Purpose of Rule: Rule 16 covers when and how you may take free relief by playing a ball from a different place, such as when you have interference by an abnormal course condition or a dangerous animal ...

Many golfers are very familiar with the term GUR, which stands for Ground Under Repair, but perhaps fewer are quite so au fait with NPZ, which indicates a No Play Zone. But what is the difference?

What are "abnormal course conditions," and what are your options if your ball winds up in them? If you're uncertain, you're not alone. Of the thousands of rules-related questions that the USGA fielded ...

Animal HoleAnimal Hole: Any hole dug in the ground by an animal, except for holes dug by animals that are also defined as loose impediments (such as worms or insects).(...Continued), Ground Under ...

A fundamental principle in The Rules of golf is covered by Rule 8 – You should play the course as you find it. That means, wherever your ball comes to rest, you must normally accept the conditions and ...

Each fall, golfers in cooler climates invoke the "leaf rule" to lobby for a free drop when they can’t find their ball under a pile of foliage. Some use it as a concession to appease a frustrated ...

Chances are you recognize that the aerial photo above is of the first and 18th holes at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. As you take a look, you can see spectators walking across those two ...

Unless you live in Phoenix, San Diego or another always-sunny paradise, chances are it rains on the golf courses you frequent. Depending on the severity of those rains, and the quality of the ...

Should Sam Burns have gotten relief on the 15th hole during the final round of the 2025 U.S. Open? It's a question he's going to ask for a long, long time. Burns' ball landed in the fairway but ...

Daylight savings time being gone means fewer hours of sunshine on the golf course. It also means cooler temperatures and perhaps more inclement weather for Sacramento’s weekend warriors. Wetter ...