Some rounds its best not to keep score, but for those of us who do like to know how we stand on the links, it is important to recognize some of the more commonly abided by laws of the land. There are seemingly hundreds of rules on professional circuits, many of which are generally ignored unless your playing with sticklers as they don’t translate well to a game among friends. For example, would you penalize your buddy for hitting before you if you can’t find your ball but are further for the green? Does anyone actually sign their scorecard? Of course not. Others may be corrected, but not penalized. Technically you are supposed to be assessed a 2 shot penalty for every hole you play with >14 clubs, however, most friendly golfers agree a simple request to use just 14 will suffice. Still, when on the course there are plenty of rules simply put in place to keep the playing field fair. Water Hazard If the ball is still afloat and you want to take a swing go ahead, but don’t ground your club prior to the swing. The most common result of a water hazard is a drop following the line of flight by which the ball approached the hazard and an additional penalty stroke added to the scorecard.Out of bounds When the ball sales beyond the white out of bounds marker, a player must re-hit the shot from the very same spot (not where the ball went in as you would a hazard), and add a penalty stroke.Unplayable lie Say your ball winds up in the middle of the bush or tree, making it impossible to take your club back, even for a chip or punch shot. After adding a penalty stroke, you are free to drop your ball anywhere within two club lengths, but your drop may not advance your ball closer to the pin. Cart paths follow the same rules, however, no penalty stroke is required for an unplayable cart path lie. Grounding your club There is no penalty for landing in a sand trap, but don’t ground your club prior to a swing. If your club touches sand before your down swing, assess yourself a one stroke penalty. The same goes for hitting out of a hazard. This is out of respect for the course so as to keep optimal playing conditions and not unnecessarily cause damage to the course.