THE INSIDE TRACK : THE HOT CORNER : A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.

What: “Golf Rules Plain & Simple”

Cost: $10.95; Harper Resource Books; (212) 207-7520

Mark Russell is a PGA Tour rules official who knows better. That’s really why he wrote this book, along with John Andrisani, which presents 37 situations requiring golf rules, then solves them.

Of course, there are about 37,377 actual situations requiring golf rules but Russell has come up with some of the more common ones.

For instance, do you know how to drop your ball the right way? It’s covered right there in Rule Situation 12.

Russell, a rules official for 20 years, covers water hazards, lifting an embedded ball, unplayable lies, taking relief from immovable obstructions and searching too long for a lost ball. Drink cart rule situations are not covered. Maybe that will be in Russell’s Part II.

A former golf instructor, Russell is the former director of golf at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. So there is no longer any need to worry about the Mickey Mouse rules out on the course.

Photographs and diagrams accompany the text in the book, which is small enough to stick in your back pocket. Or maybe use as a tee if you’re in the rough.