Do you get confused by these often-misunderstood golf rules? We’re here to clear them up for you!
To Be OB, Your Whole Ball Needs to Be OB
Many people don’t know what exactly constitutes being out of bounds (OB) in golf. Here’s the deal: the entire ball needs to be out of bounds for it to count as out of bounds. That means if your ball is sitting on the edge of the golf course and half of it is on the course, it’s not OB.
There are Instances When You Can Touch the Sand in a Bunker
In 2019, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) relaxed the official rules regarding bunkers. Golfers are now permitted to touch the sand in a bunker in certain circumstances, including:
- Removing loose debris such as leaves or pebbles, as long as you don’t move the ball while doing this
- Placing your feet in the sand in preparation to hit a shot
- Putting a club in the sand
As long as you’re not purposely testing the sand, you are allowed to touch it. This means you don’t have to be constantly worried about accidentally touching the sand in a bunker.
There is No Penalty for Accidentally Hitting Your Ball on a Green
If you accidentally hit your ball on the putting green, it’s okay! Anything accidental on the green does not incur a penalty. You can simply place the ball back where it was using your best judgment (or, even better, a ball marker).
When a Ball Gets Stepped on, it’s not Embedded
A ball is only embedded if it’s in the pitch mark created from its own shot. That means if your ball is sunken into the ground because someone stepped on it or ran it over with a golf cart, that doesn’t count as an embedded ball. A ball only counts as embedded if part of it is underneath the surface of the ground, too (not just stuck in long grass).
Need some education on the more basic rules of golf? See our Beginner’s Golf Guide!
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