The new Rules of Golf are here and ready to be used by golfers across the globe!

The R&A and the USGA embarked on the process to modernise the Rules in 2012, which was initiated to ensure that the Rules were easier to understand and apply for all golfers as well as making the game more attractive and accessible for newcomers.

Watch this short video below which summarises the major rule changes for 2019.

The R&A’s Rules jurisdiction extends across the globe, meaning that with the new Rules coming into effect on the stroke of midnight on I January 2019, golfers can be dropping from knee height in Auckland while anther in Raratonga is dropping from shoulder height, with both playing in accordance with the Rules.

New Zealand will be the first major golfing nation to implement the new Rules, a full 12 hours ahead of the home of golf, and The R&A in St Andrews. And it will be another 11 hours after Scotland, and a full 23 hours after New Zealand, when golfers at Raratonga Golf Club in the Cook Islands get to enjoy the 2019 Rules.

As part of The R&A’s goal to ensure that the game of golf is thriving in 50 years from now, we believe you will find the modernised Rules fairer, less complicated, more welcoming, and more aligned with issues facing the game such as improved pace of play and environmental stewardship.

Wherever you are and whenever the new Rules come into effect in your country, The R&A wishes you a Happy New Year, great golfing and we hope you find the 2019 Rules more consistent, simple and fair.

Golfers can now access the official 2019 Rules of Golf here.