Rules Guy

Rules
ball next to a divot

Rules Guy: My divot stopped a ball in motion. Is that a penalty?

What do you do if your flying divot ends up colliding with your ball and stopping it from rolling? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
driving range next to golf course

Rules Guy: Is batting away range balls on the course considered practice?

If you see range balls on the course, is it considered practice to bat them away? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Golfer's hand picking up a ball

Rules Guy: Is it a penalty to pick up an unmarked ball to avoid a collision?

If a player picks up an unmarked ball to avoid a collision with another ball on the green, is it a penalty? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
golfers holding flagstick on green

Rules Guy: A long bomber’s ball hit the flagstick we’d removed from the hole. What now?

What do you do if a player behind you drives the green — and the ball hits the flagstick you’ve removed? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Rose Zhang and Jin Young Ko walk the 16th hole as they watch two dogs playing in a back yard of. a house that sits on the course during the first round of the Dana Open on July 13, 2023, at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.

Rules Guy: I watched a dog pick up my ball. What now?

What do you do when a dog picks up your golf ball. Can you replace it without penalty? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Golfer Rocco Mediate as seen with his trademark cigar during the first round of the Ascension Charity Classic, on September 06, 2024, at Norwood Hills Country Club, Jennings, MO.

Rules Guy: Is it legal to putt while puffing a cigar?

If you like to enjoy a cigar during your round, is it legal to smoke it during your putting stroke? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Detail of a golfer marking the ball's position with a coin - stock photo

Rules Guy: My opponent putts with his mark to the side of his ball. Is that legal?

What do you do if you notice your opponent making a stroke without picking up his ball mark? Rules Guy has the answer.
Lifestyle
frustrated golfer cursing on green

Is it okay to curse on the golf course? The Etiquetteist has choice words

Cursing on the golf course can be funny and cathartic. It can also be wildly inappropriate. Here’s how to know the difference.
Rules
golf ball sitting on divot in fairway

Should you get free relief from absurd lies? The Etiquetteist weighs in

The Rules of Golf are very clear about bad lies in the fairway. But golf etiquette follows a different set of guidelines.
Lifestyle
back tees on hole at bethpage black

Should bad golfers be banned from playing back tees? The Etiquetteist weighs in

A recent Reddit debate raised the question of whether golf courses have the right to dictate which tees golfers play.
Lifestyle
gambling golf

I lost a bet to a sandbagger. Did I have to pay? The Etiquetteist weighs in

Some golfers cheat. But a wager is a wager. And even if the match was unfair from the start, you still have to live up to your word.
Lifestyle
a golfer tees off on the golf course

Pro says high-handicappers could play faster doing this. Is it a good idea?

One PGA Tour player said high-handicappers could speed up play by being more prepared for poor shots while on tee boxes, but is he right?
Lifestyle
two golfers shaking hands on green

Can A.I. help golfers with golf etiquette? We found out

Decades after the rise of Iron Byron, robots don’t just play golf anymore. They’ve got into talking about golf, too.
Lifestyle
lose-up of a golf ball with the flag of South Korea realistically rendered in 3D.

8 ways South Korean golf course etiquette differs from the U.S.

In the golf-obsessed nation of South Korea, golf etiquette is unlike what you’ll experience in the U.S. Here are eight major differences.
Travel
a view of oakmont's church pew bunker

The 5 toughest courses on GOLF’s latest World Top 100 ranking

Not all courses are created equal. Some, like the toughest tests on GOLF’s all-new World Top 100, are especially stout in their demands.
Travel
National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y.

7 surprising facts from GOLF’s first World Top 100 ranking

Forty years later, GOLF’s inaugural ranking of the world’s best courses reveals what has – and hasn’t – changed.
Travel
The par-4 15th hole at The Lido.
Insiders Only

Blind spots in our World Top 100 ranking? Our audience called out some

GOLF’s ranking to Top 100 Courses in the World is a biennial tradition that triggers its own ritual: public feedback.
Travel
A view of Carnoustie in Scotland.

Old to New: Sorting our Top 100 Courses list by year built

Take in the extensive history of our Top 100 Courses in the World list by browsing the course names sorted from oldest to newest.
Travel
Utrecht de Pan golf course

How this Netherlands gem cracked our World Top 100 ranking

Often overlooked by American golfers, Utrecht De Pan is a standout work in Harry Colt’s great Golden Age portfolio.
News
Jeeno Thitikul

Tour Confidential: Jeeno Thitikul greatness, Tour changes, Top 100 courses

GOLF’s editors and writers discuss Jeeno Thitikul’s greatness, PGA Tour changes, Top 100 courses and more in Tour Confidential.
Travel
caprock ranch

How this Nebraska stunner cracked our World Top 100 rankings

In a Nebraska Sandhills region booming with marquee modern courses, CapRock is a compelling blend of old and new.
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