These are a list of the 20 most common rules changes for 2019

 

  1. Flag may be left in at all times.

  2. If the ball wedges against the flag stick, if any portion of the ball is below the lip the ball is deemed to be holed.  It no longer has to hit the bottom of the cup.

  3. Search time looking for a ball has been reduced to 3 minutes, down from 5.

  4. Inadvertently move or kick your ball while searching.  Ball must be replaced, no penalty.

  5. Embedded Ball. If your ball embeds anywhere outside of a hazard, you may lift, clean and drop the ball no penalty.  

  6. Your longest club for drops includes any club except putter.

  7. Dropping.  For all drops you must do so from knee height.  It is NOT above knee height. If you forget and drop from your shoulder, redrop, no penalty.

  8. Hitting ball on wrong green.  Free drop, nearest point of relief, excluding hazards, but you are no longer allowed to take your stance on the wrong green.  Ball AND stance must be completely off the green. Fringe is OK

  9. Hitting yourself or your equipment, inadvertently.  No penalty, play your next shot from where it lies.

  10. Double Hit.  If you hit the ball twice in one stroke, there is no longer a penalty.

  11. Touching sand in bunker:  You may now smooth out the sand anywhere that is NOT in the line of play.  You can even lean on your club in the bunker. But you CANNOT do this to test the firmness of the sand.  You still CANNOT ground your club in the sand or hit the sand taking a practice swing.

  12. Loose Impediments:  You are now allowed to move loose impediments anywhere including bunkers and other hazards.  If the ball moves, it’s a one stroke penalty and the ball must be moved back.

  13. Unplayable lie inside a bunker.  4 options. 1. Return to the spot you played the shot from one stroke penalty. 2 Nearest point of relief INSIDE the bunker, no closer to the hole, one stroke penalty.  3. Keeping the spot between yourself and the flagstick, go back as far as you want INSIDE the bunker, on stroke penalty. 4. NEW Drop the ball on the opposite side of the bunker away from the hole, outside of the bunker, TWO stroke penalty.  

  14. There are no more water hazards, all hazards, except bunkers are called red or yellow penalty areas.

  15. Grounding clubs in all penalty areas, except bunkers IS allowed. (cannot cause the ball to move) Even submerging your club in water IS allowed.    

  16. Marked Ball Moves:  When replacing your marked ball, if it moves via wind or slope, you must place if back to the original position, no penalty.  

  17. Inadvertently moving your ball on the putting green.  Ball must be put back, no penalty. Includes, kicking, dropping your club or hitting ball during a practice stroke.

  18. Repairing green line of putt.  All non natural imperfections may be repaired including spike marks.  

  19. Using club / putter to line up your shot or stance.  No longer permitted.

  20. Caddie or playing partner no longer allowed to stand behind player to help line up shots or putts.