Traditionally, the Rules of Golf have been updated every four years. The revision years used to be easy to remember as they coincided with United States Presidential election years. However, this pattern was broken when a major Rules revision came out in 2019. After continuing the four-year pattern with an update in 2023, the USGA and R&A are now resuming the historical cadence by issuing the next full Rules of Golf version in 2028.
Although the Rules themselves haven’t changed for 2026, the USGA has issued some new Model Local Rules that you may want to use at your events. Below is a summary of some of these new local rules and guidance on their application.
If your golf course has internal out of bounds, new Model Local Rule A-4.2 provides an option for the out of bounds boundary to be present only for strokes made from the teeing area of a particular hole. This can be an effective solution for courses and Committees seeking to address safety, pace and/or routing concerns.
You may also get asked questions about Model Local Rule F-2 – Limited or Extended Relief for Embedded Ball. By Rule, embedded ball relief is only available for a ball that comes to rest in the pitch mark made by the player’s previous stroke. Most professional tours, however, have begun using Model Local Rule F-2.3, which provides a player embedded ball relief for a ball that comes to rest in any unrepaired pitch mark in an area cut to fairway height or less. This Model Local Rule is recommended only for use in competitions where there is live television coverage, where a ruling made in real time may later be scrutinized based on video evidence when the player’s stroke is shown on the broadcast.
Accordingly, this Model Local Rule is not recommended for non-televised competitions or competitions where a Rules official is not available to confirm the status of the non-repaired pitch mark. While you may see this ruling happening on TV, it is not intended for use at the club level. This is a case where the Rules official’s determination is important to ensure consistent application of what should be an uncommon occurrence.
Two additional Model Local Rules that do merit consideration for local or club tournaments are Model Local Rules L-1 and E-13. Model Local Rule L-1 modifies the penalty from disqualification to two penalty strokes if a player returns a scorecard that has not been certified by the player, the marker or both.
Model Local Rule E-13, meanwhile, allows a player to remove an animal, other than those defined as a loose impediment, that is touching or near their ball without penalty and they may do so in any way. If the player’s ball moves while they are removing the animal, there is no penalty, and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (or an estimated spot if the exact location is unknown) in accordance with Rule 14.2.
These last two Model Local Rules are widely used, are in effect at all PGA of America tournaments and may be written into the Rules of Golf when they are next updated in 2028.
You can find all the authorized Model Local Rules in the Committee Procedures section of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf. Implementing appropriate Local Rules can contribute significantly to the effective administration of a well-run golf competition.
Master Professional Mike Raby, PGA, is the Director of Golf for BREC Golf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Vice Chair of the PGA of America Rules Committee.
