Golf Rules and Recent Changes

Next January 1st, the new golf rules come into force, so there is little time to catch up, and this is my small contribution to the subject. Not exempt from controversy, the changes in the rules pursue the following objectives: to make the game more fluid, a better understanding of them by the players, and; to make, at the same time, the game more accessible to the beginners. Many of the above rules remain intact, so we will summarize the main changes pleasantly and following a few paragraphs to facilitate your understanding. These sections follow a numbering that you will then understand when watching the last video. But I have also included links to” explanatory videos ” published by the RFGE so that there is no doubt. I hope this article will help you and be enjoyable.

To begin with, it is worth remembering the fields defined in the new golf rules, so anything that is not off-limits is classified in one of the following five areas (one general and four specific areas).):

  1. general area: covers the entire field, most of the field except the four remaining areas that we will see below. It is where the ball will normally be played, from the starting tee to the Green, that is, all kinds of land and fixed or growing objects such as the street (fairway), rough and trees.
  2. the four specific areas, which are governed by special rules:
  • The output area (Rule 6.2)
  • All areas of penalty
  • All bunkers
  • The Green of the hole the player is playing.
  1. Drop from the knee.

Now when we have to relieve ourselves of, for example, a penalty area:

“The player must drop the ball from a location at knee height such that the ball:

  • Fall directly, without the player throwing it, spinning it or rolling it, or using any other movement that may affect where the ball will rest.
  • Do not touch any part of the player’s body or gear before you hit the ground.
  1. With what to measure the area where we’re going to drop.

According to the new golf rules, the relief zone is to be measured with the longest stick we carry in the bag (except a putter), to take the measure of one or two clubs depending on the circumstance.

  1. Area of the Relief Defined, following the RFG:

“First, the ball needs to be dropped, then to be played within that single drop area required. This rule is still confusing for players today so that the fact that the ball must necessarily remain within the relief area greatly simplifies the situation in which it should drop again.”

Thus, if the ball stays at rest outside the relief area, the player needs to follow the procedures, i.e.:

“If the ball is at rest outside the relief area, the player has to drop the ball correctly a second time. If that Ball also remains at rest outside the relief area, the player has to finish taking relief by placing a ball in compliance with the procedures of replenishing a ball:

  • The player must place a ball at the point where the dropped ball for the second time touched the ground for the first time.
  • If it does not remain at rest at that point, the player must re-place it at that point a second time.
  • If, when placing a second ball, it does not remain at that point, the player must place a shot at the nearest location where the ball is at rest, subject to the limits contained.
  1. The dropper’s online back cannot the ball be played closer to the hole. Also, it should be noted that by taking relief, the player may choose either to continue with the ball (the original one) or to replace it with another.
  2. We have 3 minutes to find our ball since the search began.
  3. There’s no penalty for accidentally moving the ball when we have to look for it.
  4. There’s no penalty for hitting the ball twice. When we execute the hit, if we hit the ball twice (it happened to all of us, especially in the beginning, Heje), we will no longer be penalized, with which only one blow will be counted, according to the new rules of golf.
  5. When the ball movement of a player to hit accidentally to himself, to his caddy, equipment, someone attending the flag to the player, or a pole flag is removed or attended to, there will be no penalty.
  6. There is no penalty if the ball hits the flagpole when played from within or outside the Green.
  7. On the Green, you can repair damage caused by golf shoes or other (animals, machinery, etc.), always without delaying the game.