Every four years, the United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews come up with some changes to the Rules of Golf.  This is a good thing.  The game evolves and, during any four year period, situations arise on golf courses all over the world where people get caught up in cases where the rules appear to be unclear, unfair, or just confusing.  The USGA and the R&A spend more time in Committee meetings than you can imagine, trying to sort out ways which will improve the Rules of the Game without sacrificing its basic strengths and principles.  It is also a good thing that this only happens every 4 years so we don't have to get familiar with the changes on a yearly basis.  But, being 2008, this is the year to learn about a few new things.  Some of the Rules changes are fairly esoteric; they will arise only in rare instances and the average player should not be too concerned about them.  But others are more likely to arise in everyday play, and I have listed some of those changes below.

The change which will have the most effect on normal play is that a player can now identify his ball in a hazard.  Using the same techniques required elsewhere on the course, the player is allowed to mark, lift, and identify his ball before playing it.  Another player, as usual, must be there to witness the event.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that if you play a wrong ball from a hazard it is just like playing any other wrong ball; two strokes and correct the mistake.

Another rule change involves the flagstick.  In 2008, even a flagstick which has been laid down on the green can be moved while a ball in motion to prevent the ball from striking it.   For players who tried to help out a friend by moving such a flagstick, the shock of the two stroke penalty was severe.  In 2008, you can pick it up and save another player the penalty strokes for hitting it.

And, speaking of hitting things, in 2008 when you shank a shot and hit your partner, you will only get a one stroke penalty, not two.  Almost makes it worthwhile.

The penalty for carrying  (but not using) a non-conforming club has been reduced from a DQ.  It will now be treated just like other violations of the rule about clubs with stroke or holes adjusted based on when the problem was discovered.  The penalty is still severe so keep those golf bags free of clubs which do not conform to the rules.

And although this rule was changed by decision in 2006, it is good to remember that if a player inadvertently straddles the line of his short putt, usually to avoid stepping on someone else's line, there is no penalty under Rule 16-2.

Many of today's rules involve the concept of "reasonable evidence".  The USGA decided, for 2008, that people had differing views of what reasonable evidence involved.  Therefore, that concept was changed to one of "virtual certainty".    When a ball is lost and the player wishes to claim that it is lost in a water hazard, the standard of proof just went higher.  "It's probably in the hazard" is not good enough.  If it's possible for it to be somewhere else then you are not "virtually certain" that it's wet; treat it as lost.

There are numerous other minor changes in the 2008 Rules; most are just clarifications based on all of the questions and problems reported to the USGA.

Every player should, at a minimum, get a new rule book this year.  In addition, you are encouraged to go USGA Publications and order Decisions On The Rules Of Golf.   You could learn a lot from that book and it might just save you from some bad situations on the course.

Last Updated on 11/15/2008