GOLF RULES 2019 CHANGES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO

HAVE THE MOST IMPACT AND INTEREST TO MOST GOLFERS

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BALL AT REST

- Ball accidentally moved during search: Put back without penalty.

-  Accidentally moving ball or ball-marker on the putting green: Put it back w/out penalty.

- Replacing ball when original spot is not know: When the original location of your ball is not know, replace it on its estimated spot.

 

BALL IN MOTION

- Ball in motion accidentally deflected: No penalty if your ball in motion is accidentally deflected by you, your equipment, or you caddie. Ball has to be played as it lies.

- Ball hits the flag stick or person tending: No penalty, Ball has to be played as it lies.

 

TAKING RELIEF

-Measuring the size of the relief area where a ball must be dropped and played: Your relief area for dropping a ball will be a fixed size of either one or two club-lengths using the longest club in your bag, other than your putter.

- New procedure for dropping a ball: Your ball must be let go from knee height and fall through the air without touching any part of your body or equipment/

- Where a dropped ball must come to rest: Your ball must come to rest in the relief area where it was dropped, or else it must be redropped.

- Time for search before ball is lost: Your ball is lost if not found in 3 minutes.

- Substitution of ball always allowed when taking relief: You may always substitute a ball when taking relief.

- Relief for an embedded ball: Relief allowed without penalty for an embedded ball ANYWHERE (except in sand) in the general area (new term for "through the green").

- Procedure for taking lateral relief: In taking lateral relief, you will drop within two club-lengths of where your ball entered the penalty area. The size of a club-length will always be measured using the longest club in your bag, other than your putter.

 

AREAS OF THE COURSE

- When to replace a ball that moves on the putting green: After your ball has been lifted and replaced, you would always replace your ball on its original spot, even if it was blown by the wind or moved for no clear reason.

- Repairing damage on the putting green: Repair of almost any damage allowed on the putting green (including spike marks and animal damage)

- Ball played from green hits unattended flagstick in hole: No penalty

- Areas the committee may mark as penalty areas: Areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc (in addition to areas of waters) may now be marked as red or yellow "penalty areas."

- Touching loose impediments or ground in a penalty area: No penalty for moving loose impediments, touching the ground, or grounding your club in a penalty area.

- Moving or touching loose impediments or touching sand in a bunker: You can remove loose impediments in bunker but bear in mind ball must not move when removing loose impediment (1 stroke penalty).  Permitted to lean on club while in bunker. Marks can be smooth out or rake. *Sand must not be tested, *club must not ground behind the ball (rule 12).

-Ball accidentally struck more than once during a stroke: If your club accidentally strikes your ball more than once during a stroke, there will be no penalty and your ball will be played as it lies.

-Damage ball: If your ball has become dented, deformed, or considerably damaged in any way during play of hole you can replace with out penalty.

-Playing from outside the teeing ground: If player tee off outside the teeing ground, no penalty. The player has to correct the mistake by teeing of again within the teeing ground.