My name is Janet Beal and I am the BCLGA County Rules Advisor. My role is to provide support to clubs and BCLGA members about the Rules of Golf. I am available to come and talk to you about the rules and also answer individual questions.

If you would like me to come to your club, I prefer to run sessions outside on your practice area so I can demonstrate rules and how to apply them, although I can also do presentations.

If you have a rules question, or would like to talk about arranging a demonstration at your club, please contact me on rules@bclga.org.uk

In addition to the rules used when playing golf, the Rules of Golf also cover Committee Procedures such as course marking, local rules, terms of the competition and pace of play.  I am available to advise clubs on any areas covered by committee procedures.

The R&A have just released a short video to help golfers get up-to-date with the new 2023 Rules of Golf.

This is aimed at beginners, but is also a good reminder for everyone.

The video is available here on YouTube

For those of you who are interested in more formal rules education and possibly refereeing, there are three levels of course that you can take:

• Level 1 - this is run online through the R&A Rules Academy and also as a one day face to face course.  Level 1 is intended to give you a good knowledge of the rules for playing golf.
• Level 2 - courses are run by counties at various locations in England.  Details of upcoming courses worldwide are normally on the R&A web site  and in England on the England Golf web site.  If you are interested in refereeing, you should take Level 2.
• Level 3 - courses are run by the R&A and is normally only available to experienced level 2 referees.

We have run both a level 1 and a level 2 course in Bucks in the last couple of years.  If you are interested in taking a course, please get in touch and if there is sufficient interest we can schedule a course.

We also have some people who have passed their level 2 or 3 and are available for refereeing at any of your events.  If you would like to arrange a referee for an event, please get in contact with me on rules@bclga.org.uk and I will try to find you a referee.