INDUSTRY NEWS
illustrations . It is intended to be a more thorough version of the revised Rules . played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole ; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed . Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes , animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt .
• Relaxed rules for “ penalty areas ” ( currently called “ water hazards ”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert , jungle , lava rock , etc ., in addition to areas of water ; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed ; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area .
• Relaxed bunker rules : There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club . A limited set of restrictions ( such as not grounding the club right next to the ball ) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand ; however , an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker , allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a twostroke penalty .
• Relying on player integrity : A player ’ s “ reasonable judgment ” when estimating or measuring a spot , point , line , area or distance will be upheld , even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong ; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged .
• Pace-of-play support : Reduced time for searching for a lost ball ( from five minutes to three ); affirmative encouragement of “ ready golf ” in stroke play ; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play .
Presented in digital , text-based form today , the new Rules will also now be translated into more than 30 languages and readied for final delivery via print and digital formats , including searchable Rules of Golf official apps developed by The R & A and the USGA .
Three important publications , to be distributed in September , will help players as well as officials and provide interpretation and guidance in how the Rules are applied :
• The Player ’ s Edition of the Rules of Golf : An abridged , user-friendly set of the Rules with shorter sentences , commonly used phrases , and diagrams . Written in the “ second person ,” The Player ’ s Edition is intended to be the primary publication for golfers .
• The Rules of Golf : The full edition of the Rules will be written in the third person and include
• The Official Guide to the Rules of Golf : This “ guidebook ” replaces the Decisions book and will contain information to best support committees and officials . It includes interpretations on the Rules , committee procedures ( available local rules and information on establishing the terms of the competition ), and the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities . It is a comprehensive resource document intended as a supplementary publication .
More than 30 “ how-to apply ” videos and a summary of the principal changes are now available at usga . org / rules . Additional education tools will be released in September .
Players are reminded that the current edition of the Rules of Golf ( 2016 ) must be applied when playing , posting scores or competing for the remainder of 2018 . The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process .
As an extension of their support of the Rules of Golf worldwide , Rolex has made a commitment to support The R & A and the USGA ’ s efforts to modernise golf ’ s Rules . The Swiss watchmaker ’ s contribution to excellence in golf is based on a rich heritage stretching back more than 50 years , forged through pivotal partnerships at every level of the game , from the sport ’ s leading professional and amateur competitions and organisations , to players at the pinnacle of their sport worldwide .
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