Section 1: Introduction
The USGA Local Rules and Terms of the Competition is the championship-application layer that sits on top of the underlying Rules of Golf jointly maintained by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and The R&A. The Rules of Golf are the universal rulebook for the sport; the USGA Local Rules and Terms specify how those Rules are applied at USGA-conducted championships (the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur, U.S. Junior, and the regional/sectional qualifying rounds that feed into them).
This entry models the championship-application layer. For the underlying playing rules — strokeplay scoring, the order of play, ball-in-motion rules, handicapping, the player's responsibility for the ball, etc. — see the sibling R&A Rules of Golf entry in this directory.
The current edition is the 2026 USGA Local Rules and Terms of the Competition — FINAL. It is in effect at all USGA championships and qualifying rounds in the 2026 season unless and until a championship-specific notice modifies a provision. The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills (June 18-21, 2026) is the highest-profile event the 2026 Local Rules govern.
This entry summarizes the major championship-application mechanics for educational purposes. It does not reproduce rule text and is not a substitute for the canonical Local Rules and Terms of the Competition PDF, which is authoritative in any dispute (see source URL in metadata).
Section 2: Equipment
Conforming Clubs and Balls
All clubs and balls used in USGA championships must conform to the USGA Equipment Standards published by the USGA's Equipment Standards committee. The standards include:
- Conforming Drivers: driver heads must be on the published Conforming Driver Heads list maintained by the USGA
- Conforming Golf Balls: balls must be on the published Conforming Golf Balls list (the list is updated regularly; players are responsible for using a conforming ball model)
- Grooves: club grooves must conform to the post-2010 groove specifications
- Spring effect / MOI / dimension limits: all clubs subject to the published characteristic-time, MOI, club length, head size, and other USGA Equipment Standards limits
One-Ball Rule
USGA championships apply the One-Ball Rule: during a stipulated round, the player must use a ball of the same brand and model. The penalty for breach is, in stroke play, two strokes per hole at which any breach occurred (with a maximum penalty of four strokes per round). The rule is intended to prevent players from changing ball characteristics during a round to suit different conditions.
14-Club Limit
The 14-club limit (Rule 4.1b of the Rules of Golf) applies in full: a player may start a stipulated round with no more than 14 clubs and may not add a club during the round except in narrow exceptions. Breach is a stroke-play penalty of two strokes per hole at which the breach occurred (maximum four strokes per round).
Distance-Measuring Devices and Electronic Devices
Per the 2026 USGA Local Rules:
- Distance-measuring devices that measure distance only are permitted
- Devices that measure or display slope, wind, elevation, or other relevant conditions are NOT permitted during a stipulated round at USGA championships (the standard championship-level prohibition)
- Mobile phones are restricted: text messaging and phone calls are prohibited; specific app usage is permitted only in the narrow scope of distance-only measurement
Section 3: Playing Area
Course Setup
- Each USGA championship is contested on a specific host course (e.g., the 2026 U.S. Open: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, NY)
- The course is set up by the USGA Championship Committee in consultation with the host club's superintendent and architect
- Course setup specifications include hole locations, tee positions, rough heights, fairway widths, green speeds, and bunker conditions
- Each round may use different hole locations and tee positions; the day's setup is published in the daily hole location sheet
Out of Bounds
Out of bounds is defined by the line between the course-side points of white stakes and fence posts at ground level. Where stakes and a fence are used together, the inside-edge-of-fence definition takes precedence at the discretion of the Committee.
Penalty Areas
- Penalty areas are defined by yellow or red stakes/lines per the host venue's setup
- When a penalty area is defined on only one side (typically a stream or shoreline), it extends to infinity in the other direction
- Relief options under Rule 17 apply with the championship-specific drop zones noted on the daily card
Ground Under Repair (GUR)
GUR is defined by white lines, with championship-specific declarations including French drains as GUR. Specific cart paths, signage, and championship infrastructure may be declared GUR at the Committee's discretion and noted on the daily card.
Closely-Mown Areas
The course is mown into fairway, rough, intermediate cut, and green areas per the championship setup. The fairway-rough delineation is precisely maintained throughout the championship; the Committee's daily mark applies.
Section 4: Players & Officials
Field and Eligibility
The field size and eligibility criteria are championship-specific:
- U.S. Open: 156 players, including past champions, top-ranked players from the Official World Golf Ranking, exempt categories, and qualifiers from local and sectional qualifying rounds
- U.S. Women's Open: 156 players, similar exemption structure adapted to women's golf
- U.S. Senior Open: 156 players, professional and amateur seniors
- U.S. Amateur: 312 players in stroke-play qualifying, top 64 advancing to match play
- Each championship's specific Notice to Players elaborates on field composition and exempt categories
Caddies
- Each player must use a single caddie during the stipulated round; additional caddies are not permitted
- Caddies wear a tournament-supplied bib displaying the player's name and number
- The caddie is bound by the conduct expectations set forth in the Notice to Players; serious caddie misconduct can result in the player being penalized
Officials
- USGA Championship Committee on site for each championship; rules officials on each hole during play
- Referees may be assigned to specific groups for rules questions during play
- The USGA Rules Officials provide pre-round ruling, on-course rulings, and post-round score verification
- Television/video review is operative for certain situations (ball at rest, lost ball, embedded ball) per the USGA's video-review policy
Player Identification
Each player must visibly display a hole-by-hole scorecard during the round; players are responsible for verifying their own scorecard before submission. Scorecard submission is subject to a strict signing-and-attestation requirement; a player who signs an incorrect scorecard is disqualified per Rule 3.3b.
Section 5: Rules of Play
Format
- Stroke play: most USGA championships (U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Senior Open) use 72-hole stroke play over 4 rounds
- Match play: U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur, and U.S. Junior use a hybrid format with stroke-play qualifying rounds reducing to a match-play bracket
- The Notice to Players for each championship specifies the format
Pace of Play Policy
The USGA enforces a pace-of-play policy designed to keep play moving and to penalize unreasonable delay. The policy works as follows:
- Each group is given a timing par for each hole — the time the group is expected to take to complete the hole given the course conditions and group position relative to the group ahead
- A group that falls out of position (more than one hole behind the group ahead) is put on the clock by a rules official
- An individual player who exceeds the published time limit on a stroke (typically 40 seconds with a 10-second extra allowance for the first to play) receives a bad time
- Accumulated bad times trigger penalties: first bad time = warning; second bad time = one-stroke penalty; third bad time = two-stroke penalty; fourth bad time = disqualification (escalation may be adjusted championship-specifically)
Suspension of Play
- One-tone air horn: normal suspension (lift, clean, and place ball where it lay; players may resume play after the all-clear signal)
- Three-tone air horn: immediate suspension (typically lightning); players stop play immediately, drop the ball as it lies (or take a marker), and proceed to shelter
- One short blast and steady tone: resumption of play
- Players in stroke play resume from where they suspended; players in match play may agree to discontinue or, if play resumes within a defined window, must continue from the original lie
Practice Rounds and Practice Areas
- Practice rounds are typically permitted on designated days before the championship
- Practice on the host course on the day of a stipulated round (other than the player's stipulated round) is restricted per the Notice to Players
- Practice on the practice areas (driving range, putting green, short-game area, chipping green) is permitted throughout the championship
- Practice during a stipulated round is governed by Rule 5.5 of the Rules of Golf
Local Rule Modifications
Specific Local Rules may apply at any given championship; the Notice to Players lists championship-specific modifications. Common 2026 USGA-published Local Rules include:
- Embedded Ball: relief is permitted in the general area (per Rule 16.3) — clarified locally
- Movable Obstructions: tournament infrastructure (stakes, signage, ropes) may be moved within the standard relief framework
- Temporary Immovable Obstructions (TIO): TVs cameras, scoreboards, and other tournament infrastructure are TIOs and trigger the line-of-sight relief framework
- Sprinkler Heads and Wires: relief from interference within a specified distance of the green
Section 6: Scoring
Stroke Play
- The player who completes the stipulated round in the fewest strokes wins
- 72-hole total (4 × 18 holes) determines the championship in stroke-play events
- A cut is applied after 36 holes in U.S. Open / U.S. Women's Open / U.S. Senior Open — typically reducing the field to the top 60 plus ties, or per the specific Notice to Players
- The player with the lowest 72-hole total wins the championship
Stroke-Play Playoff (Two-Hole Aggregate)
From 2018 onward, the U.S. Open playoff format is a two-hole aggregate playoff followed by sudden death:
- If players are tied after 72 holes, a two-hole aggregate playoff is contested over a pre-designated pair of holes
- If still tied after two holes, sudden death continues hole-by-hole until a winner emerges
- Hole assignments for the playoff are published in the Notice to Players
(Note: the prior 18-hole playoff format was used through 2017 at the U.S. Open. Other USGA championships use varied playoff formats per their respective Notices.)
