Rules of Golf 2023

[LOS]

There is a preview of v1.0 of the new rules at Rules if anyone is interested.

 

[Halebopp]

One important change is that wind direction will be considered to be public information as opposed to advice. It must be the most violated rule in golf and was a reason I preferred to stay out of earshot of teeing areas as a referee, especially in amateur events.

 

[DennisMiller]

I'm not sure what the rule change is in terms of damage to a club, but at my age, when I have a ball against a tree or on tree roots, I'm not hitting from there, thinking more about protecting my poor tired body than any golf club.

 

[Halebopp]

I'm not sure what the rule change is in terms of damage to a club, but at my age, when I have a ball against a tree or on tree roots, I'm not hitting from there, thinking more about protecting my poor tired body than any golf club.

Since 2019 you needed a local rule to be allowed to replace damaged clubs (excluding abused clubs) and I'm fairly certain all the clubs, competitions and tours used that local rule. Now it will be included in the rules and a local rule won't be necessary any more. You can still continue to use the damaged club or try to repair it. Another change was that you can no longer try to repair an abused club.

 

[DennisMiller]

There was a time I probably would have known that.

With enough other stuff to remind me every day that I'm getting old, some of the rules are pretty loose with my Monday group. Penalties are still counted for stuff like a ball in the water or OB,, but things like moving a ball away from tree roots that could shatter our 70+ year old bones is overlooked. Lots of tree roots run nearly into the fairways on certain holes and the concept of unplayable lie due to roots isn't a penalty for us anymore.

Of course, looking at the palm trees has convinced me I'm not at Augusta National and while there are hundreds of homes just off the golf course, I've never mistaken one for the Butler Cabin. How's THAT for justification? ;-)