Golf Rules... "Knowledge is Power" ⑤ The 40-Second Rule

‘Speed Up’ in Focus: Play Each Shot Within 40 Seconds
First Violation Results in a Warning, Second Brings Two-Stroke Penalty

Golf is a sport without referees. It is known as a "gentleman's sport," where golfers are expected to follow the rules themselves while playing. The rules of golf are designed to serve as "guides" to assist play. If you understand and use them appropriately, they can greatly help with managing your score. These are golf rules that weekend golfers must know.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) revised the rules of golf in 2019. They identified slow play as a key reason for the decline in golf’s popularity. To "speed up" the game, they introduced various measures. Among these is the rule that every shot must be played within 40 seconds. The timing standard is crucial: if the previous group has already cleared the area and there are no distractions such as spectators or inclement weather, the player must make their stroke within 40 seconds from that very moment.

Last month, during the second round of the Amundi Evian Championship, a major event on the LPGA Tour, slow play became a major topic. The player at the center was Carlota Ciganda of Spain, a golfer with two career LPGA Tour victories who is notorious for slow play. The LPGA Tour issued Ciganda a first warning on the 7th hole. Timing began from the 8th hole, and when Ciganda exceeded the allowed time on the 9th hole, she was assessed a two-stroke penalty.

The R&A and USGA recommend "ready golf." Traditionally, golf follows the "far ball plays first" principle, meaning the player farthest from the hole plays first. However, if it is safe to do so, players may take their shots out of order. Even in match play, where order is important, "ready golf" can be requested. This is a method to increase the pace of play.

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