Xmas books: Golf Rules updated

  Following the two-year review cycle with the USGA, the R&A reveals 30 new Decisions, 49 revised and one withdrawn Decision for its 2010-2011 edition of Decisions on the Rules of Golf. The changes take effect from January 2010 and will make an excellent gift for any avid golfer.  

“Decisions on the Rules of Golf illustrates the breadth and scope of possible Rules situations that must be addressed,” says The R&A’s Director of Rules and Equipment Standards, David Rickman. “We regularly re-visit and amend the Decisions book to ensure that it remains current and relevant to the modern game.  

“The new book contains over 1,200 cases, posed in a question-and-answer format, which will clarify any ambiguity that may arise after consultation of the Rule book.”

To my mind it makes essential bedtime reading and is highly recommended.

After hitting a drive near a bunker, he was forced to take a stance in the bunker to hit the shot, which landed in a greenside bunker. After he'd hit his first shot, his caddie raked the bunker but because it was similar to the first bunker, Cink was deemed to have violated the Rule against testing the conditions of the sand.  He was disqualified after signing his scorecard but the new Decision reflects the position that the USGA/R&A took almost immediately after the tournament that such an action should not in future be considered a violation of the Rules.

Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2010 is available from www.randa.org priced at £15.99.

FOOTNOTE: Golf Rules Illustrated 2010 (£14.99), from the same website, also makes a great gift with quick guides to golf rules, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and new incidents, images and artwork in a clearly understood form.