In determining whether a player has committed serious misconduct, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. must consider all the circumstances. Even if the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. determines that the misconduct is serious, it may take the view that it is more appropriate to warn the player that a repeat of the misconduct or similar misconduct will result in disqualification, instead of disqualifying them in the first instance.
Examples of actions by a player that are likely to be considered serious misconduct include:
Deliberately causing serious damage to a putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued).
Disagreeing with the course setup and taking it upon themself to move tee-markers or boundary stakes.
Endangering the safety of others, such as by throwing a club at another player or spectator.
Deliberately distracting other players while they are making strokesStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued).
Removing loose impedimentsLoose Impediment: Any unattached natural object such as:(...Continued) or movable obstructionsMovable Obstruction: An obstruction that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damaging the obstruction or the course.(...Continued) to disadvantage another player after that other player has asked them to leave them in place.
Repeatedly refusing to lift a ball at rest when it interferes with another player in stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued).
Deliberately playing away from the holeHole: The finishing point on the putting green for the hole being played:(...Continued) and then towards the holeHole: The finishing point on the putting green for the hole being played:(...Continued) to assist the player’s partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. (such as helping the player’s partnerPartner: A player who competes together with another player as a side, in either match play or stroke play. learn the break on the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued)).
Deliberately not playing in accordance with the Rules and potentially gaining a significant advantage by doing so, despite incurring a penalty for a breach of the relevant Rule.
Repeatedly using vulgar or offensive language.
Using a handicap that has been established for the purpose of providing an unfair advantage or using the roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. being played to establish such a handicap.
Refusing to identify a found ball that might be the player’s ball.
Examples of actions by a player that, although involving misconduct, are unlikely to be considered serious misconduct include:
Slamming a club to the ground, damaging the club and causing minor damage to the turf.
Throwing a club towards a golf bag that unintentionally hits another person.
Carelessly distracting another player making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued).
If two or more players agree to ignore any Rule or penalty they know applies, they will be disqualified unless the agreement is made before the roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. and is cancelled before any player involved in the agreement begins their roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee..
For example, in stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued), two players agree to consider putts within a club-length of the holeHole: The finishing point on the putting green for the hole being played:(...Continued) holedHoled: When a ball is at rest in the hole after a stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green.(...Continued), when they know that they must holeHole: The finishing point on the putting green for the hole being played:(...Continued) out on each holeHole: The finishing point on the putting green for the hole being played:(...Continued).
While on the first putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued), another player in the group learns of this agreement. That player insists the two players who made the agreement holeHole: The finishing point on the putting green for the hole being played:(...Continued) out, and they do so.
Even though neither player who made the agreement acted on it by failing to hole outHoled: When a ball is at rest in the hole after a stroke and the entire ball is below the surface of the putting green.(...Continued), they are still disqualified because they agreed to ignore Rule 3.3c (Failure to Hole Out).
Rule 1.3b(1) does not apply and there is no penalty if players agree to waive a Rule that they are not aware of or fail to apply a penalty that they do not know exists.
Examples where two players are unaware of a Rule, or where they have failed to apply a penalty, and therefore are not disqualified under Rule 1.3b(1), include:
In a match, two players agree in advance to concede all putts within a specific length but are unaware that the Rules prohibit them from agreeing to concede putts in this way.
Before a 36-hole match, two players agree that they will play only 18 holes and whoever is behind at that point will concede the match, not knowing that this agreement does not comply with the Terms of the Competition.
The match goes forward on that basis and the player behind after 18 holes concedes the match. Since the players do not know such an agreement is not allowed, the concession stands.
In a stroke-playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) competition, a player and their markerMarker: In stroke play, the person responsible for entering a player’s score on the player’s scorecard and for certifying that scorecard. The marker may be another player, but not a partner.(...Continued), who is also a player, are unsure if the relief areaRelief Area: The area where a player must drop a ball when taking relief under a Rule. With the exception of back-on-the-line relief (see Rules 16.1c(2), 17.1d(2), 19.2b and 19.3), each relief Rule requires the player to use a specific relief area whose size and location are based on these three factors:(...Continued) for ground under repairGround Under Repair: Any part of the course the Committee defines to be ground under repair (whether by marking it or otherwise). Any defined ground under repair includes both:(...Continued) is one club-lengthClub-Length: The length of the longest club of the 14 (or fewer) clubs the player has during the round (as allowed by Rule 4.1b(1)), other than a putter.(...Continued) or two. Unaware of the Rule, they agree that it is two club-lengthsClub-Length: The length of the longest club of the 14 (or fewer) clubs the player has during the round (as allowed by Rule 4.1b(1)), other than a putter.(...Continued) and the player takes relief by droppingDrop: To hold the ball and let go of it so that it falls through the air, with the intent for the ball to be in play.(...Continued) a ball almost two club-lengthsClub-Length: The length of the longest club of the 14 (or fewer) clubs the player has during the round (as allowed by Rule 4.1b(1)), other than a putter.(...Continued) from the nearest point of complete reliefNearest Point of Complete Relief: The reference point for taking free relief from an abnormal course condition (Rule 16.1), dangerous animal condition (Rule 16.2), wrong green (Rule 13.1f) or no play zone (Rules 16.1f and 17.1e), or in taking relief under certain Local Rules.(...Continued). Later in the round the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. becomes aware of this.
