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Golf Rules Test – Eleven Questions And Answers

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:27:56 +0000

Golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes answers eleven questions on the rules of golf below.

If you would like you can read through and test yourself on each one and let me know how you did in the comments section below. There are no prizes, it would just be fun to know what answers came as a surprise, if any of them did.

Here goes with the first question:

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 1 :

Is it OK for a player to stick a lump of lead tape on her driver, for the purpose of adjusting its weight, before starting her round?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 1 :

Yes, but not during her round. Decision 4-1/4.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 2 :

If your ball lies in a red staked hazard – can the stake be removed if it’s obstructing your swing?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 2 :

Yes, stakes defining water hazards, whether red (lateral water hazards) or yellow (water hazards), may be removed providing that they can be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. If the Committee intends that the hazard stakes should not be removed (which is unusual) they will impose a Local Rule that states that they are immovable obstructions.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 3 :

Do you have to make a reasonable effort to find a ball that may be lost or out of bounds if you would prefer to continue play with a provisional ball that you have played to the middle of the fairway?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 3 :

No, there is nothing in the Rules to say that a player must search for their ball. However, if the original ball is found on the course before the player has played their next stroke with the provisional ball they have to continue play with it, even if it is unplayable (Rule 27-2c). If they do deem their original ball unplayable they are penalised one stroke and must choose one of the three relief options available under Rule 28.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 4 :

If you think that your ball is lost so you play another ball (not a provisional) are you permitted to search quickly for the original ball?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 4 :

Decision 27/9 directly answers your question;
Q. According to Rule 27, if a player hits his tee shot into the woods and tees up and plays another ball without announcing it as a provisional ball, the second ball becomes the ball in play and the original ball is lost. In such a case, is the player precluded from searching for his original ball?
A. No. But the player may not play the ball if he finds it and must not unduly delay play.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 5 :

You are on the putting green and your opponent in match play, or playing partner in a monthly medal stroke competition, makes a putt to the hole. Whilst his ball is in motion on its way to the hole, you bend down and mark your ball, are you penalised? Note, your ball is not interfering with his line of putt, you just happen to be standing over it and decide it maybe needs a bit of a clean etc. So in short, is there a penalty for you marking your ball on the putting green whilst another ball is in motion?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 5 :

If, as you say, a ball is not interfering with the line of putt (which includes a reasonable distance on either side of the intended line) then there is no penalty for marking and lifting it while another ball is in motion. Part of Rule 24-1 states;

“When a ball is in motion, an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball, other than equipment of any player or the flagstick when attended, removed or held up, must not be moved.”

Note that the lifted ball must not have been in a position to influence the movement of the ball in motion; otherwise there is a penalty under Rule 1-2, Exerting Influence on Ball. Also, the Definition of ‘Equipment’ makes it clear that a player’s ball in play is not part of his equipment for this situation.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 6 :

I have always understood that you cannot clean the ball by wiping it on the putting green but a fellow competitor disagrees. What is the correct ruling?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 6 :

Decision 16-1d/5 states that a ball may be cleaned by rubbing it on the putting green provided the act is not for the purpose of testing the surface of the putting green. However, it is recommended that a ball be cleaned in other ways to eliminate any question as to the player’s intentions and to protect the playing surface of the putting green.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 7 :

Today in stroke play I placed my club behind my ball and the ball moved. I replaced the ball and then took my shot. One of my paying partners said that was a penalty. Please what is the ruling?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 7 :

Yes, you definitely incurred a penalty of either one or two strokes, depending on whether you had addressed your ball, or not. If you had completed your address, that is you had taken your stance and had also grounded your club, then you are deemed to have moved the ball and must replace it under penalty of one stroke, Rule 18-2b. If you had not addressed your ball and did not cause it to move (e.g. it had been moved by the wind or gravity) then you should have played the ball from where it came to rest. By replacing the ball you incorrectly touched a ball in play (a one stroke penalty) and then played from the wrong place (a two stroke penalty, but the penalty for touching your ball is overridden, making two strokes in total) – Rule 20-7c.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 8 :

In a four-ball match my partner and I had teed off on the 18th hole when our opponents claimed that we had played out of turn, as they won the 16th and we had halved the 17th. They then claimed that we had lost the hole for playing out of turn. We asked them if they wanted to tee off and then we will play again but they insisted they had won the hole. Is this correct? The club has a Local Rule to play ‘as ready’ golf.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 8 :

Your opponents did not win the hole. In stroke play there is no penalty for paying out of turn, which is why so many Clubs encourage their members to play ‘as ready’. In match play there is no penalty, but there is an important difference, which is explained in Rule 10-1c;

“If a player plays when his opponent should have played, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke so made and, in correct order, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).”

