current Rules of Golf

The 20 Most Important Changes to the Rules of Golf 2019

1. SEARCH TIME - Reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes

2. BALL MOVED DURING SEARCH - Replace with NO Penalty

3. EMBEDDED BALL - Free relief anywhere through the course

4. MEASURING A DROP - Use longest club (except putter)

5. DROPPING - Drop from knee height rather than shoulder

6. TAKING STANCE ON WRONG GREEN IS NOT PERMITTED

7. BALL UNINTENTIONALLY HITS PLAYER OR EQUIPMENT - NO Penalty

8. DOUBLE HIT - NO Penalty, now only counts as the 1 stroker

9. TOUCHING SAND IN BUNKER INCIDENTALLY IS PERMITTED

10. LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS CAN BE REMOVED ANYWHERE INLCUDING HAZARDS

11. DROPPING A BALL OUT OF A BUNKER - 2 penalty strokes

12. WATER HAZARDS - no called "penalty areas"

13. TOUCHING GROUND IN PENALTY AREA - NO penalty

14. BALL MOVES ON GREEN AFTER BEING MARKED - replace without penalty

15. BALL ACCIDENTALLY MOVED ON PUTTING GREEN - replace NO penalty