Amateur news: Club length, clubhead size and an increase in prize money available to amateur golfers are among the many changes introduced by the Royal and Ancient in the latest publication of the Rules of Golf.

The new edition of the Rules of Golf is the most revised for 20 years. Each one of the 34 rules that govern play has been amended, with the emphasis on making them easier to understand for all golfers. The Rules of Golf, now in its 30th edition, is published as a unified code every four years by the R&A and the USGA.

Commenting on the changes, which are effective from January 1st, 2004, R&A rules secretary David Rickman said: "In an essentially self-regulating sport, players need the rules readily available and as simple to understand as we can make them.

"The latest revision benefits from expert linguistic advice and players will see more plain language in the new pocket-sized book. This is the biggest change in content and presentation of the rules for 20 years and, while the rules remain detailed and precise, we have clarified and simplified them where possible."

Announcing Rolex as the new sponsor of the publication, Royal and Ancient assistant secretary Michael Tate said: "We are delighted that Rolex, a Patron of the British Open Championship, has also agreed to sponsor the Rules of Golf.

"Their support means we can make rule books available free of charge to golfers around the world."

The R&A produces four million copies of the rule book in English and in audio CD format for visually-impaired players. Golf Unions affiliated to the R&A, reproduce the Rules of Golf under licence in 21 other languages, ranging from Arabic to siSwati (Swaziland).

In addition to language improvements throughout, other major changes include an expanded etiquette section, with the ultimate sanction of disqualification for a serious breach; the dropping of Rule 18-2c covering the removal of loose impediments, which has stood for over 100 years; and a new ruling on club length and clubhead size, designed to draw a line in the sand for future technology developments.

The R&A and the USGA were jointly advised on the language used in the new publication by Professor Kenneth Chapman, a linguistics expert and author of The Rules of The Green, a history of the rules of golf.

The R&A will conduct a series of rules seminars based on the revised rules of play for national golf unions in Japan, New Zealand and Australia before the end of 2003; in Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador in the new year and in several African and European countries in the Spring and Autumn of 2004.

Companion publications to the R&A Rules of Golf, Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2004-2005 and Golf Rules Illustrated 2004 are published next month by Hamlyn and are available at €21.50.

Copies of the R&A Rules of Golf are reproduced under licence in 21 languages in addition to English: Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi (Iran), French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, siSwati (Swaziland) and Swedish.

Meanwhile, the Royal and Ancient has also announced revisions to the rules of amateur status that provide for an increased prize limit for amateur golfers and an earlier return to the amateur ranks for former professional players.

The value of a prize that an amateur golfer may accept in an event is increased from €435 to €725.

Also long standing professional golfers who wish to compete in amateur events, will see their time awaiting reinstatement to the amateur game, reduced from three years to two in the latest revision of the rules.

In addition, the R&A have reduced the minimum period awaiting reinstatement for breaches of the rules from two years to one year.

Announcing the changes to the Rules of Amateur Status effective from 1st January, 2004, Rickman said:

"Periodically we increase the amateur prize limit to keep it at an appropriate level and in this revision we have also taken the opportunity to reduce the waiting time for professionals, who wish to return to the amateur game."

The new Rules of Amateur Status are reproduced in R&A Rules of Golf, the most widely read rule book in sport.