Member vote at annual meeting

I say no it is not proper. The BOD can make/modify rules as they see fit.

Is this a proposed rule listed on the annual meeting agenda? It seems to me that a proposed rule would be discussed or voted on by the board at a board meeting, not an annual meeting.

What do you mean that the proposed "guidelines" aren't mentioned in "the rules." do you mean in the covenants? Are you saying there is nothing in your covenants about architectural guidelines?

I'm having rouble following your post, CjC.

Note: Prior posts indicate this is a HOA which either has or had a golf course.

-- Can you share in what state this HOA is? Some states' statutes may have something to say about the power of owners to throw out architectural rules. If you share your state, I will check.

-- Per any given HOA's governing documents, owners en masse have only a few powers. Few though these powers may number, nonetheless these powers are pretty large.

-- In particular, the HOA's governing documents always give the owners the power to (1) elect new directors; and (2) amend the governing documents. These are the main, proper and legal routes to overturn a board decision.

-- I have yet to see a HOA where the governing documents assigns owners carte blanche to overturn any board decision. This would be highly unusual and goes against the legal structure of a shareholder corporation (which a HOA is).

-- It's entirely possible that the rule the Board established is in fact not lawful. Boards may not create what are essentially new covenants. Whatever Architectural rule the Board creates has to be within the "boundaries" of the covenants. Creating rules that clearly go outside the covenants is called 'restricting free enjoyment of property', and is not lawful. To correct such a situation, one can either elect new directors or go to court.