Knowing the rules of golf and following the USGA official rule book takes time and practice. But right from the beginning, there are some very basic rules that every golfer should be aware of. These rules aren’t difficult. In fact, they are simply common sense rules that don’t require a lot of study of the official USGA rule book.

Always Play The Same Ball

While this sounds like a simple, no-brainer rule, it is not unusual for many beginner golfers breaking it without realizing they’re doing it. You have to play the same golf ball that you used on your initial tee shot all the way to the end of the hole when the ball is in the cup.

As with most rules, there are some exceptions that will prevent a player from using the same ball. One example is a shot that lands in a hazard area, such as water hazard. And, in the course of play, some golf balls get damaged which makes them unplayable. And then there is the not so uncommon case, especially with new golfers, when another player accidentally plays your ball instead of theirs.

You Must Play The Ball “As Is”

Another simple rule that is overlooked by new golfers is playing the ball as it lies. It simply means that you have to hit the ball from the exact spot where it landed after your last shot.

If you make a shot and the ball ends up in a hazard area, leaving you with a difficult shot, you can’t just pick up the ball and move it to a better location. You have to face the challenge. Make your best shot, no matter how bad the situation.

Again, there are some exceptions to this rule. There are certain situations that will necessitate that you move your golf ball to a better location. Some of these are described in the post, “Artificial Obstructions On the Golf Course“. One rare example is if your ball ends up on top of a sprinkler. In this situation, you are allowed to move the ball to a better spot. Another situation is if your golf ball becomes embedded in the dirt. In this case, the rules let you move the ball and you can also clean the ball.

Still another exception to this rule is during bad weather–really bad weather.Many local courses allow golfers to pick up their golf balls to clean them and put them in a dry spot near the original landing spot of the ball. Obviously, this situation occurs during rainy weather when the ground is very muddy.

Knowing these two simple rules will prevent potential embarrassment when you start playing with more experienced golfers.

beginner golfers, Golf Rules, new golfers, rules of golf

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 9:34 am and is filed under Golf Rules. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.