The Rules of Golf are written jointly by the USGA and The R&A, and the basics are simple: play the course as you find it and the ball as it lies, carry no more than 14 clubs, play the same ball from the tee into the hole, and count every stroke plus any penalties. Most rules questions for everyday golfers involve a handful of situations: lost balls, out of bounds, penalty areas, unplayable lies, bunkers and the putting green. This guide explains each of them in plain English, with the relief options and penalties you need to know.
The core principles
- Play the ball as it lies. Do not improve your lie, stance or line of play, except where a rule allows relief.
- Play the course as you find it. Do not bend, break or move growing things to help your stroke.
- Be honest. Golf relies on players calling penalties on themselves.
- Keep pace. The rules encourage prompt play, and many clubs promote “ready golf” in stroke play.
Equipment and starting a hole
- You may carry no more than 14 clubs. Starting with more leads to penalty strokes in stroke play, up to a maximum per round, or hole adjustments in match play.
- Play the same ball from the tee into the hole unless a rule allows you to substitute another ball.
- Tee off between the tee markers and no more than two club-lengths behind them.
- Your clubs and balls must conform to the equipment rules.
Common penalty situations
| Situation | Penalty | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Lost ball (not found within 3 minutes) | Stroke and distance | Replay from where you last played, or use the alternative local rule where the course has adopted it |
| Out of bounds | Stroke and distance | Replay from where you last played |
| Penalty area (red or yellow stakes or lines) | One stroke | Take stroke and distance or drop back on a line from the hole through where the ball last crossed the edge; red areas also allow lateral relief within two club-lengths |
| Unplayable lie | One stroke | Stroke and distance, back-on-the-line relief, or lateral relief within two club-lengths |
| Playing a wrong ball | Two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play | Correct the mistake by playing your own ball |
Provisional balls
If your ball might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds, you can play a provisional ball before going forward to search. Announce clearly that it is a provisional. If you find your original ball in bounds within three minutes, you continue with it and abandon the provisional. If not, the provisional becomes your ball in play under stroke and distance. Playing a provisional saves the long walk back to the tee and keeps the pace of play moving.
Free relief situations
Some situations give you relief without a penalty. These include abnormal course conditions such as ground under repair, temporary water and animal holes, immovable obstructions such as cart paths and sprinkler heads, and a ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the general area. You usually take relief by finding the nearest point of complete relief and dropping within one club-length of it, no closer to the hole. Since 2019, drops are made from knee height.
Bunker rules
Bunkers have a few special rules. You may remove loose impediments such as leaves and stones, and you may touch the sand lightly in some situations, but you must not test the condition of the sand or touch it with your club directly in front of or behind the ball, during your practice swing or in your backswing. If your ball is unplayable in a bunker, you can take one of the normal unplayable options with a one-stroke penalty, or for a total of two penalty strokes you may drop outside the bunker on a line back from the hole through the ball.
On the putting green
- You may mark, lift and clean your ball on the putting green, then replace it on the same spot.
- You can repair most damage on the green, including pitch marks and spike marks, before you putt.
- You may putt with the flagstick in the hole or removed, as you choose.
- If your ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved on the green, simply replace it with no penalty.
- In stroke play, if your ball played from the green hits another player’s ball at rest on the green, you receive a two-stroke penalty.
Scoring formats
| Format | How it works |
|---|---|
| Stroke play | Count every stroke and penalty over the round; lowest total wins |
| Match play | Win, lose or halve each hole; the player who wins more holes wins the match |
| Stableford | Earn points on each hole based on your score relative to par, often with handicap strokes |
| Maximum score | Stroke play with a cap on the score for each hole, useful for faster rounds |
Handicaps in most countries now use the World Handicap System, which lets golfers of different abilities compete fairly.
Step by step: what to do when you are unsure
- Stop and identify where your ball is: general area, bunker, penalty area, putting green or out of bounds.
- Decide whether you are entitled to free relief or must take a penalty.
- List your options and choose the one that gives the best next shot.
- In stroke play, if you are still unsure, you may play two balls and report the situation to the committee before returning your scorecard.
- Check the course’s local rules on the scorecard or notice board, since they can change the standard options.
Common rules mistakes
- Not announcing a provisional ball, which means the second ball becomes the ball in play straight away.
- Dropping from shoulder height, the old method, instead of knee height.
- Grounding the club in a bunker right behind the ball before the stroke.
- Improving the lie by pressing down grass or moving branches before a shot.
- Searching too long. A ball not found within three minutes is lost.
- Taking relief closer to the hole, which is not allowed under any relief option.
Etiquette alongside the rules
Good golf etiquette supports the rules. Repair pitch marks and divots, rake bunkers after you play from them, stay quiet and still while others hit, and keep up with the group in front. Shout “fore” loudly if your ball may hit someone. These habits keep the course in good condition and make the game safer and more enjoyable for everyone.
This guide summarises the Rules of Golf published by the USGA and The R&A. Rules are reviewed regularly and courses often add local rules, so check the current official rules, the free Rules of Golf app and your course’s local rules for exact wording.
Frequently asked questions
How long can you look for a lost golf ball?
You have three minutes to search. If you have not found the ball by then, it is lost and you must take stroke and distance, or use the alternative local rule if your course has adopted it.
Can you leave the flagstick in when putting?
Yes. Since 2019, you may putt with the flagstick in the hole with no penalty if the ball hits it. You can also have it removed or attended.
What is the penalty for hitting a ball out of bounds?
Out of bounds carries a stroke-and-distance penalty. You add one penalty stroke and play again from where you hit the previous shot.
