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14 May 1754, the Society of St Andrews Golfers adopted the Gentlemen Golfers' rules from ten years earlier, but with a slightly amended Rule 5.
Rule 13 was copied verbatim, although it is thought by historians that no "soldiers lines" existed at St Andrews.
[1744_Leith] [1754_St Andrews] [1773_Bruntsfield] [1775_Leith] [1776_Bruntsfield] [1783_Aberdeen] [1786_Crail]
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Articles and Laws in playing the Golf
1. You must Tee your Ball within a Club length of the Hole.
2. Your Tee must be upon the Ground.
3. You are not to Change the Ball which you Strike off the Tee.
4. You are not to remove Stones, Bones or any Break Club, for the Sake of playing your Ball, Except upon the fair Green, and that only within a Club length of your ball.
5. If your Ball comes among Water, or any Watery filth, you are at Liberty to take out
your Ball, and bring throwing it behind the hazard 6 yards at least and teeing it, You
may play it with any Club, and allow your Adversary a Stroke, for so getting out your Ball.
6. If your Balls be found any Where touching one another, You are to lift the first Ball, till you play the last.
7. At holeing, you are to play your Ball honestly for the Hole, and not to play upon your Adversary’s Ball, not lying in your way to the Hole.
8. If you should lose your Ball, by its being taken up, or any other way You are to go back to the Spot, where you struck last, and drop another Ball, and allow your Adversary a Stroke for the Misfortune.
9. No man at Holeing his Ball, is to be Allowed to Mark his Way to the Hole with his Club or any thing else.
10. If a Ball be Stop’d by any Person, Horse, Dog or any thing else, the Ball so Stop’d must be played where it lyes.
11. If you draw your Club, in Order to Strike, and proceed so far in the Stroke as to be bringing down your Club; if then, your Club shall break, in any way, it is to be Accounted a Stroke.
12. He, whose Ball lyes farthest from the Hole, is Obliged to play first.
13. Neither Trench, Ditch or Dyke, made for the preservation of the Links, nor the Scholars Holes, or the Soldiers lines, shall be Accounted a Hazard; But the Ball is to be taken out, Teed and play’d with any Iron Club.
The Noblemen and Gentlemen above named being Admirers of the Ancient and healthfull exercise of the Golf, and at the same time having the Interest and prosperity of the Ancient City of St Andrews at heart, being the Alma Mater of the Golf, Did in the Year of our Lord 1754 Contribute for a Silver Club Weighing pounds ounces and having a St Andrew Engraved on the head thereof, to be played for on the Links of St Andrews upon the 14th day of May said year and yearly in time coming subject to the Conditions and Regulations following...
As many Noblemen or Gentlemen or other Golfers from any part of Great Britain or Ireland, as shall book themselves on, or before the day appointed for the Annual Match, shall have the priviledge of playing for the said Club, Each Signer paying Five Shillings Sterling at Signing in this book, which is to lye in the house of Mrs Williamson in St Andrews, or in the Custody of Robert Douglas, merchant there who is appointed Clerk ad vitam aut ad culpam.
The second winner of this Club in 1755 was Thomas Boswall, the man who signed the
1758 amendment to the Gentlemen Golfer's 1744 rules.
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