Golf Rules... 'Knowledge Is Power' ② Time Allowed to Search for a Ball

Reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes
No advance notice or confirmation of markers required

Golf has no referees. It is a "gentleman's sport" where golfers play by following the rules themselves. The golf rules are "assistants" created to help with play. If well understood and used appropriately, they can greatly aid in score management. These are golf rules that weekend golfers must know.

Amateur golfers often find it difficult to hit the ball straight. They frequently send the ball into the rough rather than the fairway. If the rough is short, the ball can be found, but it becomes troublesome when it falls into deep rough. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) revised the golf rules in 2019. To "speed up" the game, the time allowed to search for the ball was significantly reduced. Previously, players were given up to 5 minutes. Now, it has been shortened to 3 minutes.

If the ball is not found within 3 minutes, it is considered lost. The player must return to the spot where the previous shot was made, take a one-stroke penalty, and continue play. For amateurs, there is a local rule. Similar to Out of Bounds (OB), a two-stroke penalty is imposed, and the ball is moved to the last place it entered. From there, the ball is dropped within a two-club length in the fairway area that is not closer to the hole, at knee height.

The method of checking a ball in the rough has also changed. Under the previous rules, players had to notify a marker or other players, mark the ball, and then pick it up. However, this is no longer necessary. There is no need to notify or give other players the opportunity to watch. The process has been simplified so that the player can mark and check the ball themselves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.