Local Rule

A local rule is a rule adopted by the committee in charge of a course or a specific competition. It adjusts or clarifies how the standard Rules of Golf apply to conditions unique to that course or that day's play. Local rules are meant to address situations the standard rules don't fully anticipate: an unusual course feature, temporary maintenance conditions, or environmentally sensitive areas. They are not meant to override the core rules of the game more broadly. Golf's governing bodies publish an approved list of permitted local rule topics that committees can draw from.

One common example is winter rules, also called preferred lies. They allow a ball to be moved a short distance in the fairway during poor course conditions, usually wet or recovering turf. Others are specific relief provisions for environmentally protected areas or building foundations. Committees also define boundaries or penalty areas for features the standard rules don't automatically cover. An example is an out-of-bounds line running along an unusual property boundary. Local rules are usually posted on the scorecard, a printed sheet at the first tee, or a clubhouse notice board. It is the golfer's responsibility to check for them before starting a round, especially at an unfamiliar course.

Local rules can meaningfully change how a specific situation should be played compared to the general rules a golfer might expect. That makes checking them a genuine, practical part of preparing for a round rather than a formality. A golfer unaware of a course's local rule on, say, an environmentally sensitive area might take the wrong relief. Or they might incur an avoidable penalty simply from not knowing the local change existed.