The USGA and R&A, golf’s governing bodies, have proposed some changes to the Rules of Golf, in an effort to modernize the games. In the above linked article, each “new” rule is listed with a video and a list of reasons for the proposed changes.

Here  are most of the changes (with my comments in italics):

• No penalty for accidentally moving your ball during search.
  This makes perfect sense as I may have to step on or kick my ball in order to “find” it in fescue or leaves.
• No Penalty for Moving Ball on the Putting Green.
  This could be called the Dustin Johnson Rule after the fiasco as last year’s U.S. Open.
• No penalty for accidentally moving your ball or ball-marker on the putting green.
  Once again, perfect sense.
• New standard to determine if you caused your ball to move.
  This rule still makes no sense, although they have changed the wording from “more likely than not to have caused it to move to “known or virtually certain”, meaning at least 95% certain, to have been the cause of the ball moving, which still leaves too much ambiguity.
• When the original location of a ball is not known, replace the ball on its estimated spot.
• No penalty if your ball in motion is accidentally deflected by you, your equipment, or your caddie.
  From now on everyone should leave their bag or a club next to the hole whenever they are chipping or putting.  Your scores will be greatly improved.
• Measuring the Size of the Relief Area Where a Ball Must Be Dropped and Played

  The focus of the new dropping procedure would be on a specific “relief area” of either 20 or 80 inches from a reference point or reference line.

• Proposed New Procedure for Dropping a Ball

  The only requirement will be for you to hold the ball above the ground and let it go so that it falls through the air before coming to rest.
  Everyone will be crouching and dropping the ball from a height of 2 inches onto an specific spot.  

• Where a Dropped Ball Must Come to Rest

  The ball must come to rest in the relief area where it was dropped, or else the ball must be redropped.

• Fixed Distance (Not Club-Lengths) Used for Measuring

  The relief area will be measured by a fixed distance of either 20 or 80 inches from the reference point or the reference line.
  You’ll need to be sure to have a measuring tape in your bag.

• Time For Search Before Ball is Lost

  A ball is lost if not found in three minutes (rather than the current 5 minutes).

• Substitution of Ball Always Allowed When Taking Relief

  A player may always substitute a ball when taking relief.

• Relief For an Embedded Ball

  Relief allowed without penalty for an embedded ball anywhere (except in sand) in the “general area” (a new term for “through the green”).

• When to Replace a Ball That Moves on the Putting Green

  Always replace your ball on its original spot, even if it was blown by the wind or moved for no clear reason.

• Repairing Damage on the Putting Green

  Repair of almost any damage allowed on the putting green (including spike marks and animal damage).
  Players will not be using their putters to tap down a trough from their ball to the hole.

• Touching Line of Play on a Putting Green

  No penalty for touching your line of play on the putting green so long as doing so does not improve the conditions for your stroke.

• Ball Played From Green Hits Unattended Flagstick in Hole

  No penalty if your ball played from the putting green (or anywhere else) hits the unattended flagstick in the hole.

• Areas the Committee May Mark as Penalty Areas

  Areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc. (in addition to areas of water) may now be marked as red or yellow “penalty areas.”
  Weren’t most courses already doing this?

• Touching or Moving Loose Impediments or Touching the Ground in a Penalty Area

  No penalty for moving loose impediments, touching the ground, or grounding your club in a penalty area.

• Expanded Use of Red-Marked Penalty Areas

  Committees are given the discretion to mark any penalty area as red so that lateral relief is always allowed.

• Elimination of Opposite Side Relief for Red Penalty Areas

  Relief from a red penalty area no longer allowed on the opposite side from where the ball last entered the penalty area.
  Virtually no one knew this was a rule anyways.

• Moving or Touching Loose Impediments or Touching Sand in a Bunker

  Relaxed Rules relating to loose impediments and touching the ground in a bunker.
  Finally it will be possible to remove the pebbles that can mess up a good bunker shot.  

• Unplayable Ball in Bunker

  Relief allowed outside a bunker for an unplayable ball for two penalty strokes.

• Use of Clubs Damaged During Round

  A club damaged during a round can continue to be used, even if you damaged it in anger.
  This is dangerous.

• Adding Clubs to Replace a Club Damaged During Round

  You will not be allowed to replace a damaged club during a round if you were responsible for the damage.

• Use of Distance-Measuring Devices

  The use of DMDs will be allowed unless a Local Rule has been adopted prohibiting their use.

• Caddie Standing Behind a Player to Help Line the Player Up

  A caddie is not allowed to stand on a line behind a player while the player is taking his or her stance and until stroke is made.

• Caddie Lifting Ball on the Putting Green

  A caddie may lift and replace a player’s ball on the putting green without the player’s specific authorization to do so.
  Has this ever happened?

• Encouraging Prompt Pace of Play

  It is recommended that you play “ready golf” and make each stroke in no more than 40 seconds.

  A new “Maximum Score” form of stroke play is recognized, where a player’s score for a hole is capped at a max score.
  Kevin Na wants this one.

• Code of Player Conduct

  Committees are given authority to adopt their own code of player conduct and to set penalties for breaches of that code.

• Elimination of the Requirement to Announce the Player’s Intent to Lift a Ball

  When you have good reason to mark and lift your ball, you are no longer required to first announce your intention.

• Reasonable Judgment in Estimating and Measuring

  A player’s reasonable judgment will not be second-guessed based on later evidence.
  This is because Tiger cheated when he took his drop in the Players Championship.  He gained over 100 yards on his drop by saying his drive hooked over a some land before going in the water, when everyone there and the NBC cameras showed he hooked it straight into the lake.