Three Putters

The Modified Rules of Golf

These Amendments to the Rules of Golf, as refined and adopted by Three Putters, are intended to govern casual play among enlightened players. They have been written to account for all realistic scenarios while acknowledging the unlikely places balls tend to come to rest.

1. The First Tee

  1. On the first tee, after a player has played their first ball, they have the option to hit another without penalty. (Breakfast Ball)
  2. If a player does not use a breakfast ball, they are granted a floating mulligan which may be used on any shot for the remainder of the round.

2. Mulligans

  1. Each player shall be granted one mulligan per side (front and back).
  2. If a player does not use their front nine mulligan, it may be transferred to a back nine “re-do.”
  3. Mulligans and re-do’s do not carry over to the next round.

3. On the Green

  1. Putts less than 4 feet shall be conceded by the players in the group, before or after the putt is attempted. (That’s Good / That Was Good) In the event the group does not cooperate, the player may concede the putt themselves.
  2. Putts up to 6 feet may be judged by Rule 3a if the player makes the stroke while standing on one leg or using the back of their putter.
  3. Any putt after the first putt is considered sufficient to finish the hole if the player deems the green quality as subpar. (Auto Two Putt)

4. Hazards & Out of Bounds

  1. If a ball is easily located in a hazard, and the player deems they would rather play from outside of the hazard, the player may place their ball at the first good lie they are able to locate without penalty. (Layout)
  2. If a ball cannot be located in a hazard (known immediately):
    1. the player may replay their last shot using any available mulligans or re-do’s.
  3. If a ball cannot be located in a hazard (known after searching):
    1. the player may drop a ball where they estimate a mulligan or re-do would have reasonably come to rest.
  4. If a ball is out of bounds and the player deems they can safely play their next shot from that location, the player may do so without penalty.
  5. If a ball is out of bounds and the player deems they cannot locate the ball or does not wish to play it from that location, the player may replay their last shot using any available mulligans or re-do’s, or drop a ball where they estimate a mulligan or re-do would have reasonably come to rest.

5. Clarifications

  1. If a player deems their lie is not great due to poor maintenance of the course, they may fluff their lie without penalty on any shot throughout the round.
  2. If and when all mulligans and re-do’s have been exhausted, a player may spontaneously add new criteria for qualifying for additional re-do’s until the round can be completed in 79 strokes.