The only official rules of golf in the United States are those approved by the United States Golf Association. The following rules are from the NGF book "Easy way to learn golf rules" and the U.S.G.A. 1997 Rules of Golf.
Before going into rules, a few words on etiquette and safety.
Prior to playing a stroke or making a practice swing, players should ensure that no one is standing close by or in a position to be hit by the club, the ball or any stones, pebbles, twigs or the like which may be moved by the stroke or swing.
In the interest of all, players should play without delay. During the play of a hole, you may not hit any practice shots. Players searching for a ball should signal the players behind them to pass as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not easily be found. They should not search for five minutes before doing so. When the play of a hole has been completed, players should immediately leave the putting green.
Priority on the course ~ In the absence of special rules, two-ball matches should have precedence over and be entitled to pass any three-or four-ball match, which should invite them through. A single player has no standing and should give way to a match of any kind. Any match playing a whole round is entitled to pass a match playing a shorter round.
Care of the course ~ Before leaving a bunker, a player should carefully fill up and smooth over all holes and footprints made by him. Replace divots & repair ball-marks. Through the green, a player should ensure that any turf cut or displaced by him is replaced at once and pressed down and that any damage to the putting green made by a ball is carefully repaired.
Some Definitions for golfers.
Addressing the Ball: A player has "addressed the ball" when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.
Advice: "Advice" is any counsel or suggestion which could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or method of making a stroke.
Ball in Play: A ball is "in play" as soon as the player has made a stroke on the teeing ground. It remains in play until holed out, except when it is lost, out of bounds or lifted.
Bunker: A "bunker" is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like. Grass-covered ground bordering or within a bunker is not part of the bunker.
Hazards: A "hazard" is any bunker or water hazard.
Hole: The "hole" shall be 41/4 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep.
Honor: The side or player entitled to play first from the teeing ground is said to have the "honor".
More definitions will be added to this site in time. Keep posted!
We will start rule play by describing:
Match play. Match play is competition hole by hole. Whomever wins the hole will go one up on their competitor. By marking a + after the hole means you won the hole. Marking 0 means you halve the hole, and - sign means you lost the hole. In match play a competitor can lose the match without play 18 holes. When you have won more points than there are holes remaining you have won the match. Note: Tiger Woods won all three of his U.S. Amateur Titles in match competition.
In Stoke play, only the total number of strokes counts. This is sometimes referred to as medal play. The player who plays the round in the fewest strokes is the winner. When keeping score in stroke play, you keep your opponent's score and your opponent keeps yours.
The Tee -- When driving from the tee, that ball may be teed up and must be played from between the markers and not more than two club-lengths behind the markers, never in front of them. This is the only area on the golf where the ball may be teed up. If the ball, when not in play, falls off the tee before you've taken your forward swing, you may re-tee it without penalty. But if you swing and miss, that's a "whiff" and it counts one stroke. If your golf ball moved a little while you are addressing it, you must count a penalty stroke and replace the ball to its original spot.
After the tee shots, the player whose ball lies farther from the hole plays first.
The Fairway -- You hit the ball in the rough on the right or left. You may not improve your lie by moving, breaking, or bending growing vegetation. In Match play, you lose the hole. In Stoke play the penalty is two strokes. You can move loose objects like tree branches, fallen leaves, or loose stones, but be very careful, if the balls moves in doing so, the penalty is one stroke (no penalty if you are on the putting green) and the ball must be replaced. This rule does not apply if ball is in a hazard, unless the ball is covered by sand, leaves or the like, in which case enough may be removed to enable the player to see part of the ball.
If you play a stroke or strokes with a wrong ball, except in a hazard, you lose the hole in match play, or you are penalized two strokes in stroke play. In stroke play, you then have to play out the correct ball before playing from the next tee. Note: There is no penalty if you play the wrong ball in a hazard, providing you then play your own ball. Strokes played with the wrong ball are not included in the score for that hole.
In match play, an opponent incurs a penalty stroke if he, his caddie or his equipment touches or moves a player's ball. This penalty does not hold in stroke play. In both match and stroke play the player must replace the ball on the spot from which it was moved. In both match and stroke play there is no penalty if your ball moves another player's ball, providing they were not both on the putting green. In both types of play the player whose ball was moved must replace his ball. In stroke play, when both balls lie on the putting green, a player incurs a two-stroke penalty when his ball strikes another players' ball; there is no penalty in match play.
A ball is "lost" if it cannot be found within five minutes after your side begins to search for it.
If your ball is lost, you must go back to the spot from which you last played it and play another, counting bother strokes and also adding a penalty stroke to your score. If your ball is bound after you have put another ball in play, you must continue to play the second ball. The same rule holds true for out of bounds
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End of 1st Section on Rules
