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Common rules situations and golf terms explained in plain English using official sources.
Every question. Clearly answered.
Each guide answers its question in full and lists the sources used. More answers can be added over time.
How many golf clubs are allowed in a bag?
The Rules of Golf allow a maximum of 14 clubs during a round, with penalties for carrying too many.
Read guideWhen can you play a provisional ball?
A provisional ball saves time when the original may be lost outside a penalty area or may be out of bounds.
Read guideWhat does out of bounds mean in golf?
A ball is out of bounds only when all of it lies beyond the boundary edge of the course.
Read guideWhat can you do when your ball is in a penalty area?
You may play from a penalty area without penalty or use one of the relief options for one penalty stroke.
Read guideHow do you take relief for an unplayable ball?
Outside a penalty area, the player alone may declare a ball unplayable and take one of three relief options for one penalty stroke.
Read guideDoes a swing that misses the ball count as a stroke?
A swing made with the intention of striking the ball counts as a stroke even when the club misses it.
Read guideWhat happens if your ball moves after you address it?
Addressing the ball is not an automatic penalty; the question is what caused the movement and where it happened.
Read guideWhat is an embedded ball and when is relief free?
A ball is embedded when part of it lies below ground level in its own pitch-mark made by the previous stroke.
Read guideWhat are loose impediments and when may you remove them?
Loose impediments are unattached natural objects such as leaves, twigs and stones; they may generally be removed anywhere.
Read guideWhat happens if a golf ball hits a player, caddie or equipment?
An accidentally deflected ball is normally played as it lies without penalty, but deliberate actions and some putting-green cases are different.
Read guideHow long may you search for a golf ball?
A ball is lost if it is not found within three minutes after the player or caddie begins searching for it.
Read guideHow do you drop a golf ball correctly under the Rules of Golf?
The player drops from knee height straight down into the defined relief area, and the ball must come to rest in that area.
Read guideWhen may you mark, lift and clean a golf ball?
On the putting green, a ball may be marked, lifted and cleaned; elsewhere the purpose for lifting determines whether cleaning is allowed.
Read guideWhat happens if you play a wrong ball?
Playing a wrong ball brings the general penalty, and in stroke play the mistake must be corrected before teeing off on the next hole.
Read guideWhen do you get free relief in golf?
Free relief is available from specific abnormal conditions and situations, not simply because the lie or swing is difficult.
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