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Leven's Original Playing Rules

At the opening meeting of the Innerleven Golf Club the following Rules for playing golf at Dubbieside (or Innerleven) were adopted unanimously.  These Rules predate the Rules of Golf as laid down by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, but bear a remarkable similarity to the first set of the Rules of Golf from the R & A.

Regulations for playing the Game

First

 In teeing the ball no golfer shall be allowed to place the ball nearer the hole than three club lengths nor further from it than five
2 No person is to be allowed to take the tee from the ground within five club lengths of the hole
3 A ball when struck from the tee is not to be changed until the hole is played out except both parties agree to it or when the balls be within six inches of each other when the ball nearest the hole shall be lifted until the other is played
4 All stones bones or other obstructions whatever shall be allowed to be removed if within one club length of the ball and in whins those behind the ball may be removed
5 In the sand no removal of obstruction shall be allowed except when the ball lies hollow when a single scrape behind following up the stroke at the same time may be allowed and when the ball lies covered in water it may be droped (sic) abreast without losing a stroke but if not half covered it shall be played as from the green
6 If a ball is so placed that it is not playable it is to be droped over the head the party so droping it facing the hole and to be played by the iron or the putter the party playing to lose no stroke
7 A lost ball played form whatever situation is a lost hole and is considered lost if not found in ten minutes
8 If a ball is stopped (sic) by the players partner or any of their cadies (sic) it is a lost hole to the party whose ball is stopped but if it is stopped by an adversary intentionally it is a lost hole to the party so stopping it
9 No party is allowed to strike off from the hole till the preceding party have played their second shots
10 Two balls are allowed precedence of three but on no other occasion shall one party be allowed to pass or take precedence of the other
11 In playing for the medal the person holing fifteen holes with the lowest strokes gains it but in the event of a lost ball the player shall be at liberty to put down another at the place where the lost one was struck from and lose a stroke
Lastly When a ball is drawn into any garden it shall be thrown out abreast the player losing a stroke but when driven into any other enclosure when playable it shall be played as from the green