Single: A match in which one plays against another.

Threesome: A match in which one plays against two, and each side plays one ball.

Foursome: A match in which two play against two, and each side plays one ball.

Three-Ball: A match play competition in which three play against one another, each playing his own ball.

Each player is playing two distinct matches.

Stableford Points

This is a Competition where points are awarded at each hole as follows:

Net bogey – one over par 1 point

Net par 2 points

Net birdie 3 points

Net eagle 4 points

Net albatross 5 points

The winner is the competitor who scores the highest number of points

Stance
Taking the “stance’’ consists in a player placing his feet in position for and preparatory to making a stroke.

Stipulated Round
The “stipulated round’’ consists of playing the holes of the course in their correct sequence unless otherwise authorized by the Committee. The number of holes in a stipulated round is 18 unless a smaller number is authorized by the Committee. As to extension of stipulated round in match play, see Rule 2-3.

Stroke
A “stroke’’ is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of fairly striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the club head reaches the ball he is deemed not to have made a stroke.

Stroke Index
Each hole on a golf course is rated, using several variables and is given a stroke index between 1 and 18. If a player has a handicap of 18, he/she receives one shot per hole. If the handicap is 9, the player receives a shot on holes with a stroke index of 1 – 9.

Stroke Play
The competitor who plays the stipulated round or rounds in the fewest strokes is the winner. If a competitor fails to hole out and does not correct the mistake before a stroke is played from the next teeing ground, or in the case of the last hole, before leaving the putting green, the penalty is disqualification.

Teeing Ground
The “teeing ground’’ is the starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground.

Through the Green
“Through the green’’ is the whole area of the course except:
The teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played; and
all hazards on the course.

Water Hazard
A “water hazard’’ is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature.

All ground or water within the margin of a water hazard is part of the water hazard. The margin of a water hazard extends vertically upwards and downwards. Stakes and lines defining the margins of water hazards are in the hazards. Such stakes are obstructions. A ball is in a water hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the water hazard.

Note 1: Water hazards (other than lateral water hazards) should be defined by yellow stakes or lines.

Note 2: The Committee may make a Local Rule prohibiting play from an environmentally-sensitive area which has been defined as a water hazard.

Wrong Ball
A “wrong ball’’ is any ball other than the player’s:
a) Ball in play,
b) Provisional ball, or
c) Second ball played under Rule 3-3 or Rule 20-7b in stroke play.
Note: Ball in play includes a ball substituted for the ball in play whether or not such substitution is permitted.

Wrong Putting Green
A “wrong putting green” is any putting green other than that of the hole being played. Unless otherwise prescribed by the Committee, this term includes a practice putting green or pitching green on the course.

Obstructions
An “obstruction’’ is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except:

a) Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings;
b) Any part of an immovable artificial object which is out of bounds; and
c) Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.

An obstruction is a movable obstruction if it may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. Otherwise it is an immovable obstruction.

Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule declaring a movable obstruction to be an immovable obstruction.

Out of Bounds
“Out of bounds’’ is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee.

When out of bounds is defined by reference to stakes or a fence or as being beyond stakes or a fence, the out of bounds line is determined by the nearest inside points of the stakes or fence posts at ground level excluding angled supports.

Objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed.

When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is out of bounds.

The out of bounds line extends vertically upwards and downwards.

A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.
A player may stand out of bounds to play a ball lying within bounds.

Outside Agency
An “outside agency’’ is any agency not part of the match or, in stroke play, not part of the competitor’s side, and includes a referee, a marker, an observer and a forecaddie. Neither wind nor water is an outside agency.

Partner
A “partner’’ is a player associated with another player on the same side.
In a threesome, foursome, best-ball or four-ball match, where the context so admits, the word “player’’ includes his partner or partners.

Penalty Stroke
A “penalty stroke’’ is one added to the score of a player or side under certain Rules. In a threesome or foursome, penalty strokes do not affect the order of play.

Provisional Ball
A “provisional ball’’ is a ball played under Rule 27-2 for a ball which may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds.

Putting Green
The “putting green’’ is all ground of the hole being played which is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee. A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the putting green.

Referee
A “referee’’ is one who is appointed by the Committee to accompany players to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules. He shall act on any breach of a Rule which he observes or is reported to him.

A referee should not attend the flagstick, stand at or mark the position of the hole, or lift the ball or mark its position.

Rub of the Green
A “rub of the green’’ occurs when a ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency (see Rule 19-1).

Rule
The term “Rules’’ include:
The Rules of Golf;
Any Local Rules made by the Committee under Rule 33-8a and Appendix I; and
The specifications on clubs and the ball in Appendices

Hole
The “hole’’ shall be 4¼ inches (108mm) in diameter and at least 4 inches (100mm) deep. If a lining is used, it shall be sunk at least 1 inch (25mm) below the putting green surface unless the nature of the soil makes it impracticable to do so; its outer diameter shall not exceed 4¼ inches (108mm).

Holed
A ball is “holed’’ when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole.

Honor
The player who is to play first from the teeing ground is said to have the “honor.’’

