20 Most Important Changes to Rules of Golf - Effective January 1, 2019

This is an expanded list of the 20 most important changes to the rules of golf that you need to know.  For more information about these rule changes, please go to www.usga.org.     

1. Search time - reduced from 5 to 3 minutes
2. Ball moving during search - replace (no penalty) 
3. Embedded ball - free relief from anywhere
4. Measuring a drop - use longest club (except a putter)
5. Dropping - knee height rather than shoulder
6. Taking stance on wrong green not permitted
7. Ball hits player or equipment - no penalty
8. Double hit - counts as one stroke
9. Touching sand in bunker incidentally is permitted
10. Loose impediments can be removed anywhere
11. Drop a ball out of a bunker - 2 penalty strokes
12. Water hazards now penalty areas
13. Touching ground in water / penalty areas acceptable
14. Ball moves on green after being marked - put back without penalty
15. Ball accidentally moved on putting green - replace (no penalty)
16. Can repair all damage on green
17. Positioning a club for alignment not permitted
18. Caddie assisting with alignment not permitted
19. Ball hitting a flagstick on putting green allowed
20. Ball wedged against side of hole and flagstick deemed as holed