Golf's rulebook may be notoriously heavy, and to the outsider seem unnecessarily complicated, but its foundations are the simple principles of fairness, which are printed on the back cover of the R&A's official rulebook - "Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair."

However, despite the simplicity of such a concept, golf rules are constantly evolving as case decisions are referred back to the R&A and the USGA for formal rulings and updates, and amendments are regularly sent out.

In essence, all golfers are not so much competing against each other as against the course and the Golf rules are used not to prevent cheating, but to ensure that standards of sportsmanship remain high.

There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Any golfer who has ever received "payment or compensation for giving instruction or played golf for money" is not considered an amateur.

However, amateurs may receive expenses, provided they adhere to strict R&A guidelines, and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by the same rules.

In addition to the official Golf rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf etiquette, which cover matters such as safety, fairness, easiness and pace of play, and a player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course.

Examples include not talking during another player's swing, not walking on an opponent's putting line on the green, raking bunkers after playing out of them, repairing pitch marks and replacing divots.