Glen and Savannah are back with more simple explanations of the New Golf Rules for 2019.
This time they’re on the putting greens, taking you through the major changes now in force.
There have been many changes by the R&A and the USGA, specifically related to putting on the greens. Most of the rules have been relaxed, so there is less chance of incurring an unnecessary penalty stroke by something you or your caddy have done inadvertantly.
You can tap down spike marks, shoe scrapes, marks made with the flagstick or greenkeeping equipment. Basically, you can now repair any damage, except for natural undulations, different grasses, burnt off areas, etc.
The major change, which most golfers will be aware of, is that we can now putt with the flag in the hole. It used to be a 2-stroke penalty for striking the flagstick with your ball, when putting on the greens. You may still have the flag out or attended, if that is your preference. However, if you decide to leave the flag in, you may not ‘lean’ the flagstick over to assist your ball.
This clever new rule, should save time on the golf course, as you don’t need to worry about removing the flag for those long distance putts!
You or your caddy can now touch the line of the putt, for example, when indicating the break of a putt.
All in all, a much more relaxed attitude to the rules on the greens, by the R&A and USGA.
