I'm always getting questions regarding the rules, and I answer them as best l can however, as we all know -- our rules can be somewhat complicated and catching out even the world's best players. Therefore, it's interesting to see how simple & refreshingly uncomplicated they were back in the day.
The first known written set of rules for golf consisted of just 13 rules. First drafted in 1744 by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, later known as The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. The Gentlemen Golfers of Leith established the following rules, known as the Thirteen Articles, for the first Challenge for the Silver Club tournament played at Leith Links in Edinburgh, Scotland.
1. "You must Tee your Ball, within a Club's length of the Hole."
2. "Your Tee must be upon the Ground."
3. "You are not to change the Ball which you Strike off the Tee."
4. "You are not to remove, Stones, Bones or any Break Club for the sake of playing your Ball, Except upon the fair Green and that only within a Club's length of your Ball."
5. "If your Ball comes among Watter, or any Wattery Filth, you are at liberty to take out your Ball & bringing it behind the hazard and Teeing it, you may play it with any club and allow your Adversary a Stroke for so getting out your Ball."
6. "If your Balls be found anywhere touching one another, You are to lift the first Ball, till you play the last."
7. "At Holling, you are to play your Ball honestly for the Hole, and, not to play upon your Adversary's Ball, not lying in your way to the Hole."
8. "If you should lose your Ball, by its being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the Spot, where you struck last & drop another Ball, and allow your Adversary a Stroke for the misfortune."
9. "No man at Holling his Ball, is to be allowed, to mark his way to the Hole with his Club or, anything else."
10. "If a Ball be stopp'd by any person, Horse, Dog, or any thing else, The Ball so stop'd must be played where it lyes."
11. "If you draw your Club, in order to Strike & proceed so far in the Stroke, as to be bringing down your Club; if then, your Club shall break, in, any way, it is to be Accounted a Stroke."
12. "He, whose Ball lyes farthest from the Hole is obliged to play first."
13. "Neither Trench, Ditch, or Dyke, made for the preservation of the Links, nor the Scholar's Holes or the Soldier's Lines, Shall be accounted a Hazard; But the Ball is to be taken out/Teed/ and play'd with any Iron Club."
The first known written set of rules for golf consisted of just 13 rules. First drafted in 1744 by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, later known as The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. The Gentlemen Golfers of Leith established the following rules, known as the Thirteen Articles, for the first Challenge for the Silver Club tournament played at Leith Links in Edinburgh, Scotland.
1. "You must Tee your Ball, within a Club's length of the Hole."
2. "Your Tee must be upon the Ground."
3. "You are not to change the Ball which you Strike off the Tee."
4. "You are not to remove, Stones, Bones or any Break Club for the sake of playing your Ball, Except upon the fair Green and that only within a Club's length of your Ball."
5. "If your Ball comes among Watter, or any Wattery Filth, you are at liberty to take out your Ball & bringing it behind the hazard and Teeing it, you may play it with any club and allow your Adversary a Stroke for so getting out your Ball."
6. "If your Balls be found anywhere touching one another, You are to lift the first Ball, till you play the last."
7. "At Holling, you are to play your Ball honestly for the Hole, and, not to play upon your Adversary's Ball, not lying in your way to the Hole."
8. "If you should lose your Ball, by its being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the Spot, where you struck last & drop another Ball, and allow your Adversary a Stroke for the misfortune."
9. "No man at Holling his Ball, is to be allowed, to mark his way to the Hole with his Club or, anything else."
10. "If a Ball be stopp'd by any person, Horse, Dog, or any thing else, The Ball so stop'd must be played where it lyes."
11. "If you draw your Club, in order to Strike & proceed so far in the Stroke, as to be bringing down your Club; if then, your Club shall break, in, any way, it is to be Accounted a Stroke."
12. "He, whose Ball lyes farthest from the Hole is obliged to play first."
13. "Neither Trench, Ditch, or Dyke, made for the preservation of the Links, nor the Scholar's Holes or the Soldier's Lines, Shall be accounted a Hazard; But the Ball is to be taken out/Teed/ and play'd with any Iron Club."
