FORE ALARMThe weekend golfer’s companion
Less guessing.
More good golf.
Know the ruling. Learn your numbers. Make the next round a little more fun. Welcome to the Fore Alarm Golf Toolbox.
Free to use. No account needed. All handicaps welcome.
A few tools. A better weekend.
What’s the ruling?
Cart path, lost ball or penalty area? Find a short answer and the official rule in a few taps.
Settle it on the tee.
Seven everyday situations. Pick your answer and learn the ruling with an official reference.
Your real numbers.
Build a personal carry-distance card. Save it on this device or export a copy for the course.
Same four. New format.
Stableford, match play, four-ball and scrambles, explained without the clubhouse confusion.
Make the bucket count.
Choose your experience and a 20-, 30- or 45-minute session. Leave with a measurable goal.
Useful beats flashy.
Understand what golf accessories actually help with, and what to check before buying.
Handicap help.
Playing a new course? Use the official USGA calculator with your Index, rating, slope and par.
Open USGA calculator ↗The Weekly Drop brings rules lessons and course stories to your Thursday.
A ruling for the next shot
Quick golf rules finder
Search a situation or choose a topic. Tap a result for what to do next.
10 situations
Lost ball or out of bounds Normally 1 penalty stroke + distance
A ball is lost after three minutes of searching by you or your caddie. A ball is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the course boundary.
- Normally, add one penalty stroke and play again from where your previous stroke was made.
- A fairway drop for two penalty strokes is available only if the Committee has adopted the relevant alternative Local Rule.
A ball known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area follows Rule 17 instead.
Can I hit a provisional? Announce it before hitting
You may play a provisional when your ball might be lost outside a penalty area or might be out of bounds.
- Tell someone you are playing a provisional before making the stroke.
- If your original is found in bounds outside a penalty area in time, abandon the provisional before it has become the ball in play.
If the only possible place your ball is lost is inside a penalty area, a provisional is not allowed.
Cart path relief Free relief when eligible
An immovable cart path interfering with your ball, stance or swing can allow free relief in the general area.
- Find the nearest point of complete relief in the general area.
- Drop within one club-length of that point, in the general area, no nearer the hole. Take complete relief.
Nearest does not mean nicest. No relief for clearly unreasonable play; check Local Rules for integral objects.
Ground under repair or temporary water Free relief when eligible
In the general area, qualifying interference from ground under repair or temporary water normally allows free relief.
- Use the nearest point of complete relief, then a one-club-length relief area in the general area, no closer to the hole.
Bunker and green procedures differ. No normal relief in penalty areas. Check no-play zones and Local Rules.
Embedded or plugged ball Free relief when eligible
A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark from your previous stroke in the general area normally qualifies.
- Use the spot in the general area immediately behind the ball. Drop within one club-length in the general area, no nearer the hole.
Exceptions include sand outside fairway-height areas, clearly unreasonable play and restrictive Local Rules. Thick grass alone does not qualify.
Red penalty area 1 penalty stroke for relief
If your ball is in a red penalty area, you can usually play it as it lies without penalty or take relief for one penalty stroke.
- Choose stroke-and-distance, back-on-the-line, or lateral relief.
- For lateral relief, use where the ball last crossed the edge: drop within two club-lengths, no closer to the hole, outside that penalty area.
For a missing ball, it must be known or virtually certain to be in the penalty area. Use Rule 18 if it is simply lost. No-play zones require relief.
Yellow penalty area 1 penalty stroke for relief
Yellow areas normally offer stroke-and-distance or back-on-the-line relief, each for one penalty stroke. There is no standard two-club-length lateral option.
- For back-on-the-line relief, keep the last crossing point between the hole and your drop spot. Drop on that line outside the penalty area; the landing spot creates a one-club-length relief area.
The relief area cannot be nearer the hole than the crossing point. You may usually play the original as it lies; no-play zones are an exception.
Unplayable ball Normally 1 penalty stroke
You decide whether your ball is unplayable. In the general area or on the putting green, each standard option costs one penalty stroke.
- Replay from your previous spot; take back-on-the-line relief; or drop within two club-lengths of the original ball, no nearer the hole.
- You must know the original ball’s spot for the line or lateral options.
Rule 19 does not apply in penalty areas. In a bunker, line and lateral relief must stay in the bunker for one penalty stroke; back-on-the-line relief outside costs two.
How to take a drop Use the correct relief procedure
Normally, you must release the ball straight down from the height of your knee when standing, without throwing or spinning it.
- Drop in the required relief area, or on the line for back-on-the-line relief. It must finish in the relief area.
- If two correctly dropped balls finish outside the area, place a ball where the second drop first touched the ground.
A wrong-height drop must be corrected and does not count as one of those two drops. Rule 25 has modifications for certain disabilities.
Ball moved on the putting green Cause of movement matters
If you accidentally move your ball or marker on the putting green, normally replace it without penalty. Mark the spot before lifting a ball to clean it.
- Wind moved a ball already lifted and replaced on the green? Replace it.
- Wind moved a ball not yet lifted and replaced? Normally play from its new spot.
If the ball starts moving during your backswing or stroke and you complete the stroke, a specific exception applies. See the official rule.
Try a shorter phrase, choose All situations, or clear the filters.
