I wanted to play at least one round with the new rules prior to our next tournament, which is next weekend. The 18-hole course at Balboa was flooded, so I played the 9-hole course.
Other than putting with the flagstick in out of laziness, none of the new rules came into play. I thought I was going to have to drop out of casual water in a bunker at one point, but I found the only dry bunker on the course.
This is the best summary of the new rules I have seen:
The 20 Most Important Changes to the Rules of Golf 2019
1. Search Time – Reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes
2. Ball moved during search – Replace no penalty
3. Embedded ball – Free relief anywhere through the course
4. Measuring a drop – Use longest club (except putter)
5. Dropping – Drop from knee height rather than shoulder
6. Taking stance on wrong green is not permitted
7. Ball unintentionally hits player or equipment – no penalty
8. Double hit – no penalty, now only counts as the 1 stroke
9. Touching sand in bunker incidentally is permitted
10. Loose impediments can be removed anywhere including hazards
11. Dropping a ball out of bunker – 2 penalty strokes
12. Water hazards – now called “Penalty Areas:
13. Touching ground in penalty area –no penalty
14. Ball moves on green after being marked – replace without penalty
15. Ball accidentally moved on putting green –replace without penalty
16. All damage to green can now be repaired
17. Positioning a club for alignment is not permitted
18. Caddie assisting with alignment is now not permitted
19. Putting with flag stick in hole is now permitted
20. Ball wedged against flag stick and side of hole is deemed as holed
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