Better Understanding The Latest Rules Of Golf Changes

When the governing bodies announced changes to the Rules of Golf on Monday, I mistakenly praised the USGA's press release for its brevity. That's because I've just read former USGA Rules of Golf Director John Morrissett's comprehensive look at the new rules, and for anyone who could be impacted by the rules, it's a must read.

Besides covering all of the major changes and some of the backstory behind the modifications, Morrissett also covers some of the more obscure updates to the Decisions. Such as...

14-3/17 Player Listens to Music or Broadcast During Round (New): This Decision represents a change in position by the R&A and USGA, as to date it has not been a breach of the Rules to listen to music during a round. (Remember “Disco” Dick Zokol and his Walkman in the 1980s?) This new position prohibits listening to music for a “prolonged period” as doing so might help the player with his tempo or block distractions.