General 2019 Rules Thread

Halebopp

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Oct 6, 2012
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10.6
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Lakeside Golf Vammala, Finland
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MP-H5/53/4
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MP-650/ST180
#1
I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread for people to ask, discuss and find answers to questions about the new rules.

I'm not sure of how many rules officials we have here but not only do we need to study the rules carefully, we also need to learn to find our ways around the new books. Answering people's questions is a good way to do that.

New with the 2019 Rules is a Player's Edition Rules book which leaves out points of Rules that aren't as important for the average player (like what your caddie can do), then the actual Rules Book and the Interpretations book which replaces the old Decisions book.

So feel free to shoot away and maybe I or somebody else can provide the answers. :)

The 2019 Rules, the same on the USGA site, USGA videos and R&A videos.
 

LOS

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Dec 3, 2015
Local club/country
England
#2
What do you think of the new app? I find it a big improvement and it does include a quiz section .
 

Halebopp

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Joined
Oct 6, 2012
HCP
10.6
Local club/country
Lakeside Golf Vammala, Finland
Irons
MP-H5/53/4
Driver
MP-650/ST180
#3
I really like the visual search, it should be of great help to the average player to figure out the rules (and a good way to study them).

I also like all the illustrations and changes in the language they use to write the rules. In my opinion, the rules are much more approachable now.

I have some issues with the actual rules book section of the application though. When you clicked on a rule in the old version, it opened the list of the sub rules. Now it goes straight into the rule and you need to scroll and search through all the sub rules to find what you're looking for (worse yet, the situation isn't under that rule at all). Another issue is the lack of a link to the Interpretations of the rule on the rule page. There is a link between the Player's Edition and the Rule Book, certainly they could've added the Interpretations there.

The web pages for the rules themselves are now much worse though. The old one was so simple and clear.
 

DennisMiller

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Mar 25, 2014
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Miami, Florida
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Killian Greens Golf Club
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ST-180
#4
I really haven't paid much attention to the new rules because I couldn't play and watching or reading much about golf bothered me a bit.

The one new rule I'm confused about has to do with the new ways to drop a ball. I haven't heard any reasoning behind dropping from a foot high opposed to having dropped from shoulder length. For that matter, i never understood what was wrong with dropping back over a shoulder.

Does anyone know why this new rule is better, other than some reasoning that people are different heights and maybe one person would have an advantage? i can't imagine why...
 
Likes: WalkerCup

LOS

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Dec 3, 2015
Local club/country
England
#5
Ball is to be dropped from knee height Dennis. Rule 14.3b ,diagram in new rule book.


"Reasons for Change:
 The new procedure lowers the height from which the ball is dropped to increase the
chance that it stays within the relief area.
 Requiring the player to drop a ball (as opposed to placing it) will retain a desired
randomness about where the ball will end up:
o The player has no guarantee that the ball will come to rest on a desired spot or in a
good lie.
o This is especially the case when a ball is dropped in more difficult conditions such as
thick rough or longer grass.
The new procedure avoids giving players more relief than necessary:
o A dropped ball is currently allowed to roll up to two club-lengths from where it hits
the ground – so that, for example, it can end up being played up to three clublengths from the nearest point of relief from a cart path or ground under repair, or
up to four club-lengths from where the original ball went into a lateral water hazard
or where it was unplayable.
Requiring the dropped ball to come to rest in and be played from the same relief
area where it was dropped will make it much more likely that the ball will be played
from close to where it originally came to rest.
 Allowing the player to drop a ball from knee height will help to limit the extent to which
a ball will embed in sand in a bunker.
 The new procedure will mean there will be greater consistency across all relief
procedures, making it simpler for players to know where and how to drop a ball:
o For example, many times today a player is required to drop a ball as near as possible
to a certain spot (such as where the previous stroke was made or where a ball was
embedded) and questions can arise about whether it was dropped near enough to
that spot.
o The new procedure when dropping with reference to a spot will be to drop a ball
anywhere in a relief area measured one or two club-lengths from (but not nearer
the hole than) that spot.
 It will be simpler for players to know when to re-drop a ball:
o A player currently needs to know the nine re-dropping scenarios in Rule 20-2c; these
are difficult to understand and apply and this is a widely misunderstood Rule.
o Under the new Rule, the player will only need to know that the ball must be redropped if it comes to rest outside the relief area. "

https://www.rules.golf/~/media/rule...s/explanation-for-each-major-rule-change.ashx
 
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WalkerCup

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British Isles
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British Isles
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Ping G425 Max 10.5 HZRDS Blue Stiff
#6
Was having discussion last night on rules , handicapping etc and you hardly ever get asked for handicap certificates at courses these days as they are just happy to recieve greenage monies. If you only compete with your friends midweek etc and don't play competitions there is no need for an official handicap for some. This reminds me of the rules it should be down to honour and fairness, you hit your ball, find it and play it. Far too many have I played with guys that interpret the rules to their own advantage and this is where you see huge anomalies, guys that couldn't hit a barn door and swing looks very agriculture and they gleefully am ounce they are single figures and yet struggle to break 90. After four decades of golf I've seen a lot and I do wonder what the heck is going to happen with the new rules.
 

DennisMiller

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Mar 25, 2014
Location
Miami, Florida
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Killian Greens Golf Club
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ST-180
#7
Thanks LOS. I had heard a bit on tv about the rule, but not a good explanation like what you posted above. All of that makes sense. As my father used to say, (not that he could do it), "Keep the ball in the fairway and you don't need to know 1/2 of the rules"
 
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