Club length – to measure a club length, the longest club in the bag must be used. Except
the putter.
Dropping – dropped from knee height and must stay in relief area.
Search time – only 3 minutes to look for a ball.
Ball moved during search – no penalty for ball accidently moved during search.
Identifying the ball – fellow players no longer have to be informed if you are marking ball for
identification.
Embedded ball – free drop in the entire general area not just the closely mown area.
Animal holes – entitled to relief from virtually all animal holes.
Wrong Green – now you are also allowed to take a free drop if the ball is close to the wrong green. i.e. you would have to stand on it to hit shot.
Ball hits player or equipment – No penalty if you hit yourself or your equipment. However, you are not permitted to position anything to act as a ball stopper.
Double hit – no penalty for accidental double hit.
Touching sand in bunker – can’t ground club behind the ball but no penalty if sand accidently
touched.
Loose impediments – Leaves, Branches, stones twigs etc may be removed in a bunker and penalty areas. But ball must not move. Replace and 1 shot penalty if moves.
Penalty areas – water hazards are now called penalty areas.
Unplayable ball in the bunker – now 4th option of dropping outside the bunker, 2 shot penalty.
Dropping options within penalty area – Can no longer drop on the opposite side of red penalty area.
Touching ground and water in penalty areas – now you can ground the club.
Provisional ball – can now be played after you have already looked for the ball for a while.
Ball moves on the green after being marked and replaced – if ball moves by itself or due to wind, it now has to be put back.
Ball on green moved accidentally by player – no penalty in all cases, put ball back.
Repairing damage on the green – any damage may be repaired.
Hitting flag stick – no penalty for putting with flag in the hole.
Ball wedged on the flagstick – in the case the ball is classed as holed.
Ball hits opponent – Match play, Ball must be played as it lies.