The DOGS will run Stableford competitions which will be played according to the Rules of the Golf. However, DOGS competitions will be run with the following local rules applied at every course played. These rules are focused on playing speedy social golf, and no excuses are offered to any purists who still believe in the stymie.
Preferred Lies: A preferred lie of one club length may be taken on the fairway in play only. That is, the ball may be picked up and placed within one club length of where it lies on the fairway, but not nearer the hole. Note that when a preferred lie is taken the ball may be cleaned. Also, a preferred lie may be result in the ball being placed off the fairway but under no circumstances shall a ball be placed any further away than one club length from where it originally lay, and never nearer the hole.
Rake and Place in Bunkers: Any ball lying in any bunker may be either placed within 6 inches of where it lies or may be lifted and replaced after raking the sand where it lies.
The Doggy Drop: In the case where a ball is hit out of bounds, hit into a place on the course where it is not found, or if the ball is deemed unplayable, the player may opt for a "Doggy Drop" where they are entitled to drop anywhere along the line of the shot as it was played for a penalty of ONE stroke. The intent of this rule is to speed up play and thereby discourage players from hitting provisional golf balls. Therefore, any player choosing to hit a provisional shot after a wayward shot is NOT entitled to opt for a Doggy Drop on the first shot should the provisional also prove to be wayward. The Doggy Drop may only be taken on the last stroke played (eg: Third shot off the tee follows first shot off the tee and neither is found. Therefore, player must drop on the line of the third shot to be lying 4 when they could have been lying 2 off the first tee shot)
Gimme Putts: Any ball coming to rest "Inside the Leather" of a standard putter from the hole will be considered a "Gimme" and therefore holed with 1 stroke added to the accumulated strokes to that point. Doggys are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this rule and pick up and move on to the next hole, solely as a time saving measure. "Inside the Leather" means that the ball lies inside the grip of a putter with the head in the hole, or something less than 24 inches in old money.
The Dustin Johnson Rule: Following the worldwide uproar in the wake of the post hoc penalty given to Dustin Johnson on the putting green last year, all the major ruling bodies are advocating that clubs adopt a local rule waiving any penalty for a ball accidentally moved on the putting green. Golf Australia has made a similar recommendation and the DOGS will adopt a local rule to that effect.