USGA/R&A Finalize 2019 Rules of Golf

[Vinsk]

On 11/18/2018 at 11:56 PM, BallMarker said:

I don't like that you:

* can "accidentally" move your ball on the green w/o penalty.

* now have only 3 min. to look for your ball.

* can "accidentally" move your ball during search w/o penalty.

* can "accidentally" hit your equipment.

* can "accidentally" ground your club, or even lean on your club while in the sand trap.

.

Last, but not least, I still feel it's unfair that you can't get relief from fairway divots.

 

Seems odd you’d be strict about the first then state your divot relief imo. I think it’s silly that a penalty should occur when you’re tromping through a messy, deep grass area or leaves infested area and yes, accidentally step on your ball. But a fairway divot? Just a natural part of the fairway. 

[iacas]

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdGwhuw3mVAaW--YdDIJYUA2a_uvotuSr

That's a playlist for the Colorado Golf Association's video series on some of the bigger Rules changes in 2019.

And of course…

https://rulesgeeks.com/2018/12/30-days-of-2019-rules-changes/

30 Days of 2019 Rules Changes! | Rules Geeks

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Starting tomorrow, December 2, and for each of the next 30 days, RulesGeeks.com is going to be highlighting 30 major changes from the 2019 Rules. Our schedule is as follows: December 2 – Ball…

 

[BruceTeam]

Maybe I'm missing something, and probably am, but the official guide put out by USGA and R & A is over 500 pages. They were also working on a Summary to help adjustment to the new rules and put one Summary out, then retracted it to revise it? I'm not sure. Is there an official summary you can take with you on the course and use during play put out by the USGA and R&A? In other words, you can't flip through 500 pages for an answer during play. But is there a 2-3 page short summary put out by the USGA and R&A yet? Or are they not going to put one out?

Edited December 14, 2018 by BruceTeam

[iacas]

12 minutes ago, BruceTeam said:

Maybe I'm missing something, and probably am, but the official guide put out by USGA and R & A is over 500 pages.

The Players Edition is about 130 pages, from Rule 1 through to the Definitions (not counting ads in the front or the Index in the back). And the book is only about 4.25" x 5.5".

The Rules of Golf is about 200 pages from Rule 1 through to the Definitions. This book is 6" x 8".

The Official Guide, which replaces the Decisions manual, is quite long… but that's always going to be quite long. It replaces the Decisions guide, which contains basically the answer to every possible ruling known to date.

12 minutes ago, BruceTeam said:

They were also working on a Summary to help adjustment to the new rules and put one Summary out, then retracted it to revise it?

http://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/images/rules/rules-modernization/golf-new-rules/Explanation for Each Major Change in the New Rules of Golf for 2019 (1).pdf

12 minutes ago, BruceTeam said:

Is there an official summary you can take with you on the course and use during play put out by the USGA and R&A?

Players will likely have the Players Edition of the Rules of Golf with them. Again, it's about 130 pages of actual Rules and Definitions.

12 minutes ago, BruceTeam said:

But is there a 2-3 page short summary put out by the USGA and R&A yet? Or are they not going to put one out?

I don't think you could fit much on a 2-3 page summary. Not without some really, really small text.

@BruceTeam, you should follow along at rulesgeeks.com.

[MacDutch]

Maybe allready addressed: So I am allowed to use an other ball when taking relief (free or with penalty). Do I need to use the same kind of ball? Is the replacing also allowed when playing winter rules (lift, clean and place within 15 cm)?

Edited December 16, 2018 by MacDutch

[Asheville]

New R6.3b says:

(1) When Player Is Allowed and Not Allowed to Substitute Another Ball. Certain Rules allow a player to change the ball he or she is using to play a hole by substituting another ball as the ball in play, and others do not:

When taking relief under a Rule, including when either dropping a ball or placing a ball (such as when a ball will not stay in the relief area or when taking relief on the putting green), the player may use either the original ball or another ball (Rule 14.3a),

When playing again from where a previous stroke was made, the player may use either the original ball or another ball (Rule 14.6), and

When replacing a ball on a spot, the player is not allowed to substitute a ball and must use the original ball, with certain exceptions (Rule 14.2a).

[Rulesman]

2 hours ago, MacDutch said:

 Is the replacing also allowed when playing winter rules (lift, clean and place within 15 cm)?

Yes, the model LR says "... by placing the original ball or another ball ...."

[PraiseKek]

I have a dodgy back, and I recently tried out the new way to drop and tweaked my back trying drop from knee high. I obviously don't want to take drops from knee high if avoidable. Does anyone know if there will be some tolerance of just having your arm resting down? Squatting a bit to drop is pretty evil imo.

I also saw this video just now: 

This is absurd. Why not just make the hole three feet wide too so millennials can lose interest after 4 holes instead of three?

Edited December 18, 2018 by PraiseKek

[klineka]

13 minutes ago, PraiseKek said:

I have a dodgy back, and I recently tried out the new way to drop and tweak my back trying get knee high. I don't want to take drops from knee high if avoidable. Does anyone know if there will be some tolerance of just having your arm resting down? Squatting a bit to drop is pretty evil imo.

So you can bend over to mark your ball on the green, pick it up out of the hole, pick the flag up off the ground, bend over to insert a tee into the ground and place a ball on the tee and the pick the tee up again, etc but you cant bend over to drop the ball from knee height? Doesnt make sense to me. 

13 minutes ago, PraiseKek said:

Why not just make the hole three feet wide too so millennials can lose interest after 4 holes instead of three?

Completely unnecessary comment.

The rule that the video talks about is a local rule only and is not to be used in tournaments/competitions. Not sure what the big deal is.