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 9 :

Players A and B are involved in a match. A enters the teeing ground with two clubs, decides on one and places the other at one side, but inside both the tee markers. After A has holed out B informs him that he transgressed on the teeing ground and has incurred a loss of hole penalty. Is this right?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 9 :

Well this is one of the strangest (wrong) rulings that I have heard. No, there is categorically no Rule that prevents a player taking two clubs, ten clubs, or even a trolley containing a bag of clubs onto the teeing ground, though obviously I do not recommend the latter! Therefore, no penalty was incurred

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 10 :

A player hits his approach shot to a wrong green by mistake (shank, wrong alignment, etc,), and this wrong green is about 100m or so away from the intended green. I believe the player may not chip or play an iron shot from the green. Should the player putt his ball off that wrong green and then play a normal approach shot to the intended green or can he pick up his ball, drop it on the apron of the wrong green, nearest to the point of entry to this green?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 10 :

The answer to your question is in Rule 20-7b, which states;

If a player’s ball lies on a wrong putting green, he must not play the ball as it lies. He must take relief, without penalty, as follows:

The player must lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When dropping the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the wrong putting green and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green. The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule.

Penalty for Breach of Rule:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 11 :

On leaving the putting green in a stroke play competition can you play your ball to the next tee? I had heard that this incurs a penalty. Please can you advise?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 11 :

Part of Rule 7-2 states that players are permitted to practice putting or chipping on or near the putting green of the hole last played, any practice putting green, or the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round, provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play. The reason that some players think that these actions incur a penalty is because most Pro Tour events have a Condition of Competition that prohibits players from practising between holes.

I hope that I can encourage you to visit my blog on the Rules of Golf at http://www.barryrhodes.com. If you are interested in Rules situations I think that you will find it informative and will learn from it. You can ensure that you are notified of any new posting on this blog by subscribing at the top right corner of the home page. I promise that your email address will remain confidential and will never be shared with anyone else.

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Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

Do You Know These Six Rules of Golf?

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:08:24 +0000

Golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes answers six questions on the rules of golf below.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 1 :

I wonder if you would be able to solve a problem we are having within the club in regard to the Rules of Golf. The rule which is causing concern and some discussion is regarding ‘using the back of a club to hit a ball’. Whilst it states that a club may only have one hitting surface except in the case of a Putter which is so designed to have two parallel surfaces, I am unable to find a specific rule that states it is illegal to use the back of a club to hit a ball. Others differ and interpret the ‘one hitting surface’ as a rule in this regard. I would appreciate clarification in this regard, advising which particular rule applies and the appropriate penalty.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 1 :

I can confirm that it is within the Rules to make a stroke with the back, toe, or heel of any club, including the putter. However, it is not permitted to make a stroke with the grip end of the club. Decision 14-1 confirms this;

“Q. May a player play a left-handed stroke with the back of the head of a right-handed club?
A. Yes. A player may play a stroke with any part of the clubhead, provided the ball is fairly struck at (Rule 14-1) and the club conforms with Rule 4-1.”

