Guide to the new rule changes

  
Golfers are sticklers for the rules. And come 2019, they might have a few more to learn before their next round. The R&A and the USGA are looking to modernise the rules to make them easier to understand and apply. And they’ve released a sneak preview of the planned changes so players can give their feedback before they come into effect on 1 January 2019.

A more welcoming game
For some years, many have been calling for changes to make golf more welcoming to non-golfers. And the rules have been at the centre of the issue, with many of those speaking out citing that the complexity and number was putting people off playing.

In 2012, a group of R&A and USGA Rules administrators, professional tour officials and other rules experts got together to see what could be done in what was the first fundamental review since 1984.

The new Rules of Golf
The main change is that the official rules will be reduced from 34 to 24. On top of that, the golfing jargon will be gone and in place will be clear and easy to follow rules. Finally, they wanted the rules to be consistent and fair.

Some of the main points are: 

• Getting rid of ‘ball moved’ penalties. Yes, if you accidently kick or touch a ball, you won’t be penalised.
• Putting green rules relaxed. If you can get on the green, it’s time to relax. You won’t have to worry anymore about hitting unattended flagsticks in the hole, meaning you can putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. You’ll also be allowed to repair spike marks and other damages on the green and there is no penalty for touching the line of putt.
• New ‘penalty areas’. You might know ‘penalty areas’ as water hazards, but the phrase will now cover anything from desert and jungle to lava rock. Again, there’s no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

• Changes to bunker rules: You’ll start to see a pattern forming here – penalties for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club have been ditched. Though some restrictions, like not grounding the club right next to the ball, are being kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand. An extra relief option has been included for unplayable balls, so you can opt to play from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.
• Relying on player integrity. ‘Reasonable judgment’ and trusting players will actually become part of the rules. This refers to estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance. And the original decision will be upheld even if video evidence shows it to be wrong.
• A faster game: If you lose your ball, you’ll only have 3 minutes, not 5, to find it. This rule will also push for more “ready golf” in stroke play and suggests players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke.
• That’s a relief: New procedure for taking relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from a specific relief area will be brought in, allowing the ball to be dropped from just above the ground or any growing thing or other object on the ground.