Local Rules: The fun part of the rules

No two golf courses are the same, and the differences are usually due to unusual geographic features. To allow for these unique traits, Local Rules are adopted at a course so the game can be played fairly. Here's an example: “When shots miss the fairway and rough at Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah, they often land on volcanic rock. A Local Rule allows golfers to carry and use a 15th club—a ‘rock club’—to avoid damaging their regular clubs.” The April issue of Golf Digest, on the newsstand, features a column on similar Local Rules; it’s also the magazine’s Masters preview issue, featuring a cover story on Phil Mickelson’s driver secrets and an excerpt from Tom Callahan’s new bio on Arnold Palmer.