When Choosing The Right Golf Club And Playing Golf -
Obey The Rules Of Golf And Other
Regulations
The
rules of golf are internationally
standardised and are jointly governed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of
St Andrews (R&A), which was founded 1754 and the
United States
Golf Association (USGA). By agreement with the R&A,
USGA jurisdiction on the enforcement
and interpretation of the rules is limited to the United
States and Mexico. The national golf associations of other
countries use the rules laid down by the R&A and there
is a formal procedure for referring any points of doubt to
the R&A.
The underlying principle of the rules is
fairness. As stated o n the back cover of
the official rule book: "play the ball as it lies", "play the
course as you find it", and "if you can't do either, do what is
fair". Some rules state that: every player is entitled and
obliged to play the ball from the position where it has come to
rest after a stroke, unless a rule allows or demands otherwise
(Rule 13-1)a player must not accept assistance in making a
stroke (Rule 14-2) the condition of the ground or other parts
of the course may not be altered to gain an advantage, except
in some cases defined in the rules a ball may only be replaced
by another during play of a hole if it is destroyed (Rule 5-3),
lost (Rule 27-1), or unplayable (Rule 28), or at some other
time permitted by the Rules. The player may always substitute
balls between the play of two holes.
The Decisions on the Rules of Golf are
based on formal case decisions by the R&A and USGA and
are revised and updated every other year. For more
information on the Decisions on the Rules of Golf -
Click Here.
There are strict regulations regarding the
amateur status of golfers. Essentially, everybody who has ever
received payment or compensation for giving instruction or
played golf for money is not considered an amateur and may not
participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs. However
amateur golfers may receive expenses which comply with strict
guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the
limits established by the Rules of Amateur Status.
In addition to the officially printed rules,
golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf
etiquette. Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as
safety, fairness, easiness and pace of play, and a player's
obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though
there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules,
players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an
effort to improve everyone's playing
experience.
