Have you ever thought about becoming a referee at a Provincial Championship? Or are you a player looking to gain a competitive edge by mastering the Rules of Golf?

Golf Ontario’s Level 2 Rules of Golf Program is your gateway to a deeper understanding of the game. This comprehensive program, taught by nationally certified Golf Canada RulesReferees, provides an engaging and intuitive approach to the concepts, procedures, and outcomes that shape golf today.

Whether you’re interested in officiating, teaching, or competing, this program will help you confidently apply the Rules of Golf both on and off the course.

Why Enroll?

• Learn from experienced, nationally certified instructors
• Gain practical insights into the Rules of Golf
• Enhance your ability to officiate, teach, or compete effectively

Golf Ontario is committed to administering the Rules of Golf education to member clubs and golfers across the province. For additional rules resources, check out our Rules of Golf page.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER TODAY

Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back to the game you love? 

Golf Ontario is now recruiting passionate volunteers for the 2026 season to help us deliver world-class championships and live our mission of ‘Shaping Lives by Connecting People to Positive Golf Experiences.’ 

Whether you can lend a few hours each month or take on a more regular commitment, your time and enthusiasm make a real difference. Our volunteers are the backbone of more than 100 qualifiers and championships each year, helping ensure that every event runs smoothly and professionally. 

Volunteer Roles 

Tournament Officials 

Tournament Officials assist in administering Golf Ontario Qualifiers and Championships throughout the season. These volunteers play key roles in registration, starting, scoring and monitoring pace of play. 
 
Each tournament is supported by Certified Referees, but Tournament Officials are essential for event execution and player experience. 
 
Assignments typically begin in late March, with efforts made to match volunteers to nearby events to minimize travel. New officials are often paired with experienced volunteers for training and mentorship. 

Referees 

Certified Referees play a critical role at Golf Ontario Provincial Qualifiers and Championships, as well as at events run by partner organizations such as the PGA of Ontario, Ontario Colleges, and Ontario Universities. 
 
To serve as a Referee, volunteers must have successfully completed at least Level 2 of Golf Canada’s Rules of Golf Education Program and demonstrate a strong understanding of the Rules of Golf. 
 
Referees work closely with fellow officials to apply the rules consistently, make confident decisions under pressure, and ensure fair play across all events. 
 
If you’re interested in becoming a Referee but haven’t yet completed the required training, you can start by applying as a Tournament Volunteer. Active Golf Ontario volunteers are eligible for rules education subsidies to support their certification journey. 

From Our Volunteers 

“As a volunteer with Golf Ontario, I feel that I am part of a professional organization dedicated to growing the game of golf. Golf Ontario has provided the resources, training, and support necessary to keep us engaged and feeling valued. I love the game, and volunteering with Golf Ontario is an extension of that passion.” 
— Theresa, Kralovensky Golf Ontario Volunteer 

How to Get Involved 

We’re currently welcoming applications from across Ontario, with particular need in the Niagara, London, Waterloo and Simcoe regions. 

Application deadline: December 19, 2025 
Learn more and apply: www.golfontario.ca/volunteering 
Questions? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@golfontario.ca 

Accessing the Official R&A Rules of Golf has become easier as Golf Canada has integrated them into its popular Golf Canada Mobile App.

This inclusion allows golfers of all levels and abilities to quickly reference the Official Rules of Golf and find answers to common situations that emerge on the course through the Player’s Rule Finder.

With nearly 30 diagrams and over 50 how-to videos, golfers will reduce confusion and uncertainty by learning the ins-and-outs of the game directly from the R&A. Along with the USGA, the R&A has been golf’s leading governing body responsible for the rules of the game.

“The integration into the Golf Canada Mobile App allows more straightforward access to the rules of golf,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Director, Amateur Championships and Rules, Golf Canada.

“Golfers will be able to determine the specific rule-related situations they encounter on the course more easily through the Player’s Rules Finder interface. In addition to the rules of golf, there are resources on committee procedures and the Rules of Amateur Status, amongst other helpful tools. To provide access to even more Canadian golfers, the app is available in both English and French,” added McKenna.

With more than 300,000 Canadian golfers using the Golf Canada Mobile App on an annual basis to post scores, find courses from coast-to-coast, build scorecards, discover course maps, and specific GPS distances, the inclusion of the Rules of Golf will allow Canadian golfers to access first-hand situational knowledge by applying golf’s official rules during their round.

