• Hand smooth in all bunkers UNLESS the ball is plugged or in a "poached egg" lie. The decision will rest with the player's partners in the group (2019)
  
  

• For lost ball or ball out of bounds see model local rule E-5 below (2019)
  
  

• 'Gimmes' up to 10cm allowed (2021) or up to a club handle grip length in the month of the Winter Mug  (2017)
  
  

• Pick-ups allowed in Par and Stableford (2017)
  
  

• Preferred lies to be taken as stipulated in the local rules of the course (2011)
  
  

• In Matchplay if you concede a putt to your opponent it doesn't matter if he putts on and sinks it or misses, it still counts as one putt (ie NO penalty)
  
  

• Winter Mug: play off handicap in first round proper (not qualifying round) for whole competition
  
  

• Championship (nett): play off handicap in first round for both rounds

Watch video

As of 2019, new golf rules apply worldwide. It is the most major revision of the rules for more than 30 years. Here is a summary of the main changes. 

Search time (Rule 18) The maximum search time for a lost ball is now only three minutes.

Most balls were previously found within three minutes and searching during the last two minutes was often unsuccessful – it is therefore not expected that this rule change will have a negative impact on the scores.

Ball moved during a search (Rule 7) Previously, the player usually incurred a penalty stroke if he moved his ball during a search. An accident such as this is now without penalty.

You can therefore use your feet and your clubs when searching in thick grass without any consequences. Ball must be replaced on original spot.

Identifying the ball (Rule 7)Previously, if you wanted to pick up your ball to identify it you had to inform a fellow-player in advance and give him the opportunity to supervise the process. You now no longer have to inform a fellow-player.

If circumstances allow, it is advisable to still inform your fellow-players before you pick up your ball in order to ensure fairness and to avoid misunderstandings. 

You must mark the spot where the ball lies - You must NOT clean the ball (unless playing 'winter' rules - Penalty = 1 stroke.

Provisional ball (Rule 18) Previously, a provisional ball could only be played before the player walked down the course to look for his first ball.

Embedded ball (Rule 16) Until now, you only got relief if the ball had become embedded in a closely-mown area.

Now, you can take a free drop from all embedded balls in the general area, including in the semi-rough and rough.

Balls embedded in a bunker or in penalty areas still have to be played as they lie.

Club-length (definition) Until now, the player could use any of his clubs to measure out a club-length. Now, a club-length is defined as the longest club in your bag, except for your putter.

Dropping (Rule 14) Previously, you had to drop from shoulder height. You now have to drop from knee height.

Animal holes (Rule 16) Previously, you were only given relief from animal holes if they were made by burrowing animals and reptiles, or birds. The restriction to certain types of animals has now been lifted and you can take a free drop from holes and tracks left by all animals (except for insects and worms).

Wrong green (Rule 13) If the ball lands on the wrong green you are not allowed to play it from there as this would most likely damage the green. However, if the ball only lands near the wrong green the player was previously permitted to stand on the wrong green to play the ball. You now also have to take a free drop if you would have to take your stance on the wrong green.

Ball hits the player or equipment (Rule 11) Previously, a penalty stroke was incurred if the player hit himself or his own equipment. Now this is without penalty provided it was accidental.

Double hit (Rule 10) Previously, one penalty stroke was incurred if your club got stuck when you played a stroke and you hit the ball more than once. An accident such as this is now without penalty.

Touching the sand in the bunker (Rule 12) Until now, you were not permitted to touch the sand in the bunker before the stroke, except for with very few exceptions. Now, touching the sand incidentally is basically allowed, i.e. you are permitted to lean on your club. However, you are still not allowed to test the condition of the sand before the stroke is played, improve the line of play, ground the club in front of or behind the ball or touch the sand during practice swings.

Loose impediments (Rule 15) Previously, you were not allowed to touch leaves, twigs, stones, branches and other loose impediments in bunkers and water hazards. Now, you can remove them anywhere without penalty, including in bunkers and penalty areas (new name for water hazards).

