Golf·Individual Sports

NCAA

🏛️Official — NCAA

NCAA Golf Rules of the Game· 2025-26 NCAA Golf Rules Book (Rules of Golf base + NCAA team match-play format, fall+spring season, NCAA Championship match play)Open source

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Section 1: Introduction

NCAA Golf is the collegiate variant of golf contested by NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions across both men's and women's brackets, with regular-season tournaments and conference championships culminating in the NCAA Golf Championship in late May. NCAA Golf uses the Rules of Golf (jointly maintained by the USGA and The R&A) as the playing-rule baseline with NCAA-specific modifications around team format, tournament structure, accommodation rules, local rules, scoring, and pace of play. The current edition is the 2025-26 NCAA Golf Rules Book. For underlying playing rules see the sibling R&A Rules of Golf entry; for USGA championship application see USGA Championship Golf; for PGA TOUR see Golf-PGA TOUR; for KPMG Women's PGA see KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

Section 2: Equipment

Conforming clubs (USGA/R&A list)
Conforming golf balls (USGA/R&A list)
14-club limit per stipulated round (Rule 4.1b)
Distance-only DMD permitted; slope/wind/elevation NOT permitted at NCAA championship (per typical NCAA Notice to Players)
One-Ball Rule applies at NCAA championship

Section 3: Playing Area

Tournament course set up by NCAA Championship Committee with the host club
Daily hole locations published before each round
OB by white stakes/lines; penalty areas yellow/red; GUR white lines
Course ratings + slope determine handicap-adjusted scoring
NCAA team format requires 4-5 players per team scoring per round

Section 4: Players & Officials

NCAA team: 5 players per team in stroke play; lowest 4 scores count per round
NCAA Championship match play: 5-player team; 5 individual matches per dual contest
Caddies: NCAA-specific accommodation rules (some venues / divisions allow caddies; others do not)
Officials: NCAA Tournament Director, rules officials on each hole, video review at championship-level

Section 5: Rules of Play

Format

Regular-season tournaments: typically 54-72 hole stroke play; team scoring
Conference championship: same stroke-play format, with conference-defined scoring
NCAA Championship: 4-day stroke play (72 holes) reduces to top 8 teams + top individuals; the top 8 teams advance to match play bracket

Pace of Play

NCAA pace-of-play policy similar to USGA: each group has a timing par; bad-time accumulation triggers stroke penalties

Suspension of Play

1-tone air horn: normal suspension; 3-tone: immediate suspension (lightning); short+steady: resumption

Section 6: Scoring

Stroke play: lowest cumulative score wins individual; team score = sum of best 4 of 5 individual scores per round
Match play: holes won determines match outcome; team match = best of 5 individual matches
Tiebreakers: aggregate strokes; sudden-death playoff at championship

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Standard Rules of Golf penalties (1 stroke, 2 strokes, loss of hole, DQ)
One-Ball Rule breach: 2 strokes per hole, max 4 strokes/round
14-club limit breach: 2 strokes per hole, max 4 strokes/round
Equipment standards breach (non-conforming): DQ
Pace-of-play: warning → 1 stroke → 2 strokes → DQ
NCAA Sportsmanship Code violations: ejection + disciplinary review

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Lightning detection halts outdoor play; 30-30 rule supplemented by professional detection. WBGT-based heat thresholds; mandatory water/cooling stations on course. Course safety: spectator management, sight-line management, "Fore!" warning. Medical: certified athletic trainer + EMT on site at championship-level; AED + emergency action plan at every venue.

NCAA

About

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Full Rulebook(10 sections)

Overview

How to win

The game

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Equipment

Section 3: Playing Area

Section 4: Players & Officials

Section 5: Rules of Play

Format

Pace of Play

Suspension of Play

Section 6: Scoring

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Playing the ball

Fouls & penalties

Equipment

Version History(1)

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