There is no longer a penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits a flagstick left in the hole. Players are not required to putt with the flagstick in the hole; rather, they continue to have ...

The USGA is reinforcing its commitment to broadening golf’s reach with a new round of IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) grants awarded to 26 First Tee chapters across the United ...

Below are common questions related to the reinstatement of a golfer’s amateur status. The Rules in their entirety, including Guidance Notes, can be found at www ...

Explore the history and contributions of past USGA Presidents who have shaped the United States Golf Association.

Accidental movement of your golf ball during a round is one of many areas in the Rules that underwent a lot of player-friendly change in the new 2019 Rules. Still, some golfers may be confused about ...

This document provides key policies and procedures that should be followed when submitting models of golf clubs and other equipment to the USGA for conformance evaluation. A model of club is defined ...

Your Course Handicap is the number of strokes you’ll receive (or give) on a specific golf course. For an 18-hole round, it's calculated as follows: Course Handicap = Handicap Index X (Slope Rating / ...

“It’s not enough to simply love this game and celebrate its current growth. We’ve got to respect the game enough to truly care about how we leave it for the generations that will follow us. We all ...

If a playoff is not feasible or desired, the Terms of the competition may specify that any ties will be decided by matching scorecards. Even when the winner of a competition is to be decided by a ...

A score from an incomplete round or when one or more holes have not been played may only be used for handicap purposes if, among other things: The round has been played over at least the minimum ...

Come join us this summer at our Open Championships! Whether you work in on-site activation, operations or with our volunteers, you will gain valuable experience and see firsthand how an exemplary golf ...

Under the Rules of Handicapping, if a score produces a Score Differential™ that is 7.0 strokes or better than the player's Handicap Index® at the time the round was played, it is considered ...