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 2 :

What happens if you accidentally mark your ball on the apron of the green but do not clean it and then realise that it was not on the green and replace it? In stroke play and in match play with the Rule no. please.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 2 :

In either stroke play or match play there is a penalty of one stroke for touching your ball while it is in play, Rule 18-2a(i). There is no further penalty, even if the player does clean their ball, Decision 18-2a/13.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 3 :

I have been using a distance measuring device for the past few monthly games as it was granted a go ahead since the USGA allows such device. However, during the last game, the Tournament Director announced over the loud hailer before the shot gun start that this device is not allowed; unfortunately I was busy and never hear the announcement. So, my questions are as follows;
a. Does breach of rules for stroke play in above situation is 2 strokes penalty (by default) or immediate DQ?
b. Does the Committee have the right to over-rule the decision of the Tournament Director?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 3 :

You are correct in saying that the USGA permits the use of distance measuring devices, but only if the Committee makes a Local Rule allowing players to use them (Rule 14-3). The penalty for breaching this Rule is disqualification. I assume that the Tournament Director knew that the Committee had not introduced the Local Rule before he made the announcement.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 4 :

Wind is an outside agency and the ball must be played where it ends up, but what if a ball at rest on the green moves due to gravity (from being on a slight slope) or due to falling into a small indentation in the green underneath the ball – and before the player has addressed it?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 4 :

No, wind is not an Outside Agency. Part of the Definition states,
“Neither wind nor water is an outside agency.”

So, if a player’s ball moves before they have addressed it, but they did not cause it to move, there is no penalty and it has to be played from where it comes to rest, whether this is nearer or further away from the hole. It does not matter whether the ball moved due to wind, gravity or some other natural source.

You may find these two blogs of mine on similar subjects interesting;

http://www.barryrhodes.com/2009/04/when-wind-moves-your-ball-in-play.html
http://www.barryrhodes.com/2010/06/striking-moving-ball.html

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 5 :

Please inform me of what the following ruling would be. I thought I knew but somehow this eludes me. My ball is beside the green (in the fairway or rough) I have not addressed the ball, but make a practice swing and accidentally hit my ball. What do I do? Next, my ball is on the green and moves in the same manner. I am taking a practice putt and accidentally hit my ball. What do I do?

I know of instances of replacing the ball on the green and need clarification as when this happens.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 5 :

In both your scenarios when a player’s ball is in play, if he causes it to move, except as permitted by a Rule, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball must be replaced, (Rule 18-2a).

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 6 :

I really want to know what is the Rule of play for two scenarios below concerning order of play;
1. When two players are at different locations, one 20m from the hole but on the green and the other is 5m from the hole but off the green. What is the order of play?

2. Two players playing a par-5, index 2 in a stableford competition, one player, with a handicap of 1, holes out with 5 strokes resulting in 2 points and the other player, with a handicap of 20, holes out with 6 getting 3 points. Who will get the honour on the next tee? Does the honour depend on the points or strokes made for that particular hole?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 6 :

In answer to your first question, Rule 10-2b states that in stroke play,
“The ball farthest from the hole is played first. If two or more balls are equidistant from the hole or their positions relative to the hole are not determinable, the ball to be played first should be decided by lot.”

Therefore, the player whose ball is 20m from the hole plays first.

In answer to your second question, in a Stableford competition the person who scored the most points on the hole has the honour on the next teeing ground. Part of Rule 32-1 states;

“In handicap bogey, par and Stableford competitions, the competitor with the lowest net score at a hole takes the honour at the next teeing ground.”

So, in any competition where handicaps are taken into account on each hole the honour is determined by the net score for the hole. In a pure strokes competition, where the handicap is deducted at the end of the stipulated round, it is the gross score that determines the honour.

http://www.BarryRhodes.com – Miscellaneous content on the Rules of Golf.

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You Cannot Declare Your Ball Lost

Barry Rhodes — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:51:21 +0000

Here is an interesting question that I recently received on my blog site:

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Hi Barry,

I’m confused over you saying that you cannot declare your ball lost. If it is reasonable to assume that it is not in a hazard or out of bounds, I was under the assumption that you could declare it lost without looking for it? And I actually thought Phil Mickelson did this once in a tournament?

So I play ball A and it’s so far in some junk that I know unplayable lie relief would get me no-where. So without looking for ball A, I declare that I’m hitting a provisional for my lost ball. I like my position of ball B and declare on the tee that ball A is lost. Are you saying I breached a rule, and if so — could you point me to something more than the definition of Lost Ball? Because I looked there, and didn’t come to the same conclusion.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“First, let me say that this is a common area of confusion amongst golfers. But please believe me that nothing a player says will render their ball lost. Decision 27/6 from the Rules of Golf helps to clarify this statement;

Q. A player searched for his ball for two minutes, declared it lost and started back to play another ball at the spot from which the original ball was played. Before he put another ball into play, his original ball was found within the five-minute period allowed for search. What is the ruling?

A. A player cannot render a ball lost by a declaration — see Definition of “Lost Ball.” The original ball remained in play — see Definition of “Ball in Play.”

You were right to look at the definition of ‘Lost Ball’ because this lists the only circumstances that a ball can be lost;

A ball is deemed “lost” if:

a. It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player’s side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or

b. The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place (see Rule 27-2b); or

c. The player has put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 27-1a); or

d. The player has put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (see Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (see Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (see Rule 25-1c) or is in a water hazard (see Rule 26-1); or

e. The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball. Time spent in playing a wrong ball is not counted in the five-minute period allowed for search.

Of course, the correct thing to do if you definitely do not want to search for your original ball is to put another ball into play as quickly as possible, without declaring it as a provisional ball. As soon as you have done this, under penalty of stroke and distance, it does not matter if the original ball is found, as it is no longer in play.

I hope that this has clarified the lost ball situation for you.

Regards,

Barry Rhodes

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“Rub Of The Green” – Golf Rule 19-1

Barry Rhodes — Sun, 10 May 2009 19:08:38 +0000

Here is a golf rules question I received relating to “the rub of the green”!

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“After my second shot to our 18th on Sunday I was still about 30 metres short of the green.

The green keeper suddenly appeared and started watering the green with a rather thick hose. It;s really dry in NZ and I appreciate it needs to be done to save the greens.

I was waiting for him to finish when he waved us on. I was most reluctant to do this as the pin was on the back of the green and a
section of hose ran right across my flight path.

I used my loft wedge, the ball looked good in flight but hit the hose
and shot off the green into thick grass.

a) Can I replay my ball?
b) As my opposition replied it’s the rub of the green.”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Your friend is absolutely correct, it was ‘rub of the green’. Your ball was deflected by an outside agency and had to be played from where it came to rest (Rule 19-1). Think positively, if the hose had deflected your ball into the hole you would have holed out with your 30 metre pitch!”

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Losing Your Golf Ball In Casual Water

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:19:05 +0000

Here is a golf rules question I received earlier in the week relating to casual water.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A case last week, not sure of the ruling.

There was a quantity of water – which would be classed as casual – to one side of our 12th. A misplaced shot appeared to have gone into the water but could not be seen. The water was in a hollow and a few inches deep in the middle.

What rule governs such a situation and would the other three players have to agree that the water is where the ball finished up before further action is taken.

Best wishes

John”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The definition of Abnormal Ground Condition includes casual water.

Therefore Rule 25-1c is relevant: Ball in Abnormal Ground Condition Not Found. The Rule states; “It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward an abnormal ground condition is in such a condition. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the abnormal ground condition. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1 (Lost Ball).

If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in an abnormal ground condition, the player may take relief under this Rule. If he elects to do so, the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player must proceed as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed in Rule 25-1b(i)…..” (i.e. within one club length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole, of the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the casual water.

In your circumstances if the fellow competitors cannot agree among themselves that it was “known or virtually certain” that the ball is lost in casual water the player should play out the hole with two balls and report the facts to the Committee after completing his round (Rule 3-3).”

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4 Decisions On The Rules Of Golf

Barry Rhodes — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:26:28 +0000

Here is a recent rules of golf email I replied to.

There were 4 parts to the email and I explain the answers in full below. I trust you will enjoy reading these decisions.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“1. During the rainy season and an almost unplayable course, a greenside bunker is full of water. Player A’s ball lands in that bunker and there is absolutely no relief inside the bunker since it is completely filled with water. Player A then drops the ball just outside the bunker directly behind the place where the ball was found. Has he incurred in a penalty?

2. After playing a beautiful approach shot A player finds that his ball has landed on a part of the green that is full of sand left behind by a previous player. His caddy uses his towel to wipe away the sand that is in the path to the hole. Has he incurred in any penalty? Has the previous player who left the green full of sand incurred in any penalty?

3. All opponents are on the green during a tournament. Player A is resting on his putter which is resting on the green while player C proceeds to putt. Player D, who is player C’s partner claims that there is a ruling that states that he cannot place his putter on the green when another player is putting and therefore has incurred in a one stroke penalty. Player A says there is no such rule. Who is correct?

4. During a Best Ball tournament one of the players balls was not only was seen flying OOB but was declared a lost ball. Since his partner has played a great ball and is only 80 yds from the green he declares he will not play another ball. One of the opponents says he must play a new ball or lose the hole. What is the ruling?

All of the above are real life situations I have encountered during several years of play.”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Phew. You’re keeping me busy! Here are my answers to your four questions;

1. Player A has incurred a penalty of either one or two strokes depending on exactly where he dropped his ball. Let me explain. When a ball lies in an abnormal ground condition (which includes casual water) in a bunker Rule 25-1b.iib permits the player to lift the ball and under penalty of one stroke, drop the ball outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped. If he drops the ball in any other place outside the bunker, and then plays it, he incurs a penalty of two strokes for playing from the wrong place, and could be disqualified if the Committee judge it to be a serious breach of the Rules (i.e, if he has gained a significant advantage as a result of playing from a wrong place) – Rule 20-7c.

2. No penalty has been incurred here. Under the definitions sand is a loose impediment on the green, but not elsewhere, and loose impediments may be moved by any means, providing the player does not press anything down. There is no penalty for a player leaving the putting green without clearing sand that they have left behind.

3. Player A is right. There is no Rule that prohibits a player from resting on his putter on the putting green. It happens all the time, though should be discouraged as it can cause damage to the surface of the green. However, Rule 16-1 does prohibit a player from touching the putting green on his line of putt, except under seven specific circumstances, which are listed (e.g. removing obstructions or loose impediments). If a player did lean on his club on his line of putt in stroke play he would incur a penalty of two strokes.

4. Who are these people that you are playing with? They seem to making up Rules as they go along! Not only can a player in a four-ball stroke play competition drop out of a hole at any time the whole round can be played by a single player. Rule 31-2 states; ‘A Side may be represented by either partner for all or any part of a stipulated round; both partners need not be present. An absent competitor may join his partner between holes, but not during play of a hole.’ By the way, a player cannot render a ball lost by a declaration ? see Definition of ?Lost Ball.? at the front of the Rules of Golf book.”

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Thirty Rules Of Golf For The Beginner And Pro

Barry Rhodes — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:15:57 +0000

Here are a selection of 30 rules of golf questions and answers I have given over the past couple of months. I thought you would be interested in reading the wide variety of rules questions golfers are currently asking themselves out on the course.

I trust you will enjoy reading these 30 rules of golf questions and answers:

#1 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Thanks for your help re: your golf tips’ I predict that I will shave at least 10 big strokes this year from my handicap. that is the number I am shooting for. One other question please. It is my understanding that a player can declare unplayable his ball anytime he wants with a penalty whenever he wants.

Is that true? Thanks and a happy new year to you. Johnny”

#1 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, you are almost correct. A player may deem his ball unplayable for a penalty of one stroke at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable (Rule 28).

An interesting, if unusual example of this Rule, is that if a player hits a downhill putt too hard and his ball misses the hole and rolls off the putting green into a bunker, he can pick his ball out of the bunker and replace it on the green at the point that he last putted from. Obviously he incurs a penalty of one stroke for doing so, but in match play it might be worth it to see how your opponent reacts!”

#2 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I enjoy your Golf Rules series, however I have a question for you.

Can the line marked on the golf ball to show the balance center of the ball become an aid to lining up the golf shot when teed?”

#2 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, there is nothing in the Rules preventing a player from using any marking on his golf ball to assist him in lining up the direction of any stroke. Decision 20-3a/2 rules on similar circumstances to your question;

“Q. When a player is replacing his ball, is it permissible for him to position the ball so that the trademark is aimed along the line of putt to indicate the line of play?

A. Yes.”

#3 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Playing at our local club I encountered the following situation.

In the middle of the fairway is a tree, when hitting my second shot directly into the tree the ball stay in the branches and become unplayable. The local rule at our club is placing on the fairway one(1) club. Because my ball is in the tree and the tree in the fairway I assume that I can use the local rule to place my ball for my third shot.

Question – Should I declare my ball unplayable and act according to the rule or should I interpreted the local rule and place my ball without penalty”

#3 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“All Local Rules for ‘Preferred Lies’ and/or ‘Winter Rules’ should follow the recommended wording suggested by the R&A & USGA in Appendix I, Part B, 4c, which starts, “A ball lying on a closely mown area through the green may be lifted without penalty and cleaned…..”.

As your ball was obviously not lying on the fairway you may not take relief under the ‘Preferred Lies’ Local Rule. Also, you must be able to find and identify your ball in the tree in order to proceed under options b) or c) of Rule 28 – Ball Unplayable. Otherwise your only option is to go back to the point where you played your last stroke from under penalty of stroke and distance.”

#4 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Yes I do enjoy your excellent rules questions and answers.

Here is a question for you, and it’s about the ball coming to rest on a rake outside the bunker. What happens if the rake is removed and the ball rolls into the bunker. Ok, you might say that the ball is to be replaced. But what if the ball keeps rolling into the bunker because the ground is steep?”

#4 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“If a ball comes to rest against a movable obstruction (which is any artificial object, including a rake) the obstruction may be removed.

If the ball moves during this procedure, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty, provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction.

In your question, if the the ball fails to come to rest on the spot where it is replaced it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in the bunker (Rule 20-3d(i)).”

#5 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“On October 29, 2008, I was playing 9 holes at Land Park Golf Course here in Sacramento, California and made a Hole in One on Hole #3, 138 yards using a six iron. My friend said, ” My hole in One is nullified because I only played 9 Holes. Is he right or wrong?”

#5 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“If you put the ball in the hole with your first stroke from the teeing ground then you scored a hole in one.

Your friend’s misunderstanding may have arisen from the situation that some Clubs offer insurance to players for a hole in one requiring that the stroke must have happened during competition play, which is normally over a stipulated round of 18 holes.”

#6 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“So what is the definition of the teeing ground area?”

#6 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“All definitions can be found at the start of the Rules of Golf book published by the USGA and Royal & Ancient.

‘The “teeing ground” is the starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground.’

Thanks for your question.”

#7 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Is there a penalty for hitting the pin when chipping from off the green?

In this example, how close does a partner have to be to the pin for one to suggest that he is tending the pin?

If a chip is coming from off the green why would ones partner want to pull the flag for a ball the was apparently chipped to hard and going on past the pin?

Once tending a pin can you walk away from a chip from off the green if it appears the ball is hit too hard and would now like to leave the pin in – in hope the ball might strike the pin and slow it down?”

#7 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Is there a penalty for hitting the pin when chipping from off the green?”

“If the flagstick is being attended there is a two stroke penalty in stroke play. If the flagstick is not being attended there is no penalty.”

“In this example, how close does a partner have to be to the pin for one to suggest that he is tending the pin?”

“Decision 17-1/1 reads as follows; ‘Note 1 to Rule 17-1 states that, if anyone “stands near the hole,” he is deemed to be attending the flagstick. Is such a person considered to be standing “near the hole” if he is close enough to touch the flagstick?
A. Yes.’ ”

“If a chip is coming from off the green why would ones partner want to pull the flag for a ball that was apparently chipped too hard and going on past the pin?”

“A possible scenario is that the partner thinks that the ball may fall straight into the hole if the flagstick is removed, whereas if it is left there the ball might ricochet off it and come to rest several feet away.”

“Once tending a pin can you walk away from a chip from off the green if it appears the ball is hit to hard and would now like to leave the pin in – in hope the ball might strike the pin and slow it down?”

“No, Note 3 to Rule 17-1 states, ‘If anyone attends or holds up the flagstick while a stroke is being made, he is deemed to be attending the flagstick until the ball comes to rest.’ ”

#8 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“We played on Saturday (didn’t stop raining!) and a situation occured that I remember you covered in your rules campaign but I couldn’t remember the ruling. One of the guys was chipping from off the green and his ball came to rest against the flag but didn’t drop. Can you tell us what happens next?”

