The golf rulebook needs to be vast because there are so many scenarios that could play out. Between geography and terrain being different to weather and everything in between.
We have scoured the rule books over the years to find some of the obscure and ridiculous.

You may spit on your golf club before your shot to clean the grooves or face. You cannot if you are trying to reduce spin to hit a straighter or longer shot.
You are not allowed to place a water bottle on the green to use as a level.
If your golf ball is lodged in an orange, you cannot take relief without penalty.
If your clubhead falls off during your backswing, and you complete the swing and miss the ball, it doesnât count as a stroke. If your clubhead falls off during the downswing, and you complete the swing but miss the ball, it counts as a stroke.
What did we miss?







I think it’s odd that they still make pro’s do their own scorecards – in this day and age where there are 10’s of other people keep track along with them.
I don’t know if it’s in the same neighborhood as the orange rule, but I still think it’s odd that you can get DQ because you made a simple arithmetic mistake.
Who the hell decided those!!? ?
[QUOTE=”Daluteh, post: 10622216, member: 59803″]
I think it’s odd that they still make pro’s do their own scorecards – in this day and age where there are 10’s of other people keep track along with them.
I don’t know if it’s in the same neighborhood as the orange rule, but I still think it’s odd that you can get DQ because you made a simple arithmetic mistake.
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It is still even more odd that “professionals” still sign incorrect score cards. lol.
There is the bug rule.
âIf the playerâs ball lies in a hazard, the insect is considered to be in the hazard and the player may not touch or physically remove the insect from the ball (Rule 13-4c). However, as the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take action, such as waving his hand, a club or towel, to encourage the insect to move.â â USGA decision 13-4c/16.5.
They may have gotten it wrong here.
[MEDIA=youtube]908rNgQnW38[/MEDIA]
[QUOTE=”templeton80, post: 10622258, member: 53139″]
There is the bug rule.
âIf the playerâs ball lies in a hazard, the insect is considered to be in the hazard and the player may not touch or physically remove the insect from the ball (Rule 13-4c). However, as the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take action, such as waving his hand, a club or towel, to encourage the insect to move.â â USGA decision 13-4c/16.5.
[MEDIA=youtube]908rNgQnW38[/MEDIA]
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That’s another good one.
[QUOTE=”templeton80, post: 10622258, member: 53139″]
It is still even more odd that “professionals” still sign incorrect score cards. lol.
There is the bug rule.
âIf the playerâs ball lies in a hazard, the insect is considered to be in the hazard and the player may not touch or physically remove the insect from the ball (Rule 13-4c). However, as the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take action, such as waving his hand, a club or towel, to encourage the insect to move.â â USGA decision 13-4c/16.5.
They may have gotten it wrong here.
[MEDIA=youtube]908rNgQnW38[/MEDIA]
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That was good commentary by Bubba though ?
[QUOTE=”templeton80, post: 10622258, member: 53139″]
It is still even more odd that “professionals” still sign incorrect score cards. lol.
There is the bug rule.
âIf the playerâs ball lies in a hazard, the insect is considered to be in the hazard and the player may not touch or physically remove the insect from the ball (Rule 13-4c). However, as the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take action, such as waving his hand, a club or towel, to encourage the insect to move.â â USGA decision 13-4c/16.5.
They may have gotten it wrong here.
[MEDIA=youtube]908rNgQnW38[/MEDIA]
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We’ve got enough problems in the world, we don’t need crab issues too ?
[QUOTE=”DataDude, post: 10622309, member: 47057″]
We’ve got enough problems in the world, we don’t need crab issues too ?
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For some crabs can be a real problem. đ
what if it’s lodged in a tangelo tho? :unsure:
[QUOTE=”templeton80, post: 10622258, member: 53139″]
It is still even more odd that “professionals” still sign incorrect score cards. lol.
There is the bug rule.