Lateral Water Hazard
A “lateral water hazard’’ is a water hazard or that part of a water hazard so situated that it is not possible or is deemed by the Committee to be impracticable to drop a ball behind the water hazard in accordance with That part of a water hazard to be played as a lateral water hazard should be distinctively marked. A ball is in a lateral water hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the lateral water hazard.

Note 1: Lateral water hazards should be defined by red stakes or lines.
Note 2: The Committee may make a Local Rule prohibiting play from an environmentally-sensitive area which has been defined as a lateral water hazard.

Line of Play
The “line of play’’ is the direction which the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke, plus a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction. The line of play extends vertically upwards from the ground, but does not extend beyond the hole.

Line of Putt
The “line of putt’’ is the line which the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke on the putting green. Except with respect to Rule 16-1e, the line of putt includes a reasonable distance on either side of the intended line. The line of putt does not extend beyond the hole.

Loose Impediments
“Loose impediments’’ are natural objects such as stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like, dung, worms and insects and casts or heaps made by them, provided they are not fixed or growing, are not solidly embedded and do not adhere to the ball.

Sand and loose soil is loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere.
Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not loose impediments.

Lost Ball
A ball is “lost’’ if:
it is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player’s side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or
the player has put another ball into play under the Rules, even though he may not have searched for the original ball; or

The player has played any stroke with a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, whereupon the provisional ball becomes the ball in play.
Time spent in playing a wrong ball is not counted in the five-minute period allowed for search.
Marker
A “marker’’ is one who is appointed by the Committee to record a competitor’s score in stroke play. He may be a fellow-competitor. He is not a referee.

Matchplay
In “matchplay” the game is played by holes. A hole is won by the side which holes its balls in the fewer strokes. The reckoning of the holes is kept by the terms: so many “holes up” or “all square”, and so many “to play”. A match is won by the side which is leading by a number of holes greater than the number of holes remaining to be played.

Move or Moved
A ball is deemed to have “moved’’ if it leaves its position and comes to rest in any other place.

A player has “addressed the ball’’ when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.

Advice

“Advice’’ is any counsel or suggestion which could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke.

Information on the Rules or on matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, is not advice.

Ball in Play

A ball is “in play’’ as soon as the player has made a stroke on the teeing ground. It remains in play until holed out, except when it is lost, out of bounds or lifted, or another ball has been substituted whether or not such substitution is permitted; a ball so substituted becomes the ball in play.

Bunker

A “bunker’’ is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like. Grass-covered ground bordering or within a bunker is not part of the bunker. The margin of a bunker extends vertically downwards, but not upwards. A ball is in a bunker when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker.

Caddie

A “caddie’’ is one who carries or handles a player’s clubs during play and otherwise assists him in accordance with the Rules.

When one caddie is employed by more than one player, he is always deemed to be the caddie of the player whose ball is involved, and equipment carried by him is deemed to be that player’s equipment, except when the caddie acts upon specific directions of another player, in which case he is considered to be that other player’s caddie.

Casual Water

“Casual water’’ is any temporary accumulation of water on the course which is visible before or after the player takes his stance and is not in a water hazard. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not casual water. A ball is in casual water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water.

Committee

The “Committee’’ is the committee in charge of the competition or, if the matter does not arise in a competition, the committee in charge of the course.

Competitor

A “competitor’’ is a player in a stroke competition. A “fellow-competitor’’ is any person with whom the competitor plays. Neither is partner of the other.

In stroke play foursome and four-ball competitions, where the context so admits, the word “competitor’’ or “fellow-competitor’’ includes his partner.

Course

The “course’’ is the whole area within which play is permitted

Equipment

“Equipment’’ is anything used, worn or carried by or for the player except any ball he has played at the hole being played and any small object, such as a coin or a tee, when used to mark the position of a ball or the extent of an area in which a ball is to be dropped. Equipment includes a golf cart, whether or not motorized. If such a cart is shared by two or more players, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be the equipment of the player whose ball is involved except that, when the cart is being moved by one of the players sharing it, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be that player’s equipment.

Note: A ball played at the hole being played is equipment when it has been lifted and not put back into play.

Flagstick

The “flagstick’’ is a movable straight indicator, with or without bunting or other material attached, centered in the hole to show its position. It shall be circular in cross-section.

Ground Under Repair

“Ground under repair’’ is any part of the course so marked by order of the Committee or so declared by its authorized representative. It includes material piled for removal and a hole made by a greenskeeper, even if not so marked.

All ground and any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing within the ground under repair is part of the ground under repair. The margin of ground under repair extends vertically downwards, but not upwards. Stakes and lines defining ground under repair are in such ground such stakes are obstructions. A ball is in ground under repair when it lies in or any part of it touches the ground under repair.

Note 1: Grass cuttings and other material left on the course which have been abandoned and are not intended to be removed are not ground under repair unless so marked.

Note 2: The Committee may make a Local Rule prohibiting play from ground under repair or an environmentally-sensitive area which has been defined as ground under repair.

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