To view the Rules of Golf on the Golf Canada Mobile App, select “More” then scroll down and click on “Rules of golf”.

Also included in the latest version of the Golf Canada Mobile App is an enhanced scorecard graphic. This feature builds on the August 2023 app feature release aimed to help golfers stay connected off the course, highlighted by the ability for golfers to post images and videos to document their rounds.

Increase the fun, shoot lower scores, impress your group by flashing your newfound golf knowledge and share your scorecards.

Join Canada’s largest golf community by downloading the Golf Canada App today. It’s free and available in the App Store and Google Play.

Did you know that the Golf Canada App is just one of the many benefits of being a Golf Ontario Member? If you’re not already a member and looking to become one, CLICK HERE to learn more about all the amazing benefits.

By Golf Canada

As the National Sport Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), has unveiled a preview of the proposed new Rules of Golf. This joint initiative was designed to modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply. 

The online release of this preview by the R&A and USGA begins a six-month feedback and evaluation period during which all golfers worldwide can learn about the proposed changes and provide input before they are finalized in 2018 and take effect on 1 January 2019.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review process that began in 2012 with a working group of key R&A and USGA Rules administrators, a Golf Canada representative, professional tour officials and other Rules experts. While the Rules are revised every four years, this is the first fundamental review since 1984, and was established to ensure the Rules fit the needs of today’s game and the way it is played around the world.

David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “Our aim is to make the Rules easier to understand and to apply for all golfers. We have looked at every Rule to try to find ways to make them more intuitive and straightforward, and we believe we have identified many significant improvements. It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played, but we have been careful not to change the game’s longstanding principles and character.”

“We are excited and encouraged by the potential this work brings, both through the proposed new Rules and the opportunities to use technology to deliver them,” said Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules & Amateur Status for the USGA. “We look forward to an ongoing conversation with golfers during the feedback period in the months ahead.”

“There was considerable effort, exploration and dialogue around how these proposed changes would both modernize the Rules and make them easier for all golfers to understand and apply,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “We encourage Canadian golf enthusiasts to review the proposed Rules changes and participate in the feedback process of the next six months.”

The proposed 24 new Rules, reduced from the current 34, have been written in a user-friendly style with shorter sentences, commonly used phrases, bulleted lists and explanatory headings. The initiative also focuses on assessing the overall consistency, simplicity and fairness of the Rules for play.

The Rules are currently delivered in more than 30 languages, and the proposed wording will support easier translation worldwide. When adopted, the Rules will be supported by technology that allows the use of images, videos and graphics.

Highlights of the proposed Rule changes include: 

– Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties: There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

– Relaxed putting green rules: There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

– Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

– Relaxed bunker rules: There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

– Relying on player integrity: A player’s “reasonable judgment” when estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance will be upheld, even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged.

– Pace-of-play support: Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

– Simplified way of taking relief: A new procedure for taking relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from a specific relief area; relaxed procedures for dropping a ball, allowing the ball to be dropped from just above the ground or any growing thing or other object on the ground.

A series of materials have also been prepared to explain the proposed Rule changes and provide background on the initiative. Found on randa.org and usga.org/rules, they include:

– Overview of the Rules Modernization Initiative: goals, proposed changes and process for implementation in 2019

– Draft New Rules of Golf for 2019: the full text of proposed Rules 1-24 and Definitions

– Draft Player’s Edition of the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Written from the perspective of “you” the golfer, this shorter version covers the most commonly used Rules and is meant to be the rule book golfers will use when finalized and adopted in 2019

– Explanation for Each Major Proposed Change in the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Short summaries of each major proposed change

– Summary chart of major changes

– Videos and Infographics: Visual explanations of the proposed Rules.

Golfers are encouraged to review the proposed changes and submit feedback online via worldwide survey technology that can be accessed at randa.org or usga.org/rules from now until 31 August 2017.

The feedback will be reviewed by golf’s governing bodies in establishing the approved final version of golf’s new Rules. These are due to be released in mid-2018 ahead of a 1 January 2019 implementation. Social media users can also follow the discussion using #GolfRules2019.

Players are reminded that the current 2016 Edition of the Rules of Golf remain in force when playing, posting scores or competing, until the new Rules are officially adopted by The R&A and the USGA as well as Golf Canada in 2019. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process.