Rules Guy

Rules
OB stake

Rules Guy: Can you play a ball that goes OB, but is in-bounds on another hole?

What do you do if you hit your ball OB off the tee, but discover the ball in-bounds on a different hole? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Golf ball in the sand trap. No people.

Rules Guy: Can you use a tee to test bunker depth before hitting?

Is it permissible to use a tee to probe the depth of a bunker before making a swing? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Golfer places ball on tee preparing for a driver shot.

Rules Guy: When playing winter rules, can you tee up your ball on loose impediments?

When playing winter rules, is it permissible to place your ball on top of loose impediments? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
LPGA golfer Jennifer Kupcho tosses her ball to her caddie on the 2nd green on June 17, 2022 during the Meijer LPGA Classic For Simply Give at the Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Rules Guy: After marking a ball, can you have your caddie replace it?

If you mark your ball on the green, is it permissible for your caddie to replace it for you? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
US golfer Tony Finau marks his ball's location during his fourball match on the second day of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National Course at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, south-west of Paris, on September 29, 2018.

Rules Guy: Are you allowed to touch your ball after picking up your mark?

After picking up your ball mark on the green, is it permissible to touch your ball without re-marking? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland after his ball is wedged against a rake on the 16th hole during day one of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Golf Championship at Mount Juliet Golf Club in Thomastown, Kilkenny.

Rules Guy: My ball is lodged against a bunker rake. What now?

What do you do if you find your ball wedged against a bunker rake, and moving the rake would move the ball? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Man beside hedge preparing to hit golf ball, head obscured

Rules Guy: An OB stake is hindering my swing. Can I move it without penalty?

If an OB stake is hindering your swing, is it permissible to move it without penalty? Rules Guy has the answer.
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.
Lifestyle
A pair of clean golf shoes alongside a golf glove and a ball.

At a private club, should I feel obligated to have my shoes cleaned? | The Etiquetteist

The privilege of playing as a guest at a fancy club comes with pesky questions, including whether you should have your shoes shined.
Lifestyle
A golfer hanging on to the back of a golf cart.

My playing partner asked to ride in my cart. Could I have said no? | The Etiquetteist

Offering a ride on a course to a stranger is like picking up a hitchhiker on a lonely highway. You might get an oddball in the passenger seat.
Lifestyle
Justin Rose lines up a putt using the AimPoint method.

Should weekend hackers use AimPoint? The Etiquetteist gives his read

Like plumb-bobbing before it, the time-consuming green-reading technique has seeped into the amateur game. Should it be condoned?
Lifestyle
Golf Cart Accident Overturned on its Side

13 egregious golf-etiquette violations our readers witnessed on the course

Bad shots happen. So does bad behavior. In a recent GOLF.com survey, readers described the worst on-course conduct they’ve seen.
Travel
an overhead shot of the 18th hole at Bethpage Black in the late afternoon sun

How much you’d pay to play a Top 100 Course in the U.S., according to … you!

How much money would you pay to play on one of GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the U.S.? We asked, and you answered.
Travel
view across water of augusta national's 12th green

SURVEY: The No. 1 bucket-list course (and hole), according to you

What’s the top bucket-list course (and hole) from our Top 100 list that GOLF.com readers would like to play? We found out.
Travel
a collection of courses from golf's top 100 courses you can play ranking

Why our Top 100 Courses You Can Play list still is so meaningful

Great course architecture thrives well beyond private clubs. A stunning number of superb courses — like these 100 — are available to all golfers.
Travel
Aerial view of Pasatiempo golf course in California.

State-by-state breakdown of GOLF’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play ranking

GOLF’s new Top 100 Courses You Can Play ranking for 2024-25 features 29 states in all. Find out which state has the most top public-access courses here.
Travel
ladara golf club in california

The 14 most exclusive clubs on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the U.S. ranking

GOLF’s newest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. features a mix of public and private clubs. But some are more private than others.
News
Bernhard Langer

Tour Confidential: PGA Tour changes and the great Bernhard Langer 

GOLF’s editors and writers discuss potential PGA Tour changes, the great Bernhard Langer and more in the latest Tour Confidential.
Courses
Prestwick Golf Club 15th hole

After 7 weeks of European golf, this hole stands above the rest

The 15th hole at Prestwick Golf Club is just 353 yards long, but it plays unlike anything our writer had seen before.
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