Edited December 18, 2018 by klineka

[Rulesman]

New clarifications introduced by the R&A and USGA

The R&A - Resources Centre

 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, PraiseKek said:

I have a dodgy back, and I recently tried out the new way to drop and tweaked my back trying drop from knee high. I obviously don't want to take drops from knee high if avoidable. Does anyone know if there will be some tolerance of just having your arm resting down? Squatting a bit to drop is pretty evil imo.

You can play golf, but you can't bend down part-way to drop a ball?

No, there's no tolerance. You have to drop from knee height.

Heck, man, just tilt to your right or something - you can reach knee height that way, too.

1 hour ago, PraiseKek said:

This is absurd. Why not just make the hole three feet wide too so millennials can lose interest after 4 holes instead of three?

It's two penalty strokes, so they're lying three hitting four, and it's not like it's supposed to be used in even somewhat serious competitions.

[Missouri Swede]

On 12/14/2018 at 1:08 PM, BruceTeam said:

Maybe I'm missing something, and probably am, but the official guide put out by USGA and R & A is over 500 pages. They were also working on a Summary to help adjustment to the new rules and put one Summary out, then retracted it to revise it? I'm not sure. Is there an official summary you can take with you on the course and use during play put out by the USGA and R&A? In other words, you can't flip through 500 pages for an answer during play. But is there a 2-3 page short summary put out by the USGA and R&A yet? Or are they not going to put one out?

What you're looking for might be in a link provided by @Rulesman:

1 hour ago, Rulesman said:

New clarifications introduced by the R&A and USGA

The R&A - Resources Centre

 

Select "Understanding the 2019 Rules Changes" then download "Chart of Main Rules Changes"

[BruceTeam]

What used to be called water hazards are now called "Penalty Areas."

If your ball comes to rest in a "penalty area" you are allowed to take two club lengths lateral relief under new Rule 17. But can you, therefore, take lateral relief from water?

See this USGA explanation of the new penalty areas concept > http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/areas-the-committee-may-mark-as-penalty-areas.html

 

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, BruceTeam said:

What used to be called water hazards are now called "Penalty Areas."

If your ball comes to rest in a "penalty area" you are allowed to take two club lengths lateral relief under new Rule 17. But can you, therefore, take lateral relief from water?

See this USGA explanation of the new penalty areas concept > http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/areas-the-committee-may-mark-as-penalty-areas.html

 

You can take "lateral relief" only from a red-staked penalty area.  A body of water is a penalty area, whether it is marked or not.  If its not marked, it is assumed to be a red penalty area.  You can find all of this in the new rules at :

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=pe&section=fore

You can also get all of this information as an app for your phone.  I'd recommend that you become familiar with using the actual rules.  I generally look at the somewhat simplified Player's Edition first, and then move on to the Full Rules and eventually the Interpretations as needed.

[saevel25]

22 hours ago, iacas said:

Heck, man, just tilt to your right or something - you can reach knee height that way, too.

I am so doing this.

Yea, I am not a fan of limiting it to knee height. Just say something like, knee height to shoulder height. If someone wants to drop it from shoulder height I see no issue with it. Oh well, knee height it is.

 

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Yea, I am not a fan of limiting it to knee height. Just say something like, knee height to shoulder height. If someone wants to drop it from shoulder height I see no issue with it. Oh well, knee height it is.

The point is they want the ball to remain in the relief area, and dropping from higher up reduces the chances of that and increases the chances you'll get to place it.

[Fourputt]

On 12/19/2018 at 12:26 PM, saevel25 said:

I am so doing this.

Yea, I am not a fan of limiting it to knee height. Just say something like, knee height to shoulder height. If someone wants to drop it from shoulder height I see no issue with it. Oh well, knee height it is.

 

They want to retain a bit of randomness in the lie (as opposed to placing the ball), while doing more to minimize the bounce and roll after the drop.  It's too easy now to set yourself up so that the ball takes a strong bounce, then again and then you get to place it.  It should be more difficult now (but not impossible) to intentionally "work" that process in your favor. 

This is the second time in my golfing experience that they have changed the dropping process.  I still like the way it was originally when I started playing, dropping the ball over your shoulder.  That made it virtually impossible to make a "controlled" drop, but it did leave the possibility of getting a stronger "kick" as the ball rolled off your shoulder blade.

Edited December 21, 2018 by Fourputt

[DaveP043]

35 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

They want to retain a bit of randomness in the lie (as opposed to placing the ball), while doing more to minimize the bounce and roll after the drop.  It's too easy now to set yourself up so that the ball takes a strong bounce, then again and then you get to place it.  It should be more difficult now (but not impossible) to intentionally "work" that process in your favor. 

This is the second time in my golfing experience that they have changed the dropping process.  I still like the way it was originally when I started playing, dropping the ball over your shoulder.  That made it virtually impossible to make a "controlled" drop, but it did leave the possibility of getting a stronger "kick" as the ball rolled off your shoulder blade.

I'm glad they did retain some randomness, I didn't like the initial proposal that would have allowed a drop of an inch or less.  I still wonder if we'll see a reduction on drop-drop-place situations.  In the current rules, the ball is dropped from a greater height, but has to roll two clublengths away (or closer to the hole) before you must re-drop. With the 2019 Rules, you can drop the ball at the very limit of the Relief Zone, and if it rolls outside the relief zone you drop again, etc.  The dropped ball is likely to roll less, as its dropped from a lower location, but it may only have to bounce or roll a couple of inches to get outside of the relief zone, so a savvy player could do much as the savvy player could do in the past.  However, the 2019 Rules do make sure that relief situations result in a ball remaining pretty close to the desired spot, so it may be worth the trade-off.

Edited December 21, 2018 by DaveP043