Asking for advice on the golf course can be costly!
Golf Monthly explains the official Rules of Golf regarding seeking and giving advice during a round. The experts clarify what information is considered public (like yardage) versus what constitutes a penalty (like club selection or green contours), highlighting the severe consequences in both stroke and match play.
You are strictly prohibited from asking a competitor or playing partner for club selection advice.
Asking a player what club they just hit after their shot is a rules violation.
Information regarding yardage and the distance to the hole is considered public and is legal to ask for.
Using a slope-adjustment feature on a rangefinder is illegal in competition play and counts as artificial help.
Violating advice rules results in a 'general penalty': two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.