10 Golf Rules That Have Been Scrapped Now

The game of golf is a very ancient and traditional game with a lot of rules and regulations. However, over time, these rules have constantly been altered. Since 1744, when Edinburgh’s elite Company of Gentlemen Golfers drafted the first set consisting of 13 rules, it has been modified significantly.

A lot of countries and people of different ideologies played golf establishing several golf rules. But as time passed, the game started to unify different aspects and people under one umbrella. Systematic governing bodies such as R&A and USGA were founded leading to merging these sets of rules into one which is now applicable all across the globe. Currently, there are 25 rules in the game which certainly cover almost all the aspects of golf.

The last update to the rules and regulations of golf was made in 2023. Let’s take a closer look at the top ten golf rules that no longer exist:

1) No Golf Club Replacement

Before the 2023 update, players were not allowed to opt for a golf club replacement during normal play. Even if the club got damaged due to natural circumstances, the authorities did not allow a change. However, as per the new modified rule, if the club is damaged during gameplay, except for intended damage, the player can replace it.

2) Golf Ball Has To Sink Below Surface

Before the 2019 golf rule update, if a ball does not rest below the surface of the putting green, the stroke will not be counted as ‘holed’. But after the modification, rule 13.2c stated that the ball would be counted as ‘holed’ even if it hung over the surface with the help of a flagstick.

3) Penalty On Hitting Your Own Body

There are very rare instances when a golfer hits back to his body. These things certainly happen at the bunkers, near trees, or slopes. Earlier, if a golfer hit the ball accidentally onto his body, he would receive a two-stroke penalty. However, after the 2019 rule modification, this stroke penalty rule was scrapped and golfers now receives a “general penalty”.

4) Penalty on Double Hitting

In 2019, the golf authorities scrapped the rule of penalty for double hitting the ball from a club. A double-hit shot was counted as two. But after the rule changed, the 10.1a stated that golfers would not be handed a penalty for accidentally hitting the ball more than once.

5) Five-Minute Lost Ball Search

Back in 1783, a golf rule limited the golfer a five minute search time if his his golf ball was lost. However, in the 2019 golf rule update, the time was reduced to three minutes. It is still one of the most debated golf rule changes.

6) Drop Over The Shoulder

In 1984, the golf’s governing bodies made a phenomenal change to one of the most comical golf rules of all time. This was dropping the ball from behind a golfer over the shoulder. However, it changed slightly to stand erect and drop the ball in the allowed area. Later in 2019, the rule changed to drop the ball from knee height.

7) Tee Shot Next To The Hole

The original 13 rules had this rule to tee up near the hole within a club distance. This rule was eventually modified to have two club lengths. But as time passed, the rule changed to having a designated tee shot area of two clubs length deep which is quite far from the playing hole.

8) Seeded Divot Rule

Before the 2010 golf rules revisions, committees and clubs had leverage to draft a local rule for their tournaments. It was said that even if the golfer landed his ball on a divot, he would have to play the shot from there.

9) Stymie

Before the USGA and R&A revised the golf rules in 1954, the game had a very typical rule of not marking the balls. If a player shot the ball disturbing another player’s ball on the putting green, no marking was done out of the six-inch area. However, the rule has been changed and players now have got markers.

10) Small Ball Size

Back in 1974, the R&A banned the usage of small-sized balls at the Open Championship. The reason was quite simple until 1990, there was no specified size for golf balls. The USGA used a 1.68-inch diameter ball, while the R&A had the size set at 1.62 inches. But at present, the diameter of the ball is standardized at 1.68 inches.

It is not surprising that some of the golf rules were comical in their own sense. It was imminent, for the growth of the sport, to modify and scrap some rules as it would have adversely affected the prestigious game of golf.

About the author

Kunal Singh

Kunal is a golf journalist for The SportsRush. He is an avid golf fan with a huge inclination towards Rory McIlroy's drive and Phil Mickelson's short game. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and is currently pursuing a MBA in Media Management. Before joining The SportsRush, he has already penned over 1300 articles. If not covering stories on golf, you can find him brainstorming various fiction stories, composing music, and playing snooker.

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