Showing 1 - 10 of 343
Free relief, OB stakes and the one-club drop
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 11/02/2026
» Please allow me to try and explain what is an immovable obstruction once more. They are basically artificial, fixed objects like cart paths, sprinklers, or fences -- they allow for a free, one-stroke relief drop if they interfere with a player's lie, stance, or swing. Relief is not permitted for line-of-sight interference. Players must find the nearest point of complete relief, not closer to the hole, and drop within one club-length.
Unplayable lies: Know the three relief options
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 04/02/2026
» You have basically three options if your golf ball finds itself in an unplayable lie. An unplayable lie allows a golfer to take relief almost anywhere on the course but comes with a one-stroke penalty, excluding penalty areas. The player is the sole judge of whether a ball is unplayable. The 3-options for relief are -- stroke-and-distance, back-on-the-line, or lateral relief within two club-lengths of where the ball is at rest.
When a sprinkler raises its head
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 14/01/2026
» Sprinkler heads are immovable obstructions, and you get free relief if they interfere with your stance, swing, or lie, but for line-of-play interference (when it's just in the way of your shot direction), you only get relief from this predicament if a local rule is in effect, requiring the sprinkler head and ball to be within two club-lengths of the green and the green's fringe (fairway height or shorter). Without the local rule, you must play it as it lies or take penalty relief.
One wrong move, two strokes gone
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 31/12/2025
» Giving or asking for advice like "What club did you use?" from anyone except your caddie or playing partner results in a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. Unsolicited advice from strangers or spectators is okay, but the player must not encourage it.
Penalty or no penalty? These tricky scenarios will test you
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 12/11/2025
» Let's see how good you know your golf rules; Here's some questions that will get you thinking -- You and your opponent are using the same type of ball in a match and inadvertently play each other's ball into the green. You're not sure who played a shot with the wrong ball first, so you finish out the hole as if nothing happened. Penalty or no penalty?
What happens when two golf balls collide on the course?
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 29/10/2025
» Golf balls do occasionally collide. It doesn't happen too often but it does occur occasionally. If a shot is played from off the putting surface and your ball hits another ball, what should you do?
One wrong score for a hole can end your round
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 15/10/2025
» If you return a scorecard with a wrong score for a hole; the score you entered stands if it was higher than your actual score. However, you are disqualified if you return a score that is lower than your actual score or if you fail to return a score for a hole. Putting down a lower score is considered a serious breach of the rules and results in disqualification, unless an unknown penalty was the cause. Some professional tours have adopted a rule that gives players a 15-minute window to correct an incorrect score after leaving the scoring area.
Golf's odd club rules explained
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 08/10/2025
» Here's a confusing rule that l would like to hopefully make clearer. You're allowed to carry up to fourteen clubs for a round of golf. However, you can have fewer -- just one if you wish. There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry so long as they conform to the Rules of Golf. For example, you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed clubs. If you start a round with fourteen clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one. But if you break one you can continue using that damaged club, replace it, or have it repaired, if possible. If you start a round with fewer than fourteen clubs, you can add clubs during the round until you reach fourteen, but you must not delay play in doing so.
Golf made simple: Key rules every player should know
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 01/10/2025
» Carrying on with some basic 'easy to understand' golf rules that we all need to know well. To correctly drop a golf ball, you must release the ball from your hand at knee height, allowing it to fall straight down without touching your body or equipment before hitting the ground. The ball must then land and come to rest within the defined relief area for that required situation. Should it bounce away from the dropping area you can try two more times. If still unsuccessful -- you can then place the ball. If you drop the ball incorrectly, you simply must re-drop it without penalty, but you incur a penalty if you play the ball from a wrong place after dropping it.
Why a provisional saves you long walk back
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 17/09/2025
» Continuing on the theme of our rules; here's one that we should all know but it's best to go through the procedure once more.