Unplayable ball in the bunker (Rule 19) Until now, the player had three dropping options – each incurring one penalty stroke – if he declared his ball in a bunker unplayable. Now, a fourth option is available. You can now drop the ball directly behind the bunker. However, this option costs two penalty strokes instead of just one.

Penalty areas (definition) Previously, water hazards could only be marked as such if they actually contained water.

Water hazards are now called penalty areas and no longer have to contain water.

This means that golf clubs are free to mark other zones as penalty areas to enable sideways drops to be taken, thus speeding up the game.

Dropping options with penalty areas (Rule 17) Until now, you could drop on the opposite side of where the ball last crossed the water hazard margin in a lateral water hazard. It is now called a red penalty area and it is no longer possible to drop on the opposite side.

Touching the ground and water in penalty areas (Rule 17) If you decide to play a ball from a water hazard as it lies, you were previously not allowed to touch the ground or the water before your stroke.

Now, you are allowed to ground the club in or out of the water when you play the ball out of a penalty area.

Ball moves on the green after being marked and put back (Rule 13) Previously, the ball had to be played from the new spot if it moved either by itself or due to the wind after being marked and put back. You now have to put the ball back.

Ball on the green moved accidentally by the player (Rule 13) Previously, accidentally moving the ball on the green was only without penalty with certain exceptions. An accident such as this is now without penalty in all cases.

If, for example, your club slips out of your hand or you make a practice swing too close to the ball and your ball moves as a result – just put the ball back without penalty.

Repairing damage on the green (Rule 13) Until now, you were not allowed to repair the line of putt, apart from a few exceptions such as pitch marks and old hole plugs.

Now, you are permitted to repair nearly all damage on the green, including spike marks.

No positioning the club to help line up the shot (Rule 10)Previously, you were permitted, for example, to lay the putter down on the green to line up your shot. 

Now, you are no longer allowed to position your club to help you to line up your stance.

No help from the caddie to line up the shot (Rule 10) Until now, the player was allowed to get his caddie to line him up for the putt. The caddie is now no longer permitted to stand behind the player to line his putt up to the target spot.

Hitting the flagstick (Rule 13) Previously, the flag had to be tended or removed as the ball was not permitted to hit it when it was putted. Hitting the flagstick is now without penalty, which means you can always leave the flag in the hole.

Ball wedged on the flagstick (Rule 13) Previously, the flag had to be removed in this case to let the ball fall into the hole.

Now, the ball is classed as having been holed if part of the ball is below the lip.

Distance measuring devices (Rule 4) Previously, they were only allowed if they were expressly permitted in a Local Rule.

Now, you are allowed to use distance measuring devices unless this is prohibited by a Local Rule.

Model Local Rule E-5

"When a players ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance.

For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):

Two Estimated Reference Points:

(a). Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball is estimated to have:

• Come to rest on the course, or

• Last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.

(b). Fairway Reference Point: The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point.

For purposes of this Local Rule, "fairway" means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.

If a ball is estimated to be lost on the course or last crossed the edge of the course boundary short of the fairway, the fairway reference point may be a grass path or a teeing ground for the hole being played cut to fairway height or less.

Size of Relief Area Based on Reference Points: Anywhere between:

• A line from the hole through the ball reference point (and within two club-lengths to the outside of that line), and

• A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (and within two club-lengths to the fairway side of that line).

But with these limits:

Limits on Location of Relief Area:

• Must be in the general area, and

• Must not be nearer the hole than the ball reference point.

Once the player puts a ball in play under this Local Rule:

• The original ball that was lost or out of bounds is no longer in play and must not be played.

• This is true even if the ball is found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).

But the player may not use this option to take relief for the original ball when:

• That ball is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a penalty area, or

• The player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.3).

A player may use this option to take relief for a provisional ball that has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds.