I have often written in this space about the culture of golf. To many, golf is perceived as a stuffy, elitist, exclusive activity with too many unnecessary rules. Among the many issues with golf rules that have occurred of late include the Dustin Johnson penalty at the 2016 US Open and the Lexi Thompson penalty at the 2018 ANA Inspiration event. As a result of these and other situations, combined with an effort to spur interest in the game, beginning January 1, 2019 a revised rules of golf, as promulgated by the USGA and R & A will take effect. This is a good thing. Simplifying the rules of golf makes the game more inviting, especially to the casual golfers we need for growth.