PDGA CERTIFIED RULES CERTIFIED QUALITY EXAM UPDATED
2026) QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE ANSWERS
You throw your tee shot, which strikes a tree about halfway
down the fairway and disappears from view. The rules sheet
has no notes for the hole. When your group gets down to the
area where your disc was last seen, it's nowhere to be found.
What happens next?
A. You may look for your disc as long as you're not impeding
play, 802.03. If the group behind you catches up to you, you
must search for no more than three minutes, 805.03.a, before
re-teeing, throwing three, 805.03.c.
B. The whole group must help you search for no more than
three minutes, 805.03.a&b. If the disc is not found, you must
take a penalty throw and re-tee, throwing three, 805.03.d.
C. If you cannot find the disc, your group must agree on a lie
from which you will keep playing the hole, 805.03.d. You do not
receive a penalty throw, because losing a disc is punishment
enough.
D. The fact that you can lose a disc is proof that the course
was improperly prepped. The event director must throw out
the scores for that hole for all competitors, 811.f.6.
Answer b
Page 1 of 23
,Question 17 of 25
Your group is playing a hole where there is a small pond with
slippery footing on a 2 meter slope leading up to the fairway
from the pond's edge. A player in your group throws a tee shot
which skips and rolls into the pond. When they go to mark
their lie and retrieve their disc, they fall down twice because of
the bad footing. The rules sheet only says "pond ob." can the
player give themselves better footing?
A. Yes, the player may take optional relief as far back along the
line of play as they wish without penalty, 803.02.e.
B. Yes, the lie is unplayable, and the player may throw from the
first available safe lie as determined by the group, 803.02.a.
C. No, the player must play the disc within a one-meter line of
where it was last in bounds, 806.02.d.2.
D. No, the player must stand in the pond as close as possible
to where the disc ended up, holding their breath if necessary,
800.
Answer a
Page 2 of 23
, Question 18 of 25
You're walking up to your drive, and you see that it's
surrounded by angry, swarming yellowjackets. Do you have to
play the throw as it lies?
A. Yes, and you get two penalty throws for disturbing the
yellowjackets because they are part of the course, 803.03.a.
B. No, but only if you're allergic to yellowjacket stings, 801.01.a.
C. Yes, playing the disc as it lies is a fundamental part of disc
golf, 800.
D. No, you get relief from harmful insects, 803.02.a.
Answer d
Question 19 of 25
A player in your group has a difficult, blind upshot around
dense foliage. The player grabs a disc and a towel and walks
around the foliage to see the target, points one arm to the
target and one to their lie, and places the towel on the ground.
The player returns to their lie, lines their shot up with the
towel, and throws around the foliage, landing 3 meters from
the target. This all happens within 30 seconds of the player
Page 3 of 23
2026) QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE ANSWERS
You throw your tee shot, which strikes a tree about halfway
down the fairway and disappears from view. The rules sheet
has no notes for the hole. When your group gets down to the
area where your disc was last seen, it's nowhere to be found.
What happens next?
A. You may look for your disc as long as you're not impeding
play, 802.03. If the group behind you catches up to you, you
must search for no more than three minutes, 805.03.a, before
re-teeing, throwing three, 805.03.c.
B. The whole group must help you search for no more than
three minutes, 805.03.a&b. If the disc is not found, you must
take a penalty throw and re-tee, throwing three, 805.03.d.
C. If you cannot find the disc, your group must agree on a lie
from which you will keep playing the hole, 805.03.d. You do not
receive a penalty throw, because losing a disc is punishment
enough.
D. The fact that you can lose a disc is proof that the course
was improperly prepped. The event director must throw out
the scores for that hole for all competitors, 811.f.6.
Answer b
Page 1 of 23
,Question 17 of 25
Your group is playing a hole where there is a small pond with
slippery footing on a 2 meter slope leading up to the fairway
from the pond's edge. A player in your group throws a tee shot
which skips and rolls into the pond. When they go to mark
their lie and retrieve their disc, they fall down twice because of
the bad footing. The rules sheet only says "pond ob." can the
player give themselves better footing?
A. Yes, the player may take optional relief as far back along the
line of play as they wish without penalty, 803.02.e.
B. Yes, the lie is unplayable, and the player may throw from the
first available safe lie as determined by the group, 803.02.a.
C. No, the player must play the disc within a one-meter line of
where it was last in bounds, 806.02.d.2.
D. No, the player must stand in the pond as close as possible
to where the disc ended up, holding their breath if necessary,
800.
Answer a
Page 2 of 23
, Question 18 of 25
You're walking up to your drive, and you see that it's
surrounded by angry, swarming yellowjackets. Do you have to
play the throw as it lies?
A. Yes, and you get two penalty throws for disturbing the
yellowjackets because they are part of the course, 803.03.a.
B. No, but only if you're allergic to yellowjacket stings, 801.01.a.
C. Yes, playing the disc as it lies is a fundamental part of disc
golf, 800.
D. No, you get relief from harmful insects, 803.02.a.
Answer d
Question 19 of 25
A player in your group has a difficult, blind upshot around
dense foliage. The player grabs a disc and a towel and walks
around the foliage to see the target, points one arm to the
target and one to their lie, and places the towel on the ground.
The player returns to their lie, lines their shot up with the
towel, and throws around the foliage, landing 3 meters from
the target. This all happens within 30 seconds of the player
Page 3 of 23