âIf the playerâs ball lies in a hazard, the insect is considered to be in the hazard and the player may not touch or physically remove the insect from the ball (Rule 13-4c). However, as the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take action, such as waving his hand, a club or towel, to encourage the insect to move.â â USGA decision 13-4c/16.5.
They may have gotten it wrong here.
[MEDIA=youtube]908rNgQnW38[/MEDIA]
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Wasn’t there a Bryson and ants thing a year or two ago as well?
[QUOTE=”templeton80, post: 10622258, member: 53139″]
It is still even more odd that “professionals” still sign incorrect score cards. lol.
There is the bug rule.
âIf the playerâs ball lies in a hazard, the insect is considered to be in the hazard and the player may not touch or physically remove the insect from the ball (Rule 13-4c). However, as the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take action, such as waving his hand, a club or towel, to encourage the insect to move.â â USGA decision 13-4c/16.5.
They may have gotten it wrong here.
[MEDIA=youtube]908rNgQnW38[/MEDIA]
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Yeah, that one bugs me.;)
Those are very strange and make zero sense lol!
[QUOTE=”Daluteh, post: 10622353, member: 59803″]
Wasn’t there a Bryson and ants thing a year or two ago as well?
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I know there was an ant hill thing. He was trying to get relief and didn’t get it I think. I don’t remember the details.
Cigar smoke to gauge wind direction
Play where it lies. Why would anyone think thatâs a good idea
You do not get relief from a pitchmark in the fairway (Paul Casey) but hit it on purpose in the stands on whilst carrying the wate (13th on Austin CC in WCG Matchplay) and you get a nice backstop and drop next tomthe green.
Preposterous.
You know the stand is their, should not get relief, especially when spectators (and their stands, toilets, TV vans) are integral to a Pro Sportsmanâs life.
But the pitchmark is someone elses mistake by not preparing it but you suffer when all you did was hitting the fairway.
This never made sense to me
I think if the fruit has been bitten you could take relief without penalty.
At my brotherâs member-guest he used a tee to mark his ball, puncturing the green. The other teamâs guest said it was a violation of rule bla bla bla as he was illegally testing the firmness of the green. At the time we thought the guy was a Richard but I am conscious now not to do it in competition. Too many rules.
The Clubhouse Rule
âIf a shot ends up in the clubhouse, and the clubhouse is not out-of-bounds, you can open a door or window and play the next shot without penalty.â â USGA decision 24-2b/14.
Another one that came up last week. I had a large pitch mark about an inch off the front of the green and my ball backed up from the pitch mark just a few inches. I couldnât repair the pitch mark since it wasnât on the green so I had to chip my ball over it rather than putt it to the hole that was only 15 feet away.
[QUOTE=”BriMac, post: 10653288, member: 44854″]
At my brotherâs member-guest he used a tee to mark his ball, puncturing the green. The other teamâs guest said it was a violation of rule bla bla bla as he was illegally testing the firmness of the green. At the time we thought the guy was a Richard but I am conscious now not to do it in competition. Too many rules.
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Yeah that’s not a rule.
If you hit your ball into a bunker and can’t find it, thinking it may be buried you start to move sand until you find it; sweeping sand away until you identify the ball. you have to re-cover the ball, leaving a small area visible, before hitting it. if it moves during the search you can at to penalty replace it. 2 strokes if you do not recover it….
What’s the one that Patrick Reed uses all the time? Ball is plugged you get free relief…that should be a fairway only rule, like lift, clean, and place
[QUOTE=”DataDude, post: 10622309, member: 47057″]
We’ve got enough problems in the world, we don’t need crab issues too ?
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Yeah. I think that was more a 70âs problem? ?
[QUOTE=”templeton80, post: 10622416, member: 53139″]
I know there was an ant hill thing. He was trying to get relief and didn’t get it I think. I don’t remember the details.
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He tried to get relief for a burrowing animal. Bryson made fun of him. It was and still is silly.