Rules of the Match and the Stymie

1) The Game of Golf is played by sides, each playing its own ball. A side consists either of one or of two players. If one player play against another, the match is called ‘a single.’ If two play against two, it is called ‘a foursome.’

2) In a foursome the partners shall strike off alternately from the teeing grounds, and shall strike alternately during the play of the hole.

3) In ‘teeing’ the ball may be placed on the ground, or on sand or other substance in order to raise it off the ground.

4) A ball must be played wherever it lies or the hole be given up, except as otherwise provided for in the Rules.

5) If a ball lie or be lost in water, the player may drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke.

6) When a ball has to be dropped, the player himself shall drop it. He shall face the hole, and shall stand erect behind the spot from which the ball was lifted, or, in the case of water, the spot at which it entered keeping that spot in a line between himself and the hole, and drop the ball behind him from his head, standing as far behind the hazard as he may please.

7) If a ball be lost, except as otherwise provided for in the Rules, the player’s side shall lose the hole; but if both balls be lost, the hole shall be considered halved.

8) If a ball be played out of bounds, a ball shall be dropped at the spot from which the stroke was played, under penalty of loss of the distance. A ball played out of bounds need not be found.

9) When the balls lie within six inches of each other on a putting-green, or within a club length of each other through the green or in a hazard (the distance to be measured from their nearest points), the ball nearer the hole may, at the option of either the player or the opponent, be lifted until the other is played, and shall then be replaced as near as possible to the place where it lay.

10) A stymie is possible only in matches involving one ball per side. On the putting green, if two players’ balls are more than six inches apart, there is no provision for the ball nearer the hole to be lifted. If that ball lay directly in the way to the hole of the ball to be played then the player is ‘stymied.’ He can try to play around or over the interfering ball, and if the nearer ball is struck, no penalty is ensued. However, the opponent has the option of playing the ball as it lay or replacing it. If the nearer ball has been knocked into the hole the opponent is considered to have holed out with his previous stroke.

1) A player may not concede his opponent’s putt. The player that is furthest away is next to play, therefore he must play over or around the ball that may be in his way.

2) There was no rule during the hickory era that allows a ball within 6″ of the cup to be picked up and the opposing ball can even be used as a back stop. There is no penalty for hitting your opponents golf ball in match play.

3) If either ball goes in it counts. But it counts as if going in on the last shot if the opponent’s ball is knocked in.