What You Need to Know About the New 2019 Golf Rules
2019 will bring with it a number of changes, including some pretty big changes to the game of golf.
The US Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Club of St. Andrews, along with the results of the PGA Tour and others, have created new rules of the game that will be implemented next year, all with the aim of making the game more interesting for the players. friendly, understandable and fast, according to The Globe & Mail .
As far as specific changes go, they differ slightly depending on whether you are playing the game for fun or professionally. Here are some of the highlights. You can also get a summary of all the rules on the R&A website .
Reset procedure
Starting January 1st, golfers will drop the ball from knee height, not shoulder height, during ball changes.
Double hit
There is no more double shot penalty. Even if it technically takes two hits to hit the ball, only one hit will count towards the golfer’s total points.
Beyond the borders
For recreational golfers, a local rule may be established by which players can throw a new ball in close proximity to where their ball leaves the playing court and receive a two-hit penalty.
Random movement
There is now no penalty for moving the ball across the golf lawn or trying to locate it, unless there is a “near certainty” that the ball has been moved.
Flagpoles
There is no longer a penalty if a golfer enters a hole with an unattended flagpole and the flagpole no longer needs to be looked after or removed during installation.
Repair of studded tracks
Golfers can now repair spike marks and other damage to their golf lawn.
Looking for a ball
If you are like me and often lose the ball, now you have less time to find it. The traditional 5 minute golf ball search time has now been reduced to 3 minutes.