Rules of Golf: Causing your ball to move
If you take an action near your ball and cause it to move, you get a one-stroke penalty, unless your ball is on the putting green.
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Rules of Golf: Caddies can now lift golf ball without approval
When your ball is on the putting green, your caddie is now allowed to mark, lift and clean it, with or without the player’s approval.
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Rules of Golf: Repairing damage on putting green
You or anyone else are now allowed to repair almost any damage on the putting green.
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Rules of Golf: Leaving the flagstick in
There is no longer a penalty for hitting the flagstick that is in the hole when you’ve played your stroke from off the putting green or if you’ve played your stroke from on the green.
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Rules of Golf: Penalty area
The term penalty area has been introduced and will replace areas previously known as water hazards.
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Rules of Golf: Dropping a ball
When taking “lateral relief” from a red penalty area, under a one-stroke penalty, estimate the point on the edge of the penalty area where your ball last crossed as it went in.
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Rules of Golf: Loose impediments in bunker
There is no longer a penalty for moving loose impediments when your ball lies in a bunker.
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Rules of Golf: Unplayable ball in a bunker
When you decide your ball in a bunker is unplayable, under the 2019 Rules you have an extra option that lets you drop “back-on-the-line” outside the bunker for total penalty of two strokes.
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Rules of Golf: Dropped ball must come to rest
When dropping in taking free relief or penalty relief, your ball must be dropped in and come to rest in the defined relief area.
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Local Rule: Alternative to Stroke
Now under the Rules, when your ball is lost or out of bounds, your course or can use a Local Rule that does not require you to play under stroke and distance.
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