Here's your Quick Guide to the Top 20 Rules Changes you need to know:
Dropping - you now drop from knee height rather than shoulder.
Search Time - moved from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
Flagstick - putting with the flagstick in the hole is now permitted.
Pace of Play - "Ready golf" is encouraged and players are allowed 40 seconds per shot.
Repairing Greens - all damage can now be repaired.
Measuring a Drop - must use longest club in your bag (except putter).
Ball in motion - if the ball unintentionally hits a player or equipment - no penalty.
Double Hit - no penalty, counts as one shot.
Bunker - touching sand in bunker incidentally is permitted.
Dropping out of a Bunker - 2 penalty strokes.
Loose Impediments - can be removed anywhere including hazards.
Touching Ground - in a penalty area no penalty (water hazards now called penalty area).
Alignment - Positioning a club for alignment is not permitted and also a caddie can no longer align their player.
Ball and Flagstick - a ball wedged against a flagstick and side of the hole is deemed as holed.
For further description on the rule changes - click here to visit USGA
