Golf / Protocols & guidance
Changes in the supplied edition
The R&A / USGA · 2023In short
Selected changes introduced in the supplied January 2023 rulebook.
Equipment, scores and substitution
The committee calculates handicap strokes and net scores; the player need not put a handicap on the scorecard. A club damaged during the round may be replaced unless damaged through abuse. Playing an incorrectly substituted ball now brings 1 penalty stroke; this is different from playing a wrong ball.
Relief and accessibility
Back-on-the-line relief now starts by dropping on the line, creating the relief area around first ground contact. Rule 25 incorporates modifications for players with disabilities into all competitions. These highlights describe the supplied edition; later clarifications and Local Rules require separate checking.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Based on the supplied R&A and USGA Rules of Golf, effective January 2023. These are condensed explanations of that edition, including Rule 25 for players with disabilities. Local Rules and later clarifications are not automatically included. References use physical PDF pages, 2 above printed page numbers.
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