Rules Guy

Rules
golfer removing golf ball from hole

Rules Guy: Is it legal to tap down grass around the hole before putting?

Is it permissible to tap down wayward blades of grass around the hole before putting? Rules Guy has the answer.
Rules
Golf ball resting against pin and about to drop into hole

Rules Guy: How much of the ball needs to be in the cup to be considered holed?

If your ball is in the hole, but not resting at the bottom of the cup, is it still considered holed? Rules Guy has the answer.
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.
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
From top right, clockwise: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Bandon Trails, Tobacco Road, Erin Hills.

8 epic road trips made up exclusively of Top 100 public golf courses

Looking for inspiration for your next buddies trip? Here are eight road trips created from our Top 100 Courses You Can Play ranking.
Travel
A view of Sedge Valley at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Wisconsin.

Top 100 Courses You Can Play: Our staff’s 9 favorite spots

We recently released our latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play. Everyone has their favorites — here’s our staff’s picks.
Travel
Augusta National and Pine Valley split image

7 interesting findings from our Top 100 Courses readers’ survey

From favorite architects to how much golfers would pay for bucket-list rounds, here are 7 fun nuggets from our Top 100 Courses survey.
Travel
Los Angeles Country Club and Riviera, side by side imagery.

Which is better: Riviera or Los Angeles Country Club? Our raters debate

Separated by seven miles and four spots in GOLF’s rankings, Riviera and Los Angeles CC North are frequently compared.
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.
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