OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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SPRING 2017
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obsports.com
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THE RULES
BY randY YounGman
S
core it a double-eagle by the United
States Golf Association and the
Royal & Ancient Golf Club.
Nearly 300 years after the Rules of Golf
were first published, the sport's governing
bodies have proposed sweeping changes
to golf's antiquated and hard-to-under-
stand rulebook that are designed to mod-
ernize and simplify the game.
If enacted, the new rules – scheduled to
go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019 – will be less
punitive, improve pace of play and make
the game more enjoyable for all golfers.
The USGA and R&A have proposed re-
ducing the number of rules from 34 to 24,
with more than 100 modifications to exist-
ing rules that include eliminating or modi-
fying penalties on dozens of rulings.
"The primary objective was, how do we
make the rules easier to understand and
easier to apply around the world?" USGA
Senior Director of Rules and Amateur Sta-
tus Thomas Pagel said when the proposed
changes were announced. "I think what
you'll see is that part of this process is to
evaluate all the outcomes that are more
reasonable and common-sense based."
The process calls for a six-month "com-
ment" period in which golfers can provide
feedback on specific rule changes – by con-
tacting the USGA or R&A directly or on
social media (#GolfRules2019) through
this August – before the final rules are
drafted next March and then implemented
at the start of 2019.
Many of the proposed rule changes
have been well-received by tour pros, es-
pecially the one eliminating penalties for
accidentally moving a ball or ball marker
on the putting green. (It is likely to become
known as the "Dustin Johnson Rule," in
the wake of a controversial ruling at last
year's U.S. Open, when DJ was belatedly
penalized one stroke for his ball moving
imperceptibly on the fifth green.)
But there also are a number of rule
changes that should benefit the recre-
ational golfer, weekend warriors and all
those who play the sport for fun, as well as
buddies who play for skins and the occa-
sional Nassau. A few of these proposed
changes deserve highlighting:
v You may repair almost all damage, in-
cluding spike marks and animal damage,
on the putting green – rather than being
limited to repairing only ball-marks or old
hole plugs.
This is especially helpful for recreational
golfers who play most of their rounds on
busy public and municipal courses that
HOT
LINKS
›› FIND OUT everything
you need to know about
the proposed modernizing
of the rules.
›› TAKE a journey through
time with an interactive
history of the rules.
GAME CHANGERS
n HOW PROPOSED RULES ALTERATIONS WOULD IMPACT THE SPORT
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