you must correct it by playing your own ball before your next tee shot, or you are disqualified. Mark your ball with a line or a dot and tell your group which one it is, especially when two players use the same brand and number.
The rules, when you need them
Send him your situation as it is, where the ball lies and what happened, and he tells you the rule and how to play on.
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