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<h2 id="rules-of-golf">Rules of golf</h2> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Rules_of_golf/b13aQXRq">Rules of golf</a></p> <p>The R&A cooperates with the USGA in producing and regularly revising the "<a href="/facts/Rules_of_golf/b13aQXRq">Rules of Golf</a>", and the two bodies have issued the rules jointly since 1952.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> The "Rules of Golf" are revised on a four-year cycle.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> From 1990 for the first time a single common set of Rules applied throughout the world.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> The two bodies also collaborate on the corresponding rule interpretative work, "Decisions on the Rules of Golf", which is reviewed on a two-year cycle.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> Additionally, the R&A is involved in formulating technical specifications for <a href="/facts/Golf_equipment/Qgwyrv5f">golf equipment</a>, which were first issued 1 January 2019.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="championships">Championships</h2> <p>The R&A organises 21 championships and international matches, which were previously organised by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. After the <a href="/facts/Ladies%2527_Golf_Union/00S41ByF">Ladies' Golf Union</a>, the former governing body for women's golf in Great Britain and Ireland, merged into The R&A in late 2016, The R&A took over organisation of all events formerly under the auspices of the LGU.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/The_Open_Championship/LbnCLMyx">The Open Championship</a>: one of the four <a href="/facts/Men%2527s_major_golf_championships/U1We4Hzg">major championships</a> in men's golf.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Women%2527s_British_Open/ljLwGGlz">Women's British Open</a>: one of the five <a href="/facts/Women%2527s_major_golf_championships/uGq1zzaY">major championships</a> in women's golf. The <a href="/facts/2017_Women%2527s_British_Open/pVqEvNja">2017 edition</a> was the first to be organised by the R&A.</li> <li><a href="/facts/The_Amateur_Championship/xHw3D7Qb">The Amateur Championship</a>: which was one of the four major championships before the professional game became dominant and is still one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the world.</li> <li><a href="/facts/The_Womens_Amateur_Championship/L3StmkYV">The Womens Amateur Championship</a>: one of the most prestigious women's amateur tournaments in the world.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ladies%2527_British_Open_Amateur_Stroke_Play_Championship/GrrADzYm">Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship</a>: similar to the above, except conducted exclusively at <a href="/facts/Stroke_play/TR1zLYQf">stroke play</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Boys_Amateur_Championship/wgyDoaTx">Boys Amateur Championship</a>: for boys under the age of 18 at midnight on 1 January of the relevant year.</li> <li>The Girls' British Open Amateur Championship: for girls under the age of 18 at midnight on 1 January of the relevant year.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Boys_Home_Internationals/FjACNBPb">Boys Home Internationals</a>: a team competition for boys from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with the Irish team selected on an <a href="/facts/All-Ireland/ah9VtQGE">All-Ireland</a> basis.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Girls_Home_Internationals/qC2vw7uL">Girls Home Internationals</a>: a team competition for girls from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (also All-Ireland).</li> <li><a href="/facts/Women%2527s_Home_Internationals/jWjzV73D">Ladies' Home International</a>: a team competition for women from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (also All-Ireland).</li> <li>Ladies' Senior Home Internationals: a team competition for women aged 50 and above from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (also All-Ireland).</li> <li>Coronation Foursomes: a team competition for women's club golfers in Great Britain & Ireland, open to any (female) member of an affiliated golf club with an official handicap of 36 or under.</li> <li>Seniors Open Amateur Championship: for male amateurs aged 55 or over on the first day of competition.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ladies%2527_Senior_British_Open_Amateur_Championship/lB52IptG">Ladies' Senior British Open Amateur Championship</a>: for female amateurs aged 50 or over on the first day of competition.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Senior_Open_Championship/oFz9Ap7Q">Senior Open Championship</a>: for men aged 50 and above. A <a href="/facts/Senior_major_golf_championships/cE2ub8Jg">major championship</a> on <a href="/facts/PGA_Tour_Champions/daUJRfYT">PGA Tour Champions</a> and the <a href="/facts/European_Senior_Tour/g7kca6cN">European Senior Tour</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Walker_Cup/PWjYmA22">Walker Cup</a>: a biennial men's amateur team competition contested by Great Britain & Ireland and the United States (co-organised with the <a href="/facts/United_States_Golf_Association/RXn3rV1U">United States Golf Association</a>).</li> <li><a href="/facts/Curtis_Cup/CnIcWQKq">Curtis Cup</a>: a biennial women's amateur team competition contested by Great Britain & Ireland and the United States (also co-organised with the United States Golf Association).</li> <li><a href="/facts/Junior_Open_Championship/Du8Sa1JQ">Junior Open Championship</a>: for boys and girls under the age of 16 at 00.00 hours on 1 January of the relevant year.</li> <li><a href="/facts/St_Andrews_Trophy/YTj4zG4k">St Andrews Trophy</a>: a biennial men's amateur team competition contested by Great Britain & Ireland and the <a href="/facts/Continental_Europe/EXR4F23f">Continent of Europe</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Vagliano_Trophy/j7wYd2E2">Vagliano Trophy</a>: a biennial women's amateur team competition contested by Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Jacques_L%25C3%25A9glise_Trophy/GbGs1Xtf">Jacques Léglise Trophy</a>: an annual boys' amateur team competition contested by Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. In years when the St Andrews Trophy is held, the Léglise Trophy is held in conjunction with it at the same venue.