Open the official Rules of Golf ↗Checked October 23, 2026. These are quick educational summaries. The official Rules, course Local Rules and Committee decisions govern play. Fore Alarm is independent of the R&A and USGA.
What’s the ruling?
Confidence. Meet the rulebook.
Everyday golf situations, with a little less “my buddy said.” Educational summaries; official Rules and your competition’s Local Rules govern.
References checked October 22, 2026. The R&A and USGA jointly govern the Rules. Fore Alarm is independent and is not endorsed by either organization.
Your bag, honestly measured
My yardage card
Carry is the distance through the air before the ball first lands. Use your typical solid shot, not the one you’re still telling people about.
Find a useful number, not your longest number
Record several normal shots with each club in similar conditions. Use the middle of your solid-shot carries and write down your common miss. Recheck when your swing, equipment or conditions change.
For experienced golfers: look for overlapping clubs and unusually large gaps. Add your own partial-wedge numbers in the three wedge rows. Keep carry separate from rollout.
Better rounds, together
Pick the game before the first tee.
Agree on tees, scoring, handicaps and any house rules before anyone hits the “breakfast ball.”
Stableford · points instead of a running stroke total
Each hole earns points against a target score set by the Committee. With par as the target, a bogey earns 1 point, par 2, birdie 3 and eagle 4; double bogey or worse earns 0. The highest points total wins.
Try it: choose gross scoring, or agree the correct Playing Handicap and stroke allocation for net scoring. Net score is gross strokes, including penalties, minus handicap strokes received on that hole. When no points remain possible, picking up can keep the round moving.
1 point
Standard Stableford with par as the target, not Modified Stableford. Enter a negative handicap stroke value if you give strokes back on this hole.
Match play · win the hole, then start fresh
Compete hole by hole. The lower score wins the hole; equal scores tie it. Being “2 up” means you have won two more holes than your opponent. The match ends when your lead exceeds the holes remaining.
Example: you win the first hole and tie the second. You are still 1 up. An expensive triple bogey loses a hole, rather than adding three strokes to a cumulative match total.
Agree handicaps before starting. Concessions and other match-play procedures differ from stroke play; use the official rule for competition.
Four-ball · your own ball, your partner’s backup
Two partners each play their own ball. The side’s score for a hole is the lower of the two scores. It can be played as match play or stroke play.
Example: you make 6 and your partner makes 4. Your side records 4 for that hole in gross four-ball stroke play. With handicaps, compare the appropriate net scores.
Key difference: four-ball is not a scramble. You do not move your ball to your partner’s better position.
Scramble · team golf with agreed conditions
A common scramble has everyone tee off, the team choose a shot, and teammates play their next shots from the selected location under the event’s procedures. Repeat to the hole.
Before starting: agree team size, handicaps, minimum tee shots, how to place or drop near the chosen spot, bunker procedures and putting order. There is no universal “one club-length into the fairway” privilege. A rough-to-fairway improvement needs permission in the event’s conditions.
Weekend variation: a two-person scramble can make an approachable social round. Set the procedures in writing; official competitions need their own Terms.
The scorecard is a simple CSV for recording scores. It does not assign handicaps or replace the event’s official scorecard.
A plan beats another bucket
Give your practice a purpose.
A simple Fore Alarm practice framework. Choose your experience and the time you have, then measure one thing.
Know what belongs in your bag
Useful gear. Clear decisions.
Buy for a problem you actually have. Here’s what to consider before adding another gadget to the cart.
Rangefinders: buy confidence, not extra buttons
Decide whether you prefer a laser measurement to a target or a GPS view of the hole. Compare readability, ease of use, charging or batteries and return terms. A slope feature and its permitted use are separate questions: check your competition’s Rules and Local Rules.
Experienced golfer’s check: consistent target identification and clear yardages may matter more to you than features you rarely use.
Explore golf tech & electronics →Training aids: start with one measurable goal
Choose one skill: start line, strike, tempo or setup. Look for a clear drill, a way to check your result and a setup you can use regularly. Avoid buying an aid just because it promises to fix everything.
Before buying: check dimensions, surface requirements and whether you have a safe place to practise. If you are unsure what to work on, a qualified instructor can help you choose.
Explore training aids →Brushes, towels and markers: simple things done well
For a brush, compare bristle material, attachment and storage. For a towel, consider size and how you carry it. For a marker, choose something easy to identify and handle. Check the actual product specifications and care instructions.
You do not need to replace an accessory that already works. Spend on the inconvenience you actually notice during a round.
Explore golf accessories →Carry, total, gapping and net: the quick translation
Carry: distance through the air to the first landing. Total: carry plus bounce and rollout. Gapping: the spacing between your clubs’ usual distances. Net score: gross score adjusted for the applicable handicap strokes.
Know your carry when deciding whether a shot can clear trouble. Use your own measured numbers; a club’s name does not guarantee a distance.
Handicap Index, Course Handicap and Playing Handicap
Your Handicap Index represents your demonstrated ability. Course Handicap translates it for the course and tees. Playing Handicap applies the allowance for the format of play.
Use your official Index and accurate course inputs. This toolbox does not issue an official Handicap Index or post scores.
Open the official USGA calculator ↗