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Rule 1. The Game
"Gimmies"
Flagstick Removed While Ball in Motion on Putting Green
Players Agree to Repair Spike Marks
What is "Equity?"

Rule 2. Match Play
Scoring in Match Play
Putting out After Stroke Conceded
Unsure of Procedure
Match Play General Penalty

Rule 3. Stroke Play
Maximum score for a hole.
Playing Second Ball in Match Play
Procedure to Properly Play a Second Ball
General Penalty Stroke Play

Rule 4. Clubs
Chippers
Tape or Gauze Applied to Club
Club Broken After Slammed in Anger
Club Broken During Stroke, Practice Stroke, or Practice Swing
Club Broken When Used as a Cane
Umbrella or Ball Retriever
Types of Clubs Selected for the Stipulated Round
Can Partners Share Clubs?

Rule 5. The Ball
Maximum number of Balls
What if I run out of Golf Balls?
Status of "X-Out" and "Practice" Balls
Ball Breaks into Pieces

Rule 6. The Player
Handicap Recorded on Score Card by Committee is Incorrect
Switching Caddies During Round
Lines or Arrows Used to mark Golf Ball
One Score Card issued for Four Players in One Group
Handicap and Adding Scores on Score Card in Stroke Play
Time Limit to Play a Stroke
Cleaning Ball after Play Resumed

Rule 7. Practice
Status of Practice Swing
Practice on Course Before Round - Match Play vs. Stroke Play
Practice Between Holes

Rule 8. Advice; Indicating Line of Play
Asking Distance Between Objects
Club Placed on Ground to Align Feet

Rule 10. Order of Play
Order of Play if All Balls not on Putting Green
Continuous Putting
Procedure when Playing out of turn in Match Play
Order of Play for Provisional Ball

Rule 11. Teeing Ground
What is a tee?
Use of Tee with Bulge
Use of a Tee That Has Been Found by the Player
Ball Falls off Tee at Address
Playing from Outside the Teeing Ground

Rule 12. Searching for and Identifying Ball
Loose Impediments Moved in Hazard While Searching for Ball
Lifting Ball for Identification

Rule 13. Ball Played as It Lies
Removing Dew
Placing Clubs or a Rake in a Hazard
Raking Bunker After Stroke - Ball Still in Bunker
Position On Raking A Similar Hazard

Rule 14. Striking the Ball
Using Club other than Putter on Putting Green?
Standing on Extension of Line of Play or Line of Putt
Rangefinders and other Electronic Distance Measuring Devices
Wind Socks
Tape or Gauze Applied to Club
Application of Exception 1 to Rule 14-3
Wearing Headphones or Earplugs During Stipulated Round
Ball Struck More than Once
Ball Moves after Address, Player Strikes Moving Ball

Rule 15. Substituted Ball; Wrong Ball
Changing golf balls during a hole or a stipulated round
Can I use a Putting Ball?
Both Players in Match Play play Wrong Ball
Wrong Ball Played from Hazard

Rule 16. The Putting Green
Requirements for Hole Location on the Putting Green
Damaged Hole
Reaching Across Hole to Tap in Short Putt
USGA Position on Spikemarks
Ball Overhanging Lip Falls into Hole

Rule 17. The Flagstick
Replacing Flagstick after Ball Played from Putting Green Comes to Rest off Green
Attending Flagstick When Ball Off Putting Green
Ball Strikes Person Attending Flagstick
Holing Ball with Flagstick in Hole after Stroke from off Putting Green

Rule 18. Ball at Rest Moved
Ball in Play Moved by Wind or Gravity
Practice Swing Accidentally Moves Ball before Stroke on Teeing Ground
Practice Swing Accidentally Moves Ball in Play
Player Addresses Ball, Backs Away; Ball Then Moves
Opponent Steps on Ball During Search
Fellow-Competitor Moves Ball
Ball at Rest Moved by Another Ball

Rule 19. Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped
Ball in Motion Hits Another Ball at Rest
Ball Deflected or Stopped by Golf Cart Shared by Two Players
Ball Deflected by Player's Equipment
Ball Deflected by Opponent
Ball Deflected by Fellow-Competitor

Rule 20. Lifting, Dropping and Placing; Playing from Wrong Place
Club to be Used in Measuring Club-Lengths
Procedure for Moving Ball-Marker to the Side
Using Object other than Ball-Marker or Small Coin to Mark Position of Ball
Who may Replace a Ball?
Serious Breach of Playing from the Wrong Place

Rule 21. Cleaning Ball
When Permissible to Clean Ball

Rule 22. Ball Assisting or Interfering with Play
Ball Lifted on Thought it will Interfere with Another Player
Requiring Opponent or Fellow-Competitor to Leave Ball to Assist Play

Rule 23. Loose Impediments
Stones in Bunkers
Why Sand and Loose Soil are Not Loose Impediments off the Putting Green
Assistance in Removing Large Loose Impediments

Rule 24. Obstructions
Status of Shallow Concrete Ditches
Bushes or Boulders used as Yardage Markers
Status of Stakes Defining Water Hazards
Ball Lying Against Rake in Bunker
Explanation of Determining Nearest Point of Relief
Taking "complete relief" from Obstruction
Relief from Immovable Obstructions when Ball in Water Hazard

Rule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions, Embedded Ball and Wrong Putting Green
Player Steps around Ball to Force Up Water
Explanation of Determining Nearest Point of Relief
Entire Bunker filled with Casual Water
Soft, Mushy Earth
Embedded Ball Rule
Stance on Wrong Putting Green

Rule 26. Water Hazards (Including Lateral Water Hazards)
Status of Shallow Concrete Ditches
Explanation of Rule 26-1b vs. "Line of Flight"
Ball Rolling Back into Water Hazard

Rule 27. Ball Lost or Out of Bounds; Provisional Ball
Ball Thought to be Embedded is Lost
Original Ball Found, Player wishes to Continue with Provisional Ball
Provisional Ball Played for Ball that may be in Water Hazard
Original Ball Found and Declared Unplayable, Player wishes to Continue with Provisional Ball

Rule 28. Ball Unplayable
Ball Unplayable in a Hazard
Explanation of Two Club-Length Option

Rule 29. Threesomes and Foursomes
Playing of Provisional Ball
Playing From Teeing Ground in Threesomes and Foursomes

Rule 30. Three-Ball, Best-Ball and Four-Ball Match Play
Request to Lift Ball That Might Assist Partner not Honored

Rule 31. Four-Ball Stroke Play
Breach of 14 Club Rule by One Partner
Scoring in Four-Ball Stroke Play

Rule 33. The Committee
Combining Match Play and Stroke Play
Water Hazard not Marked
One Scorecard issued for Four Players in One Group
Round Finishes in a Tie, How Should Winner be Determined

Rule 34. Disputes and Decisions
Penalties after close of competition in stroke play

Miscellaneous
How to Count Putts
One Ball Condition
Determining Flights
Scrambles
Validity of Hole in One
Using the online Rules of Golf
Holing Ball While Another Ball is in Hole
Rules Change Process
How do I become a Rules Official?