The Official Rules of Golf appear on the About.com Golf site courtesy of the USGA, are used with permission, and may not be reprinted without the permission of the USGA.

6-1. Rules
The player and his caddie are responsible for knowing the Rules. During a stipulated round, for any breach of a Rule by his caddie, the player incurs the applicable penalty.

6-2. Handicap
• a. Match Play
Before starting a match in a handicap competition, the players should determine from one another their respective handicaps. If a player begins a match having declared a handicap higher than that to which he is entitled and this affects the number of strokes given or received, he is disqualified; otherwise, the player must play off the declared handicap.

• b. Stroke Play
In any round of a handicap competition, the competitor must ensure that his handicap is recorded on his score card before it is returned to the Committee. If no handicap is recorded on his score card before it is returned (Rule 6-6b), or if the recorded handicap is higher than that to which he is entitled and this affects the number of strokes received, he is disqualified from the handicap competition; otherwise, the score stands.

Note: It is the player’s responsibility to know the holes at which handicap strokes are to be given or received.

6-3. Time of Starting and Groups
• a. Time of Starting
The player must start at the time established by the Committee.

• b. Groups
In stroke play, the competitor must remain throughout the round in the group arranged by the Committee unless the Committee authorizes or ratifies a change.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 6-3:
Disqualification.

(Best-ball and four-ball play — see Rules 30-3a and 31-2)

Note: The Committee may provide in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1) that, if the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play instead of disqualification.

6-4. Caddie
The player may be assisted by a caddie, but he is limited to only one caddie at any one time.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 6-4:
Match play — At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is discovered, the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred; maximum deduction per round—Two holes.

Stroke play — Two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred; maximum penalty per round—Four strokes.

Match or stroke play — In the event of a breach between the play of two holes, the penalty applies to the next hole.

A player having more than one caddie in breach of this Rule must immediately upon the discovery that a breach has occurred ensure that he has no more than one caddie at any one time during the remainder of the stipulated round. Otherwise, the player is disqualified.

Bogey and par competitions — See Note 1 to Rule 32-1a.

Stableford competitions — see Note 1 to Rule 32-1b.

Note: The Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), prohibit the use of caddies or restrict a player in his choice of caddie.

6-5. Ball
The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. Each player should put an identification mark on his ball.

6-6. Scoring in Stroke Play
• a. Recording Scores
After each hole the marker should check the score with the competitor and record it. On completion of the round the marker must sign the score card and hand it to the competitor. If more than one marker records the scores, each must sign for the part for which he is responsible.

• b. Signing and Returning Card
After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that the marker or markers have signed the score card, sign the score card himself and return it to the Committee as soon as possible.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 6-6b:
Disqualification.

• c. Alteration of Card
No alteration may be made on a score card after the competitor has returned it to the Committee.

• d. Wrong Score for Hole
The competitor is responsible for the correctness of the score recorded for each hole on his score card. If he returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken, he is disqualified. If he returns a score for any hole higher than actually taken, the score as returned stands.

Note 1: The Committee is responsible for the addition of scores and application of the handicap recorded on the score card — see Rule 33-5.

Note 2: In four-ball stroke play, see also Rule 31-3 and -7a.

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