The R&A and USGA did not always play by the same rules?

For much of the early 20th century, golf had two competing rule systems. The R&A governed golf throughout most of the world, while the USGA controlled golf in America, and the two organizations sometimes interpreted situations differently.

A golfer competing internationally could face different rules depending on which side of the Atlantic they were playing. Even major issues such as penalties, equipment regulations and playing procedures were not always identical.

This changed in 1951, when representatives from the R&A and USGA met to create the first truly unified Rules of Golf. The new rules came into effect in 1952 and created a common language for golfers around the world.