Stableford Rules

The Stableford System, developed by Dr. Frank Barney Gorton Stableford in 1931, is a scoring system in which the final score is not the stroke total, but the total points earned for scores on each individual hole.  Unlike traditional golf scoring methods, the...

Defining the Teeing Ground

According to the USGA the definition of the teeing ground is: “The starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers. A ball is...

Did You Address the Ball?

The USGA says “A player has “addressed the ball” when he has grounded his club immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball, whether or not he has taken his stance.” This means you can take a stroke and strike the ball without ever actually...

What To Do If You Lost Your Ball

According to Rule 27-1 from the USGA you have five minutes to search for your ball. This time starts from when you actually start searching for the ball. If you do not find the ball within five minutes the ball is lost whether you find it after the five minutes or...

Not so Hazardous Water

According to the USGA, “‘Casual water’ is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or...

How Many “Strokes” did You Actually Take?

The USGA defines a stroke as “the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.” This means you do...