#8 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“When a player’s ball rests against the flagstick in the hole and the ball is not holed, the player, or another person authorized by him, may move or remove the flagstick, and if the ball falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke; otherwise, the ball, if moved, must be placed on the lip of the hole, without penalty (Rule 17-4).”

#9 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A player marks his ball on the putting green using a twenty pence coin as his marker.

Does this incur a penalty as the coin is not round and how big a marker are you allowed to use.”

#9 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You may use anything to mark the position of a ball, though the recommendation is that it should be a small coin or other similar object. It certainly does not have to be round. I think that you will be interested in Decision 20-1/16, which deals with the method used to mark the position of a ball, even though it is a bit lengthy;

‘Q. The Note to Rule 20-1 provides that ‘the position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball.’ Is a player penalized if he uses an object that is not similar to a ball-marker or small coin to mark the position of his ball?

A. No. The provision in the Note to Rule 20-1 is a recommendation of best practice, but there is no penalty for failing to act in accordance with the Note.

Examples of methods of marking the position of a ball that are not recommended, but are permissible, are as follows:

placing the toe of a club at the side of, or behind, the ball; using a tee; using a loose impediment; scratching a line, provided the putting green is not tested (Rule 16-1d) and a line for putting is not indicated (Rule 8-2b). As this practice may cause damage to the putting green, it is discouraged.

However, under Rule 20-1 it is necessary to physically mark the position of the ball. Reference to an existing mark on the ground does not constitute marking the position of a ball. For example, it is not permissible to mark the position with reference to a blemish on the putting green.

When moving a ball or ball-marker to the side to prevent it from interfering with another player’s stance or stroke, the player may measure from the side of the ball or ball-marker. In order to accurately replace the ball on the spot from which it was lifted, the steps used to move the ball or ball-marker to the side should be reversed.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I am in need of some direction in respect of the etiquette of the game and where penalties may be allocated for abuse.

For this example I would like to suggest a player in the fourball is of a bad tempered and grumpy disposition. Often swearing after yet another poorly executed shot. What can one do about it? It can be intimidating to say the least.

But, a bigger problem is the character who throws clubs after a poor shot. Apart form being dangerous in the extreme, it is intimidating. Is there a rule that allows me to disqualify him from a club stableford competition because he has surely affeced the play of the three other players in the fourball. I have raised it with the committee but their response was that ‘I should speak with him…. ‘

Is there a ruling I could point out to them?

I have noticed a lot of youngsters throw their clubs around following a bad shot, is this an unpleasant trend creaping into the game. I have heard of Pro’s being cited for actions and being fined but what about the amateur in a club weekend comp?

Would appreciate your feedback.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Rule 33-7 states, ‘If a Committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under this Rule.’ Therefore, your only course of action is to report breaches of etiquette to the Committee. In my experience, in Club golf a caution from the Committee is usually sufficient to bring players who have poor etiquette into line.

However, this sanction is not much help on a municipal course.

The only Decision on what constitutes a serious breach is Decsion 33-7/8; Q. In Rule 33-7, what is meant by a “serious breach of etiquette”?

A. A serious breach of etiquette is behavior by a player that shows a significant disregard for an aspect of the Etiquette Section, such as intentionally distracting another player or intentionally offending someone.

Although a Committee may disqualify a player under Rule 33-7 for a single act that it considers to be a serious breach of etiquette, in most cases it is recommended that such a penalty should be imposed only in the event of a further serious breach.

Ultimately, the application of a penalty for a serious breach of etiquette under Rule 33-7 is at the discretion of the Committee.’

I regret that, without the assistance of the Committee, there is very little you can do personally in this regard.”

#11 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“What is the ruling if your ball is plugged or against the face of a bunker where you feel you will not be able to hit the ball out of the sand hazard properly, can you deem the ball unplayable in this case?”

#11 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, a player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable (Rule 28).

However, note that if the player opts to take relief, under penalty of one stroke, under options b) or c) of this Rule he must drop the ball in the bunker.”

#12 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Two questions come to mind regarding the ‘addressing the ball’ question.

I have always addressed my putts by grounding my club somewhere in the area between my feet and the ball but not behind the ball, then I hover the putter behind the ball before stroking.

