USGA, R&A announce new set of modern rules for golf

Golf now has a modern set of rules for the Royal & Ancient game, an extensive overhaul that took six years and is aimed at making the rules easier to understand.

The R&A and USGA announced the final version of modernized rules on Monday. They take effect in 2019.

"This was out of recognition that in trying to make the rules more fair, they became too complicated," said Thomas Pagel, the USGA's senior director of rules and amateur status. "With 30-plus years of tinkering, they got complicated, and that wasn't good for the game."

Among the changes will be how to take penalty drops — from knee-high length starting next year, instead of from shoulder height.