How to Learn the Rules of Golf

(The first of a multi-part series on Learning the Rules of Golf)

The Oregon Golf Association is fortunate to have highly dedicated volunteers that donate their time for OGA Championships and serve on regional committees.  Many also volunteer at USGA Championships, serve on USGA Committees and, on a local level, are an invaluable asset to the courses and clubs where they frequent.

Though they come from different backgrounds and maintain a wide variety of interests outside the game of golf, they have one thing in common – they have invested the time necessary to learn the Rules.  For this, there is no substitute.

The knowledge of how to prepare a course for a competition and daily play, drafting Local Rules and the delicate relationship between a wrong ball, a substituted ball, a ball in play and a lost ball cannot be learned with shortcuts.  They are learned through study, repetition and experience.

The Rules of Golf are a beautifully crafted code that defines how the game is played and I encourage you to embark on the highly rewarding journey of learning them.  Learning the Rules is much like playing the game – though we cannot strike every ball perfectly, when it happens, that “I can’t wait to do it again feeling” is waiting for you on every page. .  . you just need to put in the time.

Still interested in learning the Rules . . .

Step 1)

Get a copy of the current Rules of Golf.  You can purchase one from most State or Regional Golf Associations (order one from the OGA here), directly from the USGA or at many golf specialty stores.  In addition, you can access the online text of the Rules at no cost from the USGA’s website by clicking here.

Step 2)

Don’t believe everything you hear and read, especially on TV.  Announcers for the most part have, at best, a rudimentary understanding of the Rules.  The largest obstacle I find in teaching the Rules of Golf is distancing students from the misinformation they have internalized.

Step 3)

Read the definitions . . . over and over and over.  There is no single more important thing you can do in learning the Rules.  There are only 51 defined terms that cover just 14 pages.   When learning them, pay special attention to defined terms within definitions (all defined terms in the Rules are italicized).  This “circular” nature is not just found in the definitions but is integral to the interplay of the Rules themselves.   You cannot become proficient with the Rules without first memorizing the definitions.

Step 4)

The second most important thing to remember . . . is to complete step 3!  Nearly three quarters of all the questions I receive are answered by referring the interested party to just one definition.  The definitions are the language of the Rules and those that overlook this fact will often say the Rules of Golf read like a foreign language.

That’s it for now.  Enjoy your journey set to kick off with Abnormal Ground Conditions and I’ll see you once you arrive at a Wrong Putting Green.

The Oregon Golf Association provides over 50 free Rules of Golf presentations reaching nearly 2000 golfers yearly. To contact the OGA with your questions or comments or to schedule a free Rules of Golf presentation, please call (503) 981-4653 or write rules@oga.org.