1. The Game of Golf is played by two or more
sides, each playing its own ball.
2. The game consists in each side playing a ball from a tee into
a hole by successive strokes, and the hole
is won by the side holing its ball in the roles.
3. The teeing ground shall be indicated
by two marks placed in a line at right angles to the course, and the player
shall not tee in front of, nor on either side of, these marks, nor more
than two clubs lengths behind them. The hole
shall be 4 ¼ inches in diameter, and at least 4 inches deep.
4. The ball must be fairly struck at, and
not pushed, scraped, or spooned, under penalty of the loss of the hole.
5. The game commences by each side playing a ball
from the first teeing ground.
6. If a player shall play when his partner should have done so, his side
shall lose the hole, except in the case
of the tee shot.
7. The side winning a hole shall lead in starting for the next hole, and
may recall the opponent’s stroke should be play out of order.
8. One round of the Links-generally 18 holes-is a match, unless otherwise
agreed upon.
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.
10. 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
the penalty of one stroke.
11. A ball stuck fast in wit ground or sand
may be taken out and replaced loosely in the hole which it has made.
12. A "hazard" shall be any bunker
of whatever nature:-water, sand, loose earth, mole hills, paths, roads or
railways, whins, bushes, rushes, rabbit scrapes, fences, ditches,.
13. A player or a player’s caddie shall not press down or remove any
irregularities of surface near the ball, except at the
teeing ground, under the penalty of the loss of the
hole.
14. When a ball is completely covered with
fog, bent ,whins, only so much thereof shall be set aside as that the player
shall have a view of his ball before he plays, whether in a line with the
hole or otherwise.
15. When a ball is to be dropped, the player
shall drop it.