(Note: This article is an informal explanation of the basic basics of some of the most important rules of golf. It is not intended to be an official guide. Please refer to the rules of golf given by your National Golf Association.)
You are standing over your ball in the rough, lighting a branch behind it, asking yourself if the touch will cost you a stroke. Your drive rolls next to a basket trail and now you are stuck – do you play it? Can you move it? Your friend accidentally mentions something about the “closest point of relief” while you are simply trying not to keep the group behind you.
Look, I get it. Golf rules can feel like a minefield created to travel to you. But here’s what changed everything to me: these rules are not trying to punish you. They are actually there to help you from difficult points and keep things right for everyone. Once you have hanged the basics, those intricate situations become riddles to solve than panic moments.
Golden Rule: Play it as it stands
This is the basic principle of golf and is beautifully simple: play the ball where it is about resting. Whether your ball is sitting nicely on the right road or is located against a tree root, the default is to play it as you find it.
This rule creates the challenge and character that makes the golf unique. Unlike other sports, where you take over, golf forces you to deal with whatever situation your ball creates. But here’s what many beginners do not understand: the rules offer many facilitation opportunities when “play it as it stands” becomes unreasonable or impossible.
Theelli is understanding when you can get relief and when you can’t. Most of the facilitation situations are covered by specific rules which we will consider below.
Know your relief options
Ball unbearable: This is your security network. If your ball is in a place where you really can’t make a reasonable pace – sprinkled under a shrub, against a fence or thick roots – you can always declare it unbearable. You have three options, all with a one -stroke penalty:
- Back where you last played (stroke and distance).
- Pour in two ball lengths, not closer to the hole.
- Draw a virtual line from the hole through your ball and jump everywhere on that line turning as much as you want.
Penalty area (Previously “risks”): If your ball goes into a pond, stream or marked area of penalty, you get relief with a penalty with a stroke. You can either return to where you last played or fall within two club lengths where the ball last passed the difference (for penalty areas marked with Red Stakes).
Facilitating the carriage trail: Free help – no penalty kick. Find the nearest point where you can take a stand and swing without interference from the path, then fall into a club length of that point, not closer to the hole.
Two -club
This measurement appears in many mitigating situations, so you own it early. Keep two clubs from bottom to bottom to measure your aid area. Always measure from the reference point (where the ball lies, the closest point of relief, etc.) and remember that you can fall anywhere inside that area, but the ball must stay inside it after jumping.
When you release, hold the ball to the knee height and let it fall naturally. If released from the relief area, fall again. If you release twice, place it where it hit the ground in the second fall.
Penalties that actually help you
Many beginners are afraid of punishment, but they are often your best option to get back to the game. Taking a penalty with a stroke to get out of trouble is almost always better than to try a heroic blow that can cost you three or four strokes.
The ball lost or out of bounds: If you can’t find your ball within three minutes or if you go out of bounds (marked by white shares), you should make “stroke and distance”. This means returning to where you last played and add a penalty kick.
Ball: If you think your ball may be lost or out of bounds, play a “temporary” ball from the same place. This time saves – if your original ball is really lost, you are already hitting your fourth goal (original shot + penally + provisional + this shot).
Dipified course signs
White shares: Out of bounds. You can’t play from here.
Red Stocks: Side risk of water. Aid options available with a one -stroke penalty.
Yellow shares: Water risk. Aid options available with a one -stroke penalty.
Blue shares: Land under repair. Free relief available.
Color line Serve the same purpose as shares of the same color, however white paint can mark soil under repair or abnormal soil conditions.
When you get relief (and when not)
You can get relief from: Carriages trails, soil under repair, random water (ponds) and immovable obstacles such as spraying heads that interfere with your attitude or oscillation.
You can’t get relief from: Trees, shrubs, bad lies in rough or natural features such as rocks and bare soil (unless marked as land under repair).
The difference is simple: Man -made obstacles and abnormal earth conditions give you relief. Natural characteristics of the course not.
Building confidence with the rules
Start by learning these essential situations – they cover 90 percent of what you will encounter. Do not try to memorize every rule. On the contrary, understand the principles behind them. Golf rules are based on justice and keeping the game in motion.
Most importantly, do not be afraid to ask the pro or a rules expert in your regional golf association. The golf community wants you to succeed and feel comfortable on the course.
Ultimately
Here is the thing about golf rules: they’re not there to travel you – they are actually your best friend when you are in a block. Once you know the basics of his game as it stands, when you can get relief and how the sentences work, you will stop panicking and start solving problems.
The rules have your back. There is a lot of always a way to get out of every mess you have recovered and all are designed to keep things straight while letting everyone have a good time. Learn the essential things, play honestly and fairly, and never hesitate to seek someone for help.
When you know the rules, become the type of player that others want to pair. You are not slowing things, you are not stressed and you can actually focus on the entertainment – making the ball and enjoying your round.
office Understanding the rules: a beginner’s guide to the essential principles of golf first appeared in MygolfSSS.