Although neither player is disqualified under Rule 1.3b(1) because they were unaware of the Rule, the player has played from a wrong placeWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play their ball under the Rules.(...Continued) and gets the penalty under Rule 14.7 (Playing from Wrong Place). There is no penalty for accidentally giving incorrect information on the Rules of Golf.
9.6/2 – Where to Replace Ball When It Was Moved from Unknown Location
17.1a/1 – Ball Lost in Either Penalty Area or Abnormal Course Condition Adjacent to Penalty Area
17.1d(3)/2 – Player Drops Ball Based on Estimate of Where the Ball Last Crossed Edge of Penalty Area That Turns Out to Be the Wrong Point
In competitions where not all roundsRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. count, a player is not disqualified from the competition for being disqualified from a single roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee..
For example, in a team competition with four-player teams where the three best scores for each roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. are added up to make the team’s score for each roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee., a player is disqualified from the second roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. for not correcting the play of a wrong ballWrong Ball: Any ball other than the player’s:(...Continued). That player’s score does not count for the team score in the second roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. but the player’s score would count for any other roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. of the competition.
During a play-off in a stroke-playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) competition the Rules are applied as follows:
If a player is disqualified (such as for making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) with a nonconforming club), the player is disqualified from the play-off only and the player is entitled to any prize that may have been won in the competition itself.
If two players are in the play-off, one player is allowed to concede the play-off to the other player.
If Player A mistakenly gives the wrong number of strokes to Player B and that mistake results in Player B lifting their ball (such as when Player B thinks they have lost the play-off to Player A), Player B is allowed to replaceReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) the ball without penalty and complete the hole. There is no penalty to Player A.
A player is responsible when another person’s action breaches a Rule with respect to the player if it is done at the player’s request or if the player sees the action and allows it.
Examples of when a player gets the penalty because they requested or allowed the action include:
A player asks a spectator to move a loose impedimentLoose Impediment: Any unattached natural object such as:(...Continued) near their ball. If the ball movesMoved: When a ball at rest has left its original spot and come to rest on any other spot, and this can be seen by the naked eye (whether or not anyone actually sees it do so).(...Continued) the player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4b (Penalty for Lifting or Deliberately Touching Ball or Causing It to Move) and the ball must be replacedReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued).
A player’s ball is being searched for in tall grass. A spectator finds the ball and presses the grass down around the ball, improvingImprove: To alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke or other physical conditions affecting play so that a player gains a potential advantage for a stroke. the conditions affecting the strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of the player’s ball at rest, the area of intended stance, the area of intended swing, the line of play and the relief area where the player will drop or place a ball.. If the player, seeing that this is about to happen, does not take reasonable steps to try to stop the spectator, they get the general penaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play. for a breach of Rule 8.1a (Player’s Actions That Improve Conditions Affecting the Stroke).
If a player breaches a Rule with one penalty stroke, becomes aware of that breach and then breaches the same Rule or a different Rule with one penalty stroke, the player gets both penalties for a total of two penalty strokes.
For example, a player lifts their ball in the general areaGeneral Area: The area of the course that covers all of the courseexcept for the other four defined areas: (1) the teeing area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole the player is playing.(...Continued) to identify it without markingMark: To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either:(...Continued) the spot of the ball. Another player tells the player about the penalty and that they get one penalty stroke under Rule 7.3. Before replacingReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) the ball, the player cleans the ball more than necessary to identify it, also in breach of Rule 7.3. When the player was made aware of the first penalty, that was an intervening event and so the player also gets one penalty stroke for cleaning the ball, which means that the player gets two penalty strokes in total. (New)
When a player breaches multiple Rules or the same Rule multiple times, any relationship between the breaches is broken by an intervening event and the player will get multiple penalties.
If a player breaches a Rule without becoming aware of that breach and then breaches the same Rule or another Rule in playing their ball, the player gets only one penalty.
For example, in stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued), a player takes relief from an immovable obstructionImmovable Obstruction: Any obstruction that:(...Continued) near a putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued) but mistakenly dropsDrop: To hold the ball and let go of it so that it falls through the air, with the intent for the ball to be in play.(...Continued) a ball in a wrong placeWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play their ball under the Rules.(...Continued). Before playing the ball, the player removes sand on their line of playLine of Play: The line where the player intends their ball to go after a stroke, including the area on that line that is a reasonable distance up above the ground and on either side of that line.(...Continued) in the general areaGeneral Area: The area of the course that covers all of the courseexcept for the other four defined areas: (1) the teeing area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole the player is playing.(...Continued) in breach of Rule 8.1a and then makes a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) from the wrong placeWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play their ball under the Rules.(...Continued). As there was no intervening event between the removal of the sand and playing the ball from the wrong placeWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play their ball under the Rules.(...Continued), the player gets only one general penalty of two strokes. (New)