What's different when you play?
Rule 25 of the Rules of Golf changes how certain Rules apply to golfers who are blind, amputees, who use a mobility device, or who have an intellectual disability. Pick your category and the scorecard shows every modification, what it lets you do, and where the penalties still bite.
Rule 25.2 — Blind or vision-impaired
An aide may help you aim and take your stance
Your aide can help you set up, aim before the stroke, and give advice. The aide counts as a caddie, and you may take advice from the aide and a caddie at the same time.
One aide at a time
You may have only one aide at a time. A second aide on any hole costs the general penalty for that hole.
Set an object down to aim — then pick it up
You may lay a club or other object on the ground to help you aim or take a stance (normally a breach of Rule 10.2b(3)). It must be removed before you make the stroke; if it is still there, general penalty.
Aide or caddie may stand behind you on the line
Your aide or caddie may stand on or near the extension of your line of play behind the ball before and during the stroke, as long as they do not help you make the stroke itself.
Aide and caddie together
The aide may also be your caddie but does not have to be. If you have both, the aide may not carry or handle clubs except to guide you, help your stance or aim, or as a courtesy — otherwise you are treated as having two caddies (general penalty per hole).
Touch sand in a bunker before the stroke
You may lightly ground the club in the sand right in front of or right behind the ball, and touch sand on your backswing, without penalty. Testing the sand or improving the lie beyond a light grounding is still prohibited.
Aide may lift your ball on the green
On the putting green, your aide (as well as your caddie) may mark and lift your ball without your specific authorization.
Anyone you authorize may drop or place
You may give a general authorization to any person to drop, place and replace your ball for you.
Rule 25.3 — Amputee or limb deficiency
Prosthetic arms and legs are permitted
Using a prosthetic is not a breach of Rule 4.3 when there is a medical reason and the Committee decides it gives no unfair advantage. Raise any doubt with the Committee before the round. Using equipment in an abnormal way (Rule 4.3a) is still prohibited.
Anchoring the club is allowed if you need it
If limb loss means you cannot hold and swing most clubs without anchoring, you may anchor without penalty (modifies Rule 10.1b).
Anyone you authorize may drop or place
You may give a general authorization to any person to drop, place and replace your ball.
Replace the ball with a club, not just by hand
You may replace a ball by hand or with equipment — rolling it into place with a club, for example (modifies the definition of "replace" and Rule 14.2b(2)).
Rule 25.4 — Assistive mobility device
Help from an aide or anyone else
Your aide may lift your ball on the green without authorization; you may authorize anyone to drop, place and replace; and before a stroke anyone — including another player — may help position you or your device, or move the device out of the way.
Advice from aide and caddie
You may ask for and receive advice from your aide as you would from a caddie, and from both at the same time.
One aide at a time
More than one aide at a time: general penalty for each hole it happens.
Your device is part of your stance
"Stance" includes where you put the device to prepare for or make a stroke. That matters for the intended-stance area (Rule 8.1a) and for relief from abnormal course conditions (Rule 16.1) — interference with the device counts.
Replace the ball with a club
You may replace a ball by hand or with equipment such as rolling it with a club.
The device itself is permitted equipment
You may use the assistive device under Rule 4.3b. Using it in an abnormal way to help your play (4.3a) remains prohibited.
Dig in — but don't build a stance
You may dig the device in or take reasonable steps to stop it slipping. Building up a mound or structure to brace the device is building a stance: general penalty under Rule 8.1a(3).
Anchoring allowed if the device requires it
If you cannot hold and swing most clubs without anchoring because of the device, you may anchor without penalty.
Keep the device off the line of play
No part of the device may be deliberately placed on, touching, or on either side of your line of play or its extension behind the ball when you make the stroke (modifies Rule 10.1c).
Aide and caddie together
The aide may be your caddie but need not be. If both are present, the aide may not carry or handle clubs except to help with stance or alignment or as a courtesy — otherwise two caddies, general penalty per hole.
Ball hits your device on the green — play it as it lies
If your ball, played from the putting green, accidentally hits your device, there is no penalty and the ball is played from where it stops (modifies Rule 11.1b(2)).
Device may touch bunker sand
You may not deliberately test the sand with the device, but touching sand with it for any other reason is no penalty.