</li> <li>Junior Vagliano Trophy: a biennial girls' amateur team competition contested by Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe.</li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li>The R&A (2019). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Dw3XtgEACAAJ&q=Official+Guide+to+the+Rules+of+Golf"><i>Official Guide to the Rules of Golf</i></a>. Octopus Publishing Group. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-600-63570-3.</li> <li>R&A Championships Limited (12 November 2015). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=JxndsgEACAAJ"><i>Decisions on the Rules of Golf</i></a>. Octopus Publishing Group. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-600-63216-0.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.randa.org/">R&A website, including the Rules and Decisions of Golf</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Tim Breitbarth; Sebastian Kaiser-Jovy; Geoff Dickson (20 July 2017). Golf Business and Management: A Global Introduction. Taylor & Francis. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-317-35158-0. <a href="978-1-317-35158-0" target="_blank">978-1-317-35158-0</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"The R&A and USGA announce new rules of amateur status for 2012" (PDF). Malta Golf Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="http://www.maltagolf.org/ra/34-THE%20R&A%20AND%20USGA%20ANNOUNCE%20NEW%20RULES%20OF%20AMATEUR%20STATUS%20FOR%202012.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.maltagolf.org/ra/34-THE%20R&A%20AND%20USGA%20ANNOUNCE%20NEW%20RULES%20OF%20AMATEUR%20STATUS%20FOR%202012.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"The R&A and USGA announce new rules of amateur status for 2012" (PDF). Malta Golf Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="http://www.maltagolf.org/ra/34-THE%20R&A%20AND%20USGA%20ANNOUNCE%20NEW%20RULES%20OF%20AMATEUR%20STATUS%20FOR%202012.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.maltagolf.org/ra/34-THE%20R&A%20AND%20USGA%20ANNOUNCE%20NEW%20RULES%20OF%20AMATEUR%20STATUS%20FOR%202012.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Anchored putting decision due". ESPN. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/golf/story/_/id/9285424/usga-ra-announce-anchoring-issue-decision-next-week" target="_blank">https://www.espn.co.uk/golf/story/_/id/9285424/usga-ra-announce-anchoring-issue-decision-next-week</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"British Open". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/British-Open" target="_blank">https://www.britannica.com/sports/British-Open</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Trump and Turnberry continue to wait their turn". Golf Today. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://golftoday.co.uk/the-open-trump-and-turnberry-continue-to-wait-their-turn/" target="_blank">https://golftoday.co.uk/the-open-trump-and-turnberry-continue-to-wait-their-turn/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"COVID-19 crisis forces R&A to move Open at Royal St George's back to 2021". Golf South. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="http://www.golfsouth.co.uk/covid-19-crisis-forces-ra-to-move-open-at-royal-st-georges-back-to-2021/" target="_blank">http://www.golfsouth.co.uk/covid-19-crisis-forces-ra-to-move-open-at-royal-st-georges-back-to-2021/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Rutherford Cross is delighted to be retained by The R&A to appoint a Finance Business Partner". Rutherford Cross. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.rutherfordcross.com/2020/06/17/rutherford-cross-is-delighted-to-be-retained-by-the-ra-to-appoint-a-finance-business-partner/" target="_blank">https://www.rutherfordcross.com/2020/06/17/rutherford-cross-is-delighted-to-be-retained-by-the-ra-to-appoint-a-finance-business-partner/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"A Brief History of Revisions to the Rules of Golf: 1744 to Present". United States Golf Association. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/text/brief-history-1744-to-present-.html" target="_blank">https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/text/brief-history-1744-to-present-.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"A Brief History of Revisions to the Rules of Golf: 1744 to Present". United States Golf Association. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/text/brief-history-1744-to-present-.html" target="_blank">https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/text/brief-history-1744-to-present-.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Golf history… Rules, Superstar career". Highlysports. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://highlysports.com/golf-history-rules-superstar-career/" target="_blank">https://highlysports.com/golf-history-rules-superstar-career/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Ever Heard of the Decisions on the Rules of Golf?". Florida State Golf Association. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.fsga.org/sections/content/eRevision---Rules---040114/509" target="_blank">https://www.fsga.org/sections/content/eRevision---Rules---040114/509</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"The Equipment Rules by The R&A and USGA" (PDF). United States Golf Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/Equipment/Equipment%20Rules%20Final.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/Equipment/Equipment%20Rules%20Final.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Event Calendar". The R&A. Retrieved 1 November 2020. <a href="https://www.randa.org/Championships/Event-Calendar" target="_blank">https://www.randa.org/Championships/Event-Calendar</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>