The 2019 Rules of Golf - What do you need to know?

The new rules will take effect on January 1st, 2019. They are a result of the R&A and USGA's wish to simplify the Rules. They want to make them more modern, easier to understand and remove some of the penalties.

Currently, there are 34 Rules of Golf. However, according to the draft, the 2019 Rules will only contain 24 Rules. Do note that the 2019 Rules will be rather complicated and change quite a lot. As such, players can't reuse their old Rules book(s) and will have to get a new one. Besides the rules book itself, you can buy an easy-to-use Rules book (such as one with drawings, examples, etc.).

The R&A/USGA will publish three rules books:

1. The Rules book itself.

2. A “Players Edition,” which focuses on the most common rules and has drawings, examples, etc.

3. A “Handbook” with guidelines to replace the current “Decisions Book,” which has interpretations of the rules of golf

There will also be an app and possibly an illustrated book or other products.

In March 2017, the R&A and USGA published a draft of the Rules book and are working on finalizing the Rules. They revealed the final draft in March 2018 and planned to publish the Rules Book, Handbook and “Players Edition” later this year.

Some of the primary changes include a local rule permitting committees to allow golfers to opt to drop the ball in the location where they lost or hit the ball out of bounds under a two-stroke penalty, the removal of the penalty for a double hit and a requirement for players to drop from knee height. 

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