The Most Common Broken Rules in Competition Golf (That You Might Not Be Aware Of)

Even good golfers break the rules more often than they realise. Not because they’re trying to cheat, but because golf’s rule book is full of small, precise details that are easy to overlook when you’re focused on playing well, keeping pace, and dealing with nerves.

In social golf, these mistakes usually slide. But in competition golf, the rules matter. A simple oversight can cost you strokes, and in the worst cases, it can even lead to disqualification.

This guide breaks down the rules players most commonly break, often without even knowing it. If you understand these, you’ll protect your score, play with confidence, and avoid unnecessary penalties.

1. Incorrect Ball Marking on the Green

Marking your ball seems like the simplest task in golf, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

Common mistake:
Players often mark the ball in front of it, or to the side, instead of directly behind. Or they move their marker to get out of someone’s line and forget to move it back.

Correct rule:

• Your marker must be placed directly behind the ball before lifting it.
• If you move the marker to clear someone’s line, you must replace it in the exact original spot.
  

Why it matters:
Marking incorrectly or replacing improperly is considered playing from the wrong place, a two-stroke penalty in stroke play.

2. Not Knowing When a Ball is Lost or Out of Bounds

Golfers often break this one without even realising it.

The rule:

• You have three minutes to search for your ball.
• If not found, the ball is lost.
• White stakes or lines = out of bounds.
   

The standard relief is stroke and distance,  go back to where you last played.

Common mistake:
Players find a ball in roughly the same area and assume it’s theirs without checking the markings. If it’s not your ball, you’ve now played a wrong ball, another common broken rule.

Penalty:
Stroke-and-distance for lost/OOB, plus two strokes if you play a wrong ball.

3. Playing a Provisional Ball Incorrectly

This happens more often than anything else on this list.

Common mistakes:

• Forgetting to say the word “provisional.”
• Playing the provisional when the original was actually found in play.
  Not understanding when the provisional must be abandoned.
  

Correct rule:
You must clearly declare the ball as provisional before playing it. If you hit a second ball without saying “provisional,” that second ball becomes the ball in play under penalty.

Penalty for getting it wrong:
Two strokes for playing the wrong ball, or stroke-and-distance confusion that compounds errors.

4. Taking Relief Incorrectly (Wrong Drop Area)

This is one of the biggest rule breaks in competition golf. Even experienced golfers drop in the wrong place.

Common mistakes:

• Dropping on the wrong side of a penalty area.
• Dropping closer to the hole.
• Using “two club-lengths” incorrectly.
• Taking relief from an obstruction when the ball is actually in a penalty area.
  

Correct relief requires:

• Identifying your nearest point of complete relief.
• Making sure the ball is not dropped closer to the hole.
• Using the correct reference point for every drop.

Penalty:
Two strokes for playing from the wrong place.

5. Touching Sand in the Bunker Before the Shot

This rule has relaxed over the years, but it still surprises players.

What you CAN do:

• Touch the sand lightly while walking in.
• Lean on a club outside the bunker.
• Move loose impediments.
  

What you CAN’T do:

• Touch the sand with your club directly in front of or behind the ball before the stroke.
• Take practice swings that contact the sand.
• Deliberately test the surface.

Penalty:
Two strokes.

6. Smoothing the Line of a Putt

You’re allowed to repair pitch marks and old hole plugs, but not everything.

Common mistake:
Golfers smooth bumps, rub their line, or fix imperfections in the putting surface that nature caused, footprints, grass grain, or general surface irregularities.

Correct rule:
You may repair damage, not natural imperfections.

Penalty:
Two strokes.

7. Playing Out of Turn in Match Play

This one catches golfers who play friendly match play often.

Common mistake:
Playing “ready golf” in match play when it gives you an advantage is NOT allowed.

Correct rule:

• The player furthest from the hole plays first.
• If you play out of turn, your opponent can make you replay the shot.

In stroke play:

“Ready golf” is encouraged.

8. Moving Loose Impediments in a Penalty Area

This rule changed in 2019, and many golfers still misunderstand it.

You can move loose impediments (sticks, leaves, stones) in a penalty area. But you cannot do anything that improves your lie, stance, or swing.

Common mistake:
Players move “loose impediments” but end up shifting sand, vegetation, or grounding the club in a way that improves conditions.

Penalty:
Two strokes.

9. Accidentally Hitting a Ball That’s Still Moving

Most golfers don’t know this rule still exists.

If your ball is moving and you hit it on purpose, it’s a penalty. If it moves by accident (like in wind), and you hit it while it’s still rolling? Also a penalty.

Penalty:
Two strokes in stroke play.

10. Signing an Incorrect Scorecard

This is the most severe and the easiest mistake to avoid.

Common mistake:
Signing for a lower score than you made on a hole. You’re responsible for the scores on each hole, not the total.

Correct rule:

• Check each hole with your marker.
• Correct mistakes before signing.
• Once signed, the card is final.

Penalty:
Disqualification.

Why These Mistakes Happen

Most golfers break these rules because of:

• Lack of clarity: The rules are detailed and complicated
• Habit: People play casual golf differently
• Pressure: In competition, your mind goes elsewhere
• Assumptions: Players think they “know enough”

Competition golf is less forgiving. Small details matter.

How to Avoid Penalties in Your Next Competition

Here’s how to stay on the right side of the rule book:

• Mark your ball clearly before every round
• Ask playing partners before taking relief
• Announce your provisional ball every time
• Read the competition’s local rules sheet
• When unsure, play two balls and ask after the round

These tiny habits save strokes.

Final Thoughts: Playing by the Rules Makes You a Better Competitor

Knowing the rules isn’t about being a “rules expert” or trying to catch people out. It’s about protecting your score and upholding the integrity of the game. The players who understand the rules often make smarter decisions, avoid penalties, and play with much more confidence. You can also use the rules to your advantage in some situations.

Golf doesn’t reward the longest hitter or even the best ball-striker, it rewards the golfer who makes the fewest mistakes.

And understanding the rules might be the easiest mistake-reducer in the entire game.