Top 10 Golf Rules You Must Know

Golf demands precision and discipline in everything, including understanding the rules. Whether you're a beginner, an experienced golfer, or just a fan, it’s crucial to know the game's basic rules. While golf has the same rules in casual and professional play, the rules are typically only strictly enforced during tournaments and at the professional level. Still, it’s always best to understand the rules to give proper respect to other players and the sport.

Basic Golf Rules

Before starting a round of golf, it's essential to know the basic rules. Golf is played on an 18-hole course. Each hole has a par, which is the anticipated number of shots it should take to complete. Players must hit their first shots in sequence on each hole, starting with the player with the lowest combined score on the preceding holes. After the first shot from each player, the player furthest from the hole is the one who hits until every player has completed the hole. At the end of a hole, the player who took the fewest strokes wins that hole. Alternately, in some golf scoring formats, the winner of a round is the player who took the fewest strokes across the entire round.

Top 10 Rules of Golf to Know

Beyond the basics, here are 10 top golf rules any golfer or fan should understand.

#1: The 14-Club Rule

In a tournament setting, the 14-club rule says that golfers are allowed to carry only 14 golf clubs in their bag during a round of golf. This rule is designed to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage by carrying too many clubs. Golfers can choose whichever legal 14 clubs they would like, but a golfer found to have more than 14 clubs in their bag is subject to disqualification from the tournament.

#2: The 90-Degree Cart Rule of Golf

The 90-degree rule is usually enforced even in casual play because it protects the course itself. It allows golfers to drive their carts onto the fairway, but limits the area where the cart can drive. Golfers are allowed to drive their carts from the path to their ball at a 90-degree angle, but they can’t drive from the tee box straight to their ball across the playing surface. They must follow the cart path and go straight to and from where they hit their next shot once they’re in line with their ball. This rule is designed to prevent damage to the fairway caused by excessive cart traffic. While some casual courses don’t strictly enforce this rule, it’s always best to respect the course and keep it in the best possible condition.

#3: Play the Ball as It Lies

Golfers must play the ball as it lies, or in the exact position where it settled in after their previous shot. Players can remove surrounding debris like leaves or twigs, but they must not move their ball between shots. There are specific rules players must follow when their ball settles in a bunker, regardless of how the ball lies in the sand. The ball must be played as it lies, even if it’s buried, and players aren’t allowed to touch the sand with a club or hand to test its condition or hit the sand during a practice swing.

#4: Unplayable Lies

If a ball settles with an unplayable lie, the player has three options:

They can pick up and drop the ball within two club lengths of the original spot and take a one-stroke penalty.
They can hit it again from the previous spot and add a stroke.
They can drop it in a direct line behind the spot where the ball initially lay.

#5: Out of Bounds

If a golfer hits their ball out of bounds, as indicated with white stakes or paint, they take a one-stroke penalty and replay the shot from the spot where they hit their last shot.

#6: Penalty Areas

The course and officials determine penalty areas on a golf course, which are marked with red or yellow paint or stakes. These include water hazards and any areas where balls are usually lost or unplayable. When a ball is hit into a yellow penalty area, the player must take a one-shot penalty, then either hit another ball from the previous spot or drop the ball behind the hazard in a straight line from where the ball crossed into the hazard. With red hazards, the player can take a “lateral relief” in which the ball is dropped within two club lengths of the entry point (which acts as the marker for taking relief) without going closer to the hole with the addition of a one-shot penalty.

#7: Playing the Wrong Ball

If a golfer plays the wrong ball (one of the rare penalties in professional golf), they take a two-stroke penalty and have to replay the shot with the correct ball. It’s each golfer's responsibility to ensure that they’re playing the correct ball, so players will often write a unique mark on their ball to avoid confusion. A ball that was mistakenly played gets placed back in its original spot so the correct player can hit it.

#8: Seeking Advice

While not usually followed in casual golf, golfers may not seek advice from anyone other than their caddie or partner during a tournament. They can’t get advice on anything, including playing conditions, line of play, or club selection. Golfers who break this rule are subject to disqualification.

#9: Lost Ball

If a golfer can’t find their ball after three minutes of searching (or five minutes in some rules), the ball is considered lost, and they must take a one-stroke penalty and replay the shot from the previous spot. If a golfer suspects a ball is out of bounds or lost, but isn’t sure before looking for it, they may hit a provisional ball. A provisional ball acts as their shot if their first ball was actually lost. If the first ball is later found in play, the provisional ball is picked up and doesn’t count.

#10: Ball Falling Off Tee

While it can be a bit embarrassing, accidentally hitting the ball off the tee on the tee box doesn’t count as a stroke, whether it occurs during your practice swing or when addressing the ball. The same applies if the ball falls off the tee due to wind or poor balance.