Prominent changes in the Golf Code 2023

The content of the adjustment to the Golf Code was announced by the American Golf Association (USGA) and Royal & Ancient - two world golf development and management organizations jointly announced on November 7.

According to "MLR L1", a golfer who forgets to sign the scorecard after the round will only be penalized two strokes, counted towards the last hole instead of being disqualified as before. The governing body also stated that this regulation only takes effect when the golfer scores the correct point each hole, worse is okay but better than reality is still disqualified.

The USGA and R&A update the Golf Code every four years. The 2019 version has a total of 24 articles, down 10 things compared to the previous one. But the 2023 batch increased to 25 by adding "adjustments for golfers with disabilities". Currently, this section is segregated. The upcoming version will only be available in digital form or online viewing (website or separate app).

The USGA and R&A are promoting the sustainable development movement, so they will only print a limited number of law leaders and no longer encourage players to bring rule books to the field. With this orientation, USGA alone can cut two million copies of paper, equivalent to nearly half a billion pages.