Rule 9

After the balls are struck from the tee, the ball furthest from the hole to which the parties are playing shall be played first, except as otherwise provided for in the Rules. Should the wrong side play first, the opponent may recall the stroke before his side has played.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

In Match Play, no stroke is counted for the misplay if recalled.

In Medal Play, the stroke may not be recalled.

Rule 10

Unless with the opponent's consent, a ball struck from the tee shall not be changed, touched nor moved, before the hole is played out, under the penalty of one stroke, except as otherwise provided for in the Rules.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

Penalty for breach of this rule:

In Match Play, loss of one stroke. In Medal Play, loss of one stroke.

Rule 11

In playing through the green all loose impediments within a club length of a ball, which is not lying in or touching a hazard, may be removed; but loose impediments which are more than a club length from the ball shall not be removed under penalty of one stroke.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

Penalty for breach of this rule:

In Match Play, loss of one stroke. In Medal Play, loss of one stroke. Ice, snow and hail within a club length of the ball through the green may be removed; but on the putting green the ice, snow and hail may only be removed as per Rule 34, "by brushing lightly with the hand only across the put, and not along it."

Rule 12

Before striking at the ball the player shall not move, bend nor break anything fixed or growing near the ball, except in the act of placing his feet on the ground for the purpose of addressing the ball, and in soling his club to address the ball, under the penalty of the loss of the hole, except as provided for in Rule 18.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

Penalty for breach of this rule:

In Match Play, loss of the hole. In Medal Play, disqualification.

Rule 13

A ball stuck fast in wet ground or sand may be taken out and replaced loosely in the hole which it has made.

Rule 14

When a ball lies in or touches a hazard, the club shall not touch the ground, nor shall anything be touched or moved before the player strikes at the ball, except that the player may place his feet firmly on the ground for the purpose of addressing the ball, under the penalty of the loss of the hole. But if in the backward or in the downward swing any grass, bent, whin or other growing substance, or the side of a bunker or wall, paling or other immovable obstacle, be touched, no penalty shall be incurred.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

Penalty for breach of this rule:

In Match Play, loss of the hole.

In Medal Play, for moving anything, disqualification; for touching anything, loss of one stroke.

The intent of this ruling is to prevent the player from altering or improving the lie of the ball.

The club shall not be soled, nor the surface of the ground be touched within a radius of a club length from the ball, except that the player may place his feet firmly on the ground for the purpose of addressing the ball; but nothing herein shall be construed as allowing a player to test in any manner the consistency of the sand or soil in any part of the hazard, under penalty of disqualification.

When a ball lies on turf in a hazard or surrounded by a hazard, it shall be considered as being on the fair green, i. e., the club may be soled.

Rule 15

A "hazard" shall be any bunker of whatever nature - water, sand, loose earth, mole hills, paths, roads of railways, whins, bushes, rushes, rabbit scrapes, fences, ditches, or anything which is not the ordinary green of the course, except sand blown on to the grass by wind or sprinkled on the grass for the preservation of the links, or snow or ice or bare patches on the course.

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Long grass or casual water on the fair green are not hazards. Woods are hazards.

The fair green shall be considered any part of a course except the hazards and putting greens.

Rule 16

A player, or a player's caddie, shall not press down nor remove any irregularities of surface near the ball, except at the teeing ground, under the penalty of the loss of the hole.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

Penalty for breach of this rule:

In Match Play, loss of the hole.

In Medal Play, disqualification.

"Near the ball" shall be considered within a club length.

Pressing down the surface near the ball by prolonged or forcible soling of the club shall be deemed a breach of this rule.

Rule 17

If any vessel, wheelbarrow, tool, roller, grass cutter, box or other similar obstruction has been placed upon the course, such obstruction may be removed.

A ball lying on or touching such obstruction, or on clothes or nets, or on ground under repair or temporarily covered up or opened, may be lifted and dropped at the nearest point of the course; but a ball lifted in a hazard shall be dropped in a hazard. A ball lying in a golf hole or flag hole may be lifted and dropped not more than a club length behind such hole.

Rule 18

When a ball is completely covered with fog, bent, whins, etc., only so much thereof shall be set aside as that the player may have a view of his ball before he plays, whether in a line with the hole or otherwise.

Ruling Of The U. S. G. A

Penalty for breach of this rule: In Match Play, loss of the hole. In Medal Play, disqualification. The "etc." in this rule includes grass, bushes, plants, hedges, trees and foliage.

Rule 19. When a ball is to be dropped the player shall drop it. He shall front the hole, stand erect behind the hazard, keep the spot from which the ball was lifted, or, in the case of running water, the spot at which it entered, in a line between him and the hole, and drop the ball behind him from his head, standing as far behind the hazard as he may please.