These 10 golf rules have been removed… and that changed the lives of many amateurs – Golf & Fairway

Golf has this particularity of mixing tradition and modernity. If certain gestures have remained intact over the decades, other practices have completely disappeared. Decisions made by USGA and R&A have transformed how to play, often to make the game more fair, faster, or simply more logical. Here are ten rules that have been deleted over the years. Some may come back to you in memory …

1. The stymie: This rule from another time that trapped the putts

Until 1952, the stymie (R & A rule) was a headache on the greens. If your opponent’s ball was between yours and the hole, you had to get around the obstacle or try a putt over it. No permission to raise the annoying ball.

The deletion of this rule made it possible to clarify putting situations and to establish greater sportiness. The embarrassed player can now ask that the other’s ball be noted if it is on its line.

2. Double contact: finished the double penalty

In the past, a double accidental contact – for example during a chip – led to an additional blow. Rule 10.1AA was modified in 2019: as long as the blow is unintentional, no penalty stroke is added.

This change has reduced an often deemed unjust rule, especially for amateurs. Technical errors are part of the game, and severely penalize them no longer made sense.

Today, whether you are in the practice or in competition, double involuntary contact is simply considered a single blow, without additional consequences.

3. Ball search: the countdown reduces to 3 minutes

Until 2019, you had five minutes to find your ball. Now, rule 18.2A stipulates that only three minutes are granted.

This change aims to streamline the pace of play, a priority for instances. It limits long expectations on the route, especially during competitions with many participants.

Time management has become essential, and this adaptation empowers players while reducing delays.

4. Drop at shoulder height: a gesture replaced by more precision

The shoulder drop was a ritual. Since the Rule 14.3B update in 2019, players have to do their drop to a knee.

This change has been made to improve the consistency of the drop: a ball released from the knees bounces less and remains more often in the defined area.

It is a small gesture revolution that has requested an adaptation time, but which is today completely integrated, especially in tournament where precision is essential.

5. Changing a damaged club: it is finally authorized

Before 2023, if you break a club (excluding a voluntary case), you could not replace it. Since then, rule 4.1A (2) can change it, as long as the breakage is accidental.

This rule protects golfers against the vagaries of the equipment: a shaft that breaks on a blow of rough, a twisted putter by falling … You can now replace it without sanction.

Be careful however: this does not apply if the club has been damaged under the effect of anger or voluntarily.

6. The ball should no longer enter the hole entirely

According to the old version of rule 13.2c, a bullet had to be completely below the edge of the hole to be considered “entry”.

Since 2019, if the ball has rests against the flag and slightly exceeds the hole, it has been validated. This meets modern rapid game requirements, and especially the practices that have become common, especially since flags are no longer systematically removed to putter.

A small detail that sometimes changes everything on a decisive putt.

7. The ball sizes finally standardized

Until 1990, two bullet sizes coexisted: 1.62 inch (4.11 cm), used in the United Kingdom, and 1.68 inch (4.27 cm), adopted in the United States. This posed uniformity problems between international competitions.

The size of 4.27 cm was adopted as global standard. This decision put an end to the debates on the advantages of the smaller ball, which could fly further or better pierce the wind.

Since then, all pros and amateur players have used a single size, guaranteeing total equality in the equipment.

8. Accidentally hitting his own ball is no longer penalized

If you send your ball to your foot, your bag or yourself, the sanction was immediate: two penalty strokes according to the old rule 11.1A. This has not been the case since 2019.

From now on, if this happens accidentally, no penalty is imposed. This mainly concerns sloping, very short chips or game situations in dense zone.

The modification recognizes that chance is not a fault.

9. Play from a divot: more flexible local rules

There is not yet an official rule allowing free release from a divot, but since 2010, many tournaments have applied local rules to authorize it.

This responds to a reality on the ground: playing from an ill -placed ball in an already damaged area is neither just nor technical.

More and more amateur tournaments allow a drop without penalty in the event of a ball in a Fairway divot.

10. Departure: Formerly fixed to a club length, no more

The old rules indicated that the departure had to be done in an area of ​​1 club long. Today, rule 6.1b specifies that the starting area is clearly defined by two markers, with a depth of two club lengths.

This clarification makes it possible to avoid any blurred interpretation, especially in tournaments where the specific investment of the TEE can influence the game strategy.

A discreet but capital modification for the regularity of the departure.