Wheeled devices: four club-lengths for lateral relief
Lateral relief from a red penalty area (17.1d(3)) or for an unplayable ball (19.2c) is measured with four club-lengths instead of two.
Wheeled devices: unplayable in a bunker, relief outside it
For an unplayable ball in a bunker you may take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker for one penalty stroke (instead of the two strokes under Rule 19.3b).
Rule 25.5 — Intellectual disability
An aide and, separately, a supervisor
An aide helps one player with play and with applying the Rules and has caddie status. A supervisor is appointed by the Committee to help any player as needed; a supervisor is an outside influence and you may not ask a supervisor for advice.
One aide at a time
More than one aide at a time is the general penalty for each hole.
Aide and caddie together
The aide may also be the caddie. If both are present, the aide may not carry or handle clubs except to help with stance or alignment (where the Committee allows) or as a courtesy — otherwise two caddies.
Aide may lift your ball on the green
On the putting green your aide, as well as your caddie, may lift the ball without your authorization.
Combined disabilities
If you have both an intellectual and a physical disability, the Committee should combine the relevant parts of Rule 25 so both are addressed.
Rule 25.6 — For every category
Pace of play is judged reasonably
Each Committee sets what counts as unreasonable delay, taking into account the course, the weather (and how it affects a device), the competition and the players' disabilities. A more relaxed standard is expected.
Knee-height drop: your reasonable judgment counts
The Committee should accept your reasonable judgment that a drop was from knee height, and all reasonable efforts to do so given your physical limitations.
Who is not covered
Rule 25 covers four categories only. Players with neurological, orthopaedic, short-stature or hearing impairments are not covered because no modifications have been identified as necessary; the standard Rules apply, and medical equipment is handled under Rule 4.3b.
Eligibility. Eligibility to use Rule 25 is set by the Committee running the competition. In elite and international play the standard is a WR4GD Pass (World Ranking for Golfers with Disability), issued through EDGA after medical documentation of impairment; the USGA requires a WR4GD Pass and a Handicap Index of 36.4 or lower for the U.S. Adaptive Open. For casual play and club events, tell the pro shop or committee before you tee off.
Before your round
Tell the pro shop
Say which category you play under and whether you need a single-rider cart or a standing cart. Most courses that have one don't advertise it; the SoloRider is often in a back shed.
Settle equipment questions early
Prosthetics and assistive devices are permitted under Rule 25.3a and 25.4f, but the Committee decides there is no unfair advantage — raise it before the first tee, not at the scoring table.
One aide
Every category allows exactly one aide at a time. Your aide may also caddie, but if a separate caddie is present the aide may not handle clubs beyond guiding you and courtesies.
Cart on the course
Under the ADA, a public course must let a golfer with a mobility disability use a cart where carts are otherwise permitted, and reach the forward tees. Single-rider carts exert less ground pressure than a standard cart, so "no carts on greens" policies usually do not apply to them — ask.
Questions golfers ask
Can I use a cart if the course is walking-only today?
At public courses in the US, yes for a golfer with a mobility disability: the ADA requires courses to allow a cart as a reasonable modification where carts are permitted at all. Private clubs have more latitude. Carts are permitted for all players at the U.S. Adaptive Open.
Do I need a WR4GD Pass to use Rule 25 at my club?
No. The WR4GD Pass is the eligibility standard for ranked events like the U.S. Adaptive Open. For club play, your Committee decides; most simply ask you to say which category applies before the round.
Can my aide read putts for me?
Yes — your aide has caddie status and may give advice. For blind players the aide may also stand behind you on the line during the stroke (25.2d), which a caddie normally may not do.
I'm in a wheelchair and my ball is in a bunker I can't get into. What now?
Rule 25.4n: you may declare the ball unplayable and take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker for one penalty stroke, rather than the two strokes it costs other players.
My disability isn't one of the four categories.
Rule 25 covers blindness, amputation/limb deficiency, mobility devices and intellectual disability. Neurological, orthopaedic, short-stature and hearing impairments are not covered — the standard Rules apply, and medical equipment is allowed under Rule 4.3b. Several of those are nonetheless competition categories at the U.S. Adaptive Open.