Golf Rule Changes
1) Balls landing in the fairway in a divot receive a drop – yes, it is fair, but life is not fair…and neither is golf. The Rules Committee and golf founders want players to be able to adapt to being in the corner of bunkers, standing sideways or downwards, and knowing how to hit out of a divot (forward weight with ball in back of stance hitting through the ball with divot – one more club with steep backswing). A plugged ball excepting sand trap is allotted relief (Rule 16.3). Leave these rules alone.
2) Ready golf………..everyone else plays ready golf, so professionals should also. After arriving at your ball, 24 seconds to address. May readdress. Just today PGA player watching endless antics from playing partners at Doral became frustrated and stroked the ball into the water on Doral’s 18th. All major sports have time clocks (baseball, basketball, football, tennis). First one to ball is expected to hit first; and then in sequence.
3) Remove rule in match play if the player closer to the hole putts first, the opponent obtains his shot over. This rule is not consistent with ready golf. In stroke play, if you are ready to hit, you may address and putt in any order (saves time).
4) Do away with stepping in someone’s line– everyone else preceding has stepped in your line (dumb). The ground recovers in seconds. Etiquette demands this without a rule; but again by the time you putt if someone has stepped in your line, the ground has recovered. No mickey mouse marking of ball 8 inches from the cup due to standing in line. Knock the putt in for efficiency and ready golf – not worrying about stepping in someone’s line.
5) Lost ball rule – now 3 minutes – eliminate the penalty and allow a line of sight into the hazard drop – as far back as needed. Do not block movement of your playing group or strangle the golf course.
6) Distance measuring devices – remove because all courses have markers (or should at 100, 150, 200 yards). It is easy to estimate distance. Range finders are not allowed for field goals, 3-point shots, home runs, etc. They waste time and golf was meant to deal with the outside elements.
7) Carts: Technically illegal in competition. If you have a physical handicap or special needs, then cart the round. Carts have become culturally acceptable for movement of the game/ready golf. Thus, if you play with a cart, it is recorded as HCPc as opposed to HCP.
8) Do away with red stakes in hazards because the ball is already in a compromised area. Grounding at least gives the golfer a chance at a decent recovery shot.
9) Grounding should be allowed in sand traps – if no ball movement. It is a very difficult shot; allow an address, sand mark, and a reasonable chance to escape and salvage par.
10) Ball moving at address due to non-elements or the player causing movement (tipping ball off tee, touching it with club carelessly during practice swing, grounding your putter and ball moves, etc.). Just replace the ball to original spot with no penalty.
11) Playoffs – Fans are on 18 and settled. OK, play 18 again, and if still tied, play 18 again from a different tee (red).
12) Shots in water. Again, no penalty, line of sight as far back as you need. Player is already penalized for ball in water. Allow a dramatic recovery to par (not a near guaranteed double bogey or worse).
13) Number of clubs in bag (14). Allow up to 16 due to hybrids, varying wedges, etc.
14) Dress: Golf is a very formal sport, sweating, swing - room, breathing, ethics. formalities, etiquette. etc. No metal spikes, no tee shirts, all white clothes for formal PGA events (separates Wimbledon), collared shirts tucked unless tuck less, and formal non-bargain sport sweats or more formal pants. Shorts for non-PGA events – non-Cargo formal. Formal shorts and collared shirts for ALL public and private courses.
15) Shotgun starts: Yes – continuous efficient drama. Introductions are at #1 anyway – even more drama in the middle of a round.
16) Playing 5 days instead of 4 (yes!). Practice rounds Monday and Tuesday including pro-am. More golf, more money, more movement of the leaderboard, more chances for guys to move up or maintain, and fans/TV/streaming get to see more compeittive golf. PGA golfers are golfing 18 on Wednesday anyway.
17) Cuts – Zero – Fans came to see their players – if a 5-day tourney is held, plenty of opportunity to score in later rounds.
18) Fans do the interviews with the caddies and players – asking questions about practice, clubs, balls, shots, families, travel, illness, and the course. Professionals like to talk to fans, not media.
19) Playing down your own fairway (McIlroy on Augusta’s 18th 2026). Technically, Rory was still in the rough between 10 and 18, but calls to play your own fairway have surfaced. Rory figured it out playing down the 10th fairway. Requiring him to hit through a maze of 20 pines back into 18 would have lost the tourney for him. Golf needs no more rules/just tweaking.