Golf has a lot of rules! Case in point, the USGA Rules of Golf official publication comes in at a whopping 240 pages. No need to worry though… unless you are officiating a professional event, you don’t have to memeorize every rule from front to back.

That said, you do want to have the basics down so you don’t look like a complete rookie on the course. We’ve got you covered!

Here are 10 rules beginner golfers get wrong…

Rule #1 – You Can Only Carry 14 Clubs in Your Bag

You are only allowed to carry fourteen clubs in your bag during a competitive round. Choose wisely prior to your round and know that it can cost you penalty strokes for every hole you play with more than fourteen clubs!

Rule #2 – You Can’t Tee It Up Outside the Tee Box

New golfers may feel that you are allowed to place your ball anywhere on the tee box when teeing off, but that is not the case!

Your ball must be between the two markers, but your feet cab be set up outside of the markers. You can tee up the ball up to two club-lengths behind the markers, but you can’t tee up even an inch in front of them. Whether you are playing from the white, black, blue, yellow, or red markers just make sure you are following these rules and you’ll be good to go.

Rule #3 – You Must Play It as It Lies

You must always play your ball as it lies, wherever it comes to rest, unless the rules allow you to do otherwise. Should your ball come to rest in a position that you feel could risk injury, bodily harm or damage to your equipment you may take one of the following three options:

• Hit another ball from the point of your previous shot.
• Drop the ball behind the unplayable lie (keeping the original lie between you and the hole.
• Drop the ball within two club lengths of the lie on either side.

However, you should be aware that all three of these options will incur a one-stroke penalty. You can even take the ball out of a bunker if you are willing to absorb a two-stroke penalty.

Rule #4 – You Must Replay From Your Original Position if You Hit It Out of Bounds

Any time you hit a ball beyond the confines of the course (which on most courses is marked by white stakes) you must re-play your shot from the original position you hit the ball from and add a penalty of one stroke to your score.

If you are not certain right away whether your ball went “Out of Bounds” you may hit a provisional golf shot, so that you don’t have to return to your original location if indeed the first ball was lost.

Rule #5 – Taking Relief From a Water Hazard

Should your ball land in the water you have several relief options, all of which will incur a one-strok penalty:

• You may play a new ball from the original spot from which you hit it into the water.
• You may drop a ball behind the hazard as long as the spot where the ball last crossed the water is between the drop spot and the hole.
• On a lateral water hazard, you may drop within two club lengths of where your last shot crossed the hazard, but not closer to the whole.

Rule #6 – You Get FREE Relief for a Ball on the Cart Path

When your ball lands on the cart path, you are allowed to take FREE relief and move the ball without incurring a one-stroke penalty! However, you must drop the ball within one club length lateral to your original lie (do not drop it closer to the hole) and play the ball from there. If you feel your original lie on the cart path is preferable, you may also hit the ball where it originally lies on the cart path.

Rule #7 – Don’t “Ground Your Club” in a Sand Trap

When your ball lands in a sand trap (whether it be in a fairway bunker or a greenside bunker) you must approach your shot with caution. When warming up, you are not allowed to “ground your club” by touching the sand prior to your actual golf swing.

This prevents players from compacting the sand behind the ball to make impact easier. If your club does happen to touch the sand before you hit your shot, you must take a one-stroke penalty.

Rule #8 – Whiffing a Shot Still Counts as One

Should you take a swing, miss the ball and “whiff” on a shot that you intended to hit, you must take a one-stroke penalty.

There are a couple other related rules worth mentioning here: if your ball falls off the tee on the tee box due to wind or you accidentally hit it during a “practice” swing, no penalty should be taken. Just re-tee the ball and hit it. If you accidently move the ball on a practice put on the green, you can also move it back to the original spot without penalty.

Rule #9 – Know When You Can “Ask for Advice”

As a beginner golfer, there will be times when you may want to ask another player what club they are using or how to hit a specific shot from a certain lie.

If you are playing with your friends in a casual round, feel free to ask away!

However, if you are keeping score towards your handicap or playing competitively, asking for advice is surprisingly counted as a one-stroke penalty. You cannot ask for advice on club selection other than from a partner (during match play) or a caddie!

Rule #10 – You Can Pick Your Ball Up on the Green

Once your golf ball is on the green, make sure to mark your ball directly behind it with a coin or other circular marker. You are then allowed to pick it up, clean it, and use any alignment markings on the ball to set up your putt.

Marking you ball (and picking it up out of the way) also makes it easier for the other golfers in your group to putt without distraction.

If another golfer asks you to move your maker since it lies within their putting path, you are allowed to do so.

Just make sure you replace it to the original spot you marked before you putt out.