Match Play (U.S. Amateur)
- Holes are won by completing the hole in fewer strokes
- The match is won when a player is ahead by more holes than remain to be played
- If the match is all-square after 18 holes, sudden-death extra holes determine the winner
Scorecard Submission and Attestation
- Each player is responsible for the accuracy of their scorecard
- The scorecard is signed by the player and attested by the marker (the playing partner who keeps the score)
- Submission of a signed scorecard with a hole score lower than the actual score made = disqualification
- Submission of a signed scorecard with a hole score higher than the actual score made = the higher score stands
Section 7: Violations & Penalties
One-Ball Rule Breach
Stroke play: 2 strokes per hole at which a breach occurred; maximum 4 strokes per round.
14-Club Limit Breach
Stroke play: 2 strokes per hole at which the breach occurred; maximum 4 strokes per round.
Pace of Play
- First bad time: warning
- Second bad time: one-stroke penalty
- Third bad time: two-stroke penalty (additional)
- Fourth bad time: disqualification
- Persistent serious slow play independent of the bad-time framework: penalty at the discretion of the Committee under Rule 5.6
Equipment Standards Breach
A breach of the Equipment Standards (e.g., using a non-conforming driver) is disqualification under Rule 4.1a.
Conduct of the Player
The USGA Player Conduct Policy applies to all entrants. Misconduct categories include:
- Disrespectful conduct toward officials, fellow players, caddies, spectators, or volunteers
- Profanity audible to others
- Throwing or damaging clubs in a manner that may be unsafe or that damages course property
- Conduct that brings the championship into disrepute
Sanctions range from warning to disqualification at the Committee's discretion; serious misconduct may also trigger USGA disciplinary review extending to ineligibility for future championships.
Caddie Conduct
Serious caddie misconduct (cheating, intentional interference, dangerous behavior) may result in the player being penalized under Rule 1.2b and the caddie being removed from the championship grounds.
Scorecard Errors
- Returning a scorecard with a hole score lower than actually made: disqualification (Rule 3.3b)
- Returning a scorecard with a hole score higher than actually made: the higher score stands
- Failure to sign the scorecard, or failure of the marker to attest: disqualification
Section 8: Safety Considerations
Lightning and Severe Weather
The three-tone air horn signals immediate suspension of play, typically for lightning. Players must stop play immediately, drop the ball as it lies (or mark with a small marker), and proceed to designated shelter. Resumption of play is signaled by one short blast and a steady tone after the all-clear interval has elapsed. The USGA follows the standard 30-30 lightning rule supplemented by professional lightning-detection services at the venue.
Heat and Hydration
USGA championships are typically played in summer; heat-related risk is significant. The USGA provides:
- Water and electrolyte stations on the course
- Cooling shelters in the players' tent and at strategic course locations
- Medical observers tracking player condition
- WBGT monitoring with consultation between the Championship Committee and the medical team for heat-related modifications
Course Safety
- Spectators are managed by rope lines and trained marshals; sight-line management protects players during ball flight
- "Fore!" is the universal warning call for an errant ball; players are responsible for shouting "Fore!" when their ball travels toward people
- Players are responsible for clearing the area before taking a swing if the area is not visibly clear
Medical Coverage
- USGA championships have on-site medical staff including physicians, EMTs, and athletic trainers
- Emergency action plans are in effect at every USGA championship venue
- Defibrillators (AEDs) are positioned strategically around the course
Wildlife and Course Hazards
Players are responsible for being aware of natural hazards on the course: alligators (in southern venues), snakes, bees and stinging insects, uneven terrain, and water hazards. Players may decline to play a ball at rest in a dangerous situation (e.g., near an alligator) under the dangerous-animal interpretation; the USGA Notice to Players provides championship-specific guidance.
