RULES By Jeff Rivard

RULES OF GOLF

70 YEARS TO MODERNIZATION

WORDS BY JEFF RIVARD

The Rules of Golf can be tracked historically in the lifetime of a super senior golfer. Let’s start with 1952. Joseph P. Dey, the USGA’s Executive Director, led the world of golf into the most unified set of Rules since the game was first played. The USGA and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Scotland led the charge.

The next key year, 1984, was a reorganization led by USGA Executive Committee member William J. Williams, Jr. (still active) assisted by Rules & Competitions Executive Director, P. J. Boatwright. The book then followed a more logical sequence, following a golfer around the course from starting tee to scoring area. More unification took place with a common Decisions of the Rules of Golf book, a casebook of incidents that explained the Rules.

The key issue forty-five years later (2019) was a simplification of overlapping situations and language that took the better part of ten years to achieve. In addition to simplification, the Rules became more forgiving. The language, grammar and style were also simplified. Several of those changes reflected what many recreational golfers thought the Rules said anyway.

LENIENCY

>> Accidentally moving the ball while trying to find or identify it is no longer a penalty >> Announcement to lift a ball is no longer necessary, but a lifted ball must still be marked and not cleaned more than necessary to identify it. >> A ball in motion that accidentally hits a person or outside influence is no penalty, just play it as it lies. >> A ball moved creates no penalty if moved by natural forces, another player or outside influences; or, by the player on the putting green. The player is penalized only if it’s known or virtually certain that he or she is the culprit.