Common Rules
USGA Rules: https://www.usga.org/rules-hub.html
COMMON RULES OF PLAY
Breakfast Balls
Breakfast balls are allowed on the first tee only.
Players must use their breakfast ball, even if it is no better than the original tee shot.
Lost Balls and Out of Bounds
If your ball is out of bounds, marked by white stakes, it cannot be played. The ball is out of bounds if it is touching the line between the two nearest stakes or touching a painted line.
If your ball cannot be found in 3 minutes it is lost.
In both of these cases you have two options (unless you already hit a provisional ball):
Stroke and Distance penalty - re-hit from the prior spot for a two stroke penalty. If this is from the tee, you are hitting 3 off the tee, if this is your second shot, you are hitting 4, and so on.
Local Rules penalty - to keep up the pace of play, drop your ball in a large area between the point where the ball is estimated to have been lost/gone out of bounds and the edge of the fairway, at a spot no closer to the hole. This is a two stroke penalty. See diagram at the bottom of this page for more information.
Provisional Balls
If you are uncertain you will find your shot, you may choose to hit a provisional ball. This must be declared before hitting the ball
If you hit a provisional shot and find your first ball in bounds (even if it is in a penalty area), you must play your first ball. You cannot choose to play the better ball.
If the original ball and provisional ball cannot be located, follow the Lost Ball Local Rule for the provisional ball.
Hazards / Penalty Areas
Penalty areas are marked by yellow and red stakes and lines. The ball is in a penalty area if it is touching the line between the two nearest stakes or touching a painted line. In both cases, you can play the ball if possible, with no penalty. You may ground your club and take practice swings. If you cannot or choose not to play the ball in the penalty area, your options are based on the color of the stakes.
Yellow:
You may take relief by dropping into a relief area using (1) the spot at which your last stroke was made under stroke and distance (see Rule 17.1d(1)) or (2) the back-on-the-line relief from where the ball crossed the boundary of the penalty area, as far back as you wish to go on the line created by the flag and that point.
Red:
You have the two options above for a yellow penalty area, plus an additional option to take lateral relief. Lateral relief allows you to drop a ball into a relief area measured from where your ball last crossed the edge of red penalty area. From that reference point, you are allowed to drop outside the penalty area and anywhere within two club-lengths of that spot, no nearer to the hole.
Temporary Immovable Objects (such as greens fans)
Players are granted relief if the temporary immovable object interferes with a players stand, swing, or line of play. Relief may not place your ball closer to the hole.
BCC Gardens
If a player hits into a BCC garden (such as behind hole 9 on the west), they are granted relief but the ball can be no closer to the hole. In some cases there may be designated drop circles.
