Rules

A penalty stroke can ruin a good score or lose a match. Unfortunately, many penalties are the result of ignorance or confusion concerning the Rules of Golf. The SCGA Rules and Competitions staff is a resource for all questions related to rules, tournament administration, tournament formats, course markings, local rules to adopt at your club and more. The SCGA staff also conducts rules seminars at sites throughout the Southland, and is available to give personal seminars at member clubs. Understanding the Rules of Golf can improve anyone’s game. For rules questions or to arrange a rules seminar at your club, please contact us at rules@scga.org.

The USGA, in conjunction with The R&A in St. Andrews, Scotland, writes, interprets and maintains the Rules of Golf to guard the tradition and integrity of the game. The two organizations are joint authors and owners of The Rules of Golf and Decisions on The Rules of Golf. Through an agreement with The R&A, the rules jurisdiction of the USGA includes the United States, its possessions and Mexico.

The USGA tests balls, clubs and other equipment for conformity to the Rules of Golf. The purpose of the rules is to protect golf’s best traditions, to prevent an over-reliance on technological advances and to ensure that skill remains the dominant element of success for golfers everywhere. For more information on rules involving equipment, visit the USGA here.

Every week our experts address frequently encountered rules and answer questions. Check your understanding of the game by watching the latest video segment, and catch up on past videos here.

Whether you're a beginner or an advanced golfer, test your knowledge of the Rules of Golf with quizzes from the USGA.

In addition to the USGA Rules of Golf, local rules are created to deal with unusual or abnormal conditions on the golf course. Each year the SCGA adopts a set of local rules which are in place at all competitions conducted by the SCGA. Referred to as the SCGA “hard card,” these local rules form part of the rules under which SCGA competitions are conducted, regardless of the location. Clubs and committees may wish to consider these local rules for their own use.

Many familiar golf terms do not appear in The Rules of Golf book. The following list includes some of the more common ones.