Golf Rules for Beginners: 10 Rules You Will Use
Golf rules for beginners? Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and count every stroke. Beyond that, learn a few rules that come up every round: what to do when a ball moves, how to take relief and drop, penalty areas, the three-minute search limit and what you can do on the putting green.
The official Rules of Golf are written by the USGA and The R&A. This guide covers the rules new golfers meet most, based on the USGA's own "15 Rules Every Golfer Should Know" poster. For manners on the course (pace, safety, quiet), see our separate golf etiquette rules guide. Shopping for your first round? Browse our best-selling golf shirts.
What are the basic rules of golf?
- Play the ball from the tee into the hole in as few strokes as possible.
- Count every swing you make at the ball, plus any penalty strokes.
- Play the ball where it lies unless a rule lets you move it.
- Carry no more than 14 clubs.
- Play your own ball; if you are unsure it's yours, you may mark and lift it to identify it.
Golf rules for beginners: 10 you will use every round
All quotes below are from the USGA poster "15 Rules Every Golfer Should Know", produced for the modernized Rules that took effect in 2019. The current rules are on usga.org/rules and in the free USGA Rules of Golf app.
1. Ball moved during search
"If you move any player's ball (even your own) while searching for it, there is no penalty, just replace the ball."
2. Ball moved on the putting green
Accidentally moving a ball on the green is also no penalty; replace it. Once you have lifted and replaced your ball there, "your ball owns that spot," so if wind or gravity moves it, you replace it.
3. Repairing the putting green
You can repair almost any damage on the green, including spike marks, animal damage and damage from a person or a ball.
4. The flagstick
"If your ball hits an unattended flagstick in the hole, there is no penalty." You can putt with the flag in.
5. Bunkers
You can move loose impediments (leaves, stones) in a bunker, but if your ball moves you get one penalty stroke. You cannot touch the sand with your club right next to your ball or on your backswing, or touch it to test its condition.
6. Penalty areas
Red and yellow penalty areas (often water) are more relaxed than they used to be. You are allowed to ground your club, take practice swings, touch water and remove loose impediments.
7. Penalty area relief
For one penalty stroke you have two relief options from a yellow penalty area and three from a red one:
| Option | Yellow | Red | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stroke and distance | Yes | Yes | Play again from where your previous stroke was made |
| Back-on-the-line | Yes | Yes | Drop on a line from the hole through where the ball last crossed the edge, going back as far as you like |
| Lateral relief | No | Yes | Drop within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge, no closer to the hole |
8. How to drop
"Drop your ball from knee height so that it lands in and comes to rest in the relief area." The relief area is one or two club-lengths, measured with the longest club in your bag other than your putter.
9. Search time
"You have three minutes to find your ball before it is lost." A lost ball is played under stroke and distance unless the course uses a local alternative, so ask in the pro shop.
10. Accidental deflections
No penalty if your moving ball accidentally hits you, your equipment, your partner or caddie, or if you accidentally hit it twice. Generally you play it from where it comes to rest.
What are the 3 P's in golf?
Instructors use "the 3 P's" for different things, so there is no single official meaning. A common version for beginners is pace, position and patience: keep up with the group ahead, stay safe on the course and take your time learning. For pace and safety habits, read our golf etiquette rules.
How do you score in golf?
Count every stroke and penalty on each hole and add them up; the lowest total wins in stroke play. Compare each hole to its par, and see how to keep score in golf for a simple scorecard walkthrough.
Golf shirts for your first round
Most courses expect a collared shirt. Our best-selling golf shirts include personalized polos with your name in men's, women's, sleeveless and long sleeve styles depending on the design. Check each product page and your course's dress code before you go.
FAQ
What are the 10 basic rules of golf for beginners?
Play the ball as it lies, count every stroke, carry no more than 14 clubs, replace a ball moved during search, repair the green freely, putt with the flag in if you like, don't ground your club next to the ball in a bunker, use penalty area relief options, drop from knee height and search no more than three minutes.
Can you touch the sand in a bunker?
Not with your club right next to your ball, on your backswing, during a practice swing or to test the sand. You may remove loose impediments, but moving your ball doing so costs a penalty stroke.
How high do you drop a golf ball?
From knee height, so the ball lands in and comes to rest in the relief area.
How long can you look for a lost golf ball?
Three minutes. After that the ball is lost.
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