Rules Column: Mike Peluso

So, just what kind of steps do you take if you want to become a rules official?

As more and more golfers are asking us, “What would I have to do I have to do to become a Rules Official? I feel it would help this month to recycle and update my January, 2005 article. We are always on the lookout for people who are seriously interested in becoming a Rules Official.

So, just what does it take to become a Rules Official?

The first thing is not to worry about your current skill level of Rules knowledge. Some of our best Rules Officials started out fairly recently. We have several officials with just a few years experience – but with LOTS of dedication to learning the Rules – who are working PNGA, WSGA, WJGA and even NCAA and USGA events.

The next thing is to find a good mentor, someone who is proficient in Rules and is willing to help you learn the Rules. The Washington Junior Golf Association and the Pacific Northwest Golf Association can recommend officials who would be glad to help you on your journey toward becoming an official.

You need to be a person who has always tried to play by the Rules. The Rules of Golf are quite complicated and are broken fairly commonly, even by conscientious players trying to stay within the Rules. However, learning which Rules you have been breaking inadvertently is a big eye-opener and is a great boost in starting to learn the Rules of Golf correctly.

Assuming you are a reasonably proficient golfer who tries his best to play by the Rules, your next step is to purchase the Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf. While neither of these books will match a Robert Ludlum novel for fast-paced thrills and intrigue, they are indispensable required reading for any prospective Rules Official. The mantra of every good Rules Official is: “Learn the Definitions.” The Definitions are in the front part of the Rules book and provide an explanation for virtually every commonly used term and situation in golf. Memorizing the Definitions will help you to make an informed Rules decision on the majority of everyday Rules situations that arise on the course.

Start reading the Rules, one by one. After you are finished reading Rule 1 (The Game) several times, read the corresponding section in Decisions on the Rules of Golf. While the Rules of Golf sets down the Rules in black and white, the Decisions book clarifies and rules on the “yeah, buts” and “what ifs” of the corresponding Rule. It is very similar to a judge interpreting a legal question that has some gray areas to it. Continue with the same process for Rule 2, then Rule 3, etc. until you are finished with both the Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf. You should follow this process slowly and deliberately, and it should take you several months to complete the entire Rules book and Decisions book.

At this point your Rules knowledge will have greatly increased. You should then consider attending a USGA/PGA Rules Workshop. These workshops are held throughout the United States in January, February and March. They cost $300 and are four days long. They are taught by the best USGA and PGA instructors and officials, and you will be amazed at how much you will learn and how much deeper your knowledge of the Rules will increase. Also, a willingness to attend one (or more) of these workshops is a good indicator of your commitment to becoming a Rules Official.

Your next step would be to offer your Rules knowledge within your local Men’s Club or Ladies’ Club. Several of our officials at WSGA, PNGA and WJGA also offer their services at their local clubs. After getting your feet wet at your local club, contact either the Pacific Northwest Golf Association or the Washington Junior Golf Association and indicate to them your interest in volunteering as a Rules Official. Each of these organizations has a similar “checklist” of qualifications which includes attendance at a USGA/PGA Workshop, a satisfactory score on the USGA/PGA Rules Test (administered at the workshops), and some rules experience at your club. You would then spend the first year at tournaments with an experienced, top-notch Rules Official riding in a golf cart with him or her – basically an apprentice program. After that time both you and the organization will decide if officiating is for you.

Rules officiating is an extremely satisfying endeavor, especially working with junior golfers. Rules officiating also requires an even temperament, firm decision-making skills, and an engaging personality. Rules Officials are teachers as well as enforcers and decision makers.

Hopefully this article may stir up the interest of “a few good men” (and women, of course) to join the ranks of the many excellent and dedicated officials in or state and local golf associations in your area.

Mike Peluso is a rules official with the USGA, PNGA, WSGA, WJGA and other organizations.