I assumed that since I had not grounded my club behind the ball I was okay. But you offer no such exclusion. Am I to assume then, that once my stance has been taken, that grounding my club behind the ball or virtually anywhere else constitutes ‘grounding’?

Second, what is the ruling if, when addressing the putt properly by hovering the putter, a sudden gust of wind blows the ball off its resting spot into the putter blade and comes to rest in a different location?”

#12 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, your putting routine does meet the definition of addressing the ball; ‘A player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.’

Note that there is no mention of where the putter is grounded. This is borne out by Decision 18-2b/5.5; ‘Q. A player takes his stance and places his clubhead on the ground in front of the ball without pressing anything down. Before the player grounds the club behind the ball, the ball moves. Has the player “addressed the ball” so that he is subject to penalty under Rule 18-2b?
A. Yes.’

Your second question is covered by Decision 19-2/1.5;

‘Q. A player’s ball lies on a steep slope through the green. The player takes his stance but, fearing the ball might move, does not ground his club and so has not addressed the ball. The ball rolls backwards and is stopped accidentally by the player’s club. The player then removes his club and the ball rolls farther down the slope. Is the player subject to the penalty of one stroke under Rule 19-2?

A. Yes, and the ball must be replaced on the spot at which it was stopped. A further penalty under Rule 18-2a (Ball at Rest Moved by Player) would not be appropriate in the circumstances provided the player replaces the ball. If the ball is not replaced before the player makes his next stroke, the failure to replace the ball is considered a separate act (see Decision 1-4/12) and he loses the hole in match play or incurs an additional penalty of two strokes in stroke play under Rule 18-2a, for a total penalty of three strokes. (Revised)’

Thank you for your question.”

#13 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Just thinking about the statement ‘take you time’, a phrase heard at our club a lot in the same situation is ‘have a rest’ or ‘do you want to rest’ meaning they should mark and let someone else take their shot. Do either of these break the rules?”

#13 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Very strictly speaking, I would say that, ‘Take a rest’ is similar to, ‘Take your time’ and does meet with the strict definition of offering advice; ‘Advice’ is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke.” However, in my opinion, asking the question, ‘Do you want a rest?’ is not a breach. But please don’t misunderstand me. I am not suggesting that anyone tries to penalise a fellow competitor, or opponent, for making any such comment, and I am a stickler for the Rules! The reason being that there is obviously no intent to give advice by using one of these phrases.”

#14 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“While I was playing the other week with 3 other fellow golfers, one guy had hit his 2nd shot out of the rough and was taking some practice swings while waiting for other golfers in the group to hit their shots, so during one of his practice swings a lump of dirt flew out sideways and knocked his ball a couple of feet from where it was originally lying, is there a penalty of 1 stroke or just a simple replace and no penalty?”

#14 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The circumstances in Decision 18-2a/20.5 are similar to those in your question; Q. In making a practice swing, a player dislodges a loose impediment (e.g., a stone), which causes his ball in play to move. What is the ruling?

A. The loose impediment is an outside agency; however, as the player’s actions caused his ball in play to move, he incurs a one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2a and must replace the ball.”

#15 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“During a game this week my friend playing a par three which is all water from tee to green hit the green with his tee shot but ran through into the bunker.

He had a very bad lie and came out, ran over the green and into the water.

Barry`s ruling is that the line from the flag to his point of entry would mean he would have to go back to the tee.

My question: Is there an alternative ruling that he could have taken the penalty and re-played the ball from the bunker?”

#15 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, one of the options for taking relief from a water hazard permits a player to play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played, under penalty of one stroke (Rule 26-1a). In other words, in your question the player could have dropped his ball in the bunker at the place where he last played from under penalty of one stroke. He is permitted to rake the bunker first to re-create a similar lie to that which he had before his first stroke from the bunker.

I did mention this in my short video but used the example that the player wanted to take this option after his first stroke (i.e. from the tee). Of course, the player has the same option when his second (or any other stroke) comes to rest in a water hazard.”

#16 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Would it be possible for you to send me the rule on the 3 option, when you take a penalty in a bunker”

#16 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I believe that you are referring to when you declare your ball unplayable in a bunker. The three options, under Rule 28, all incurring a penalty of one stroke, are;

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball in the bunker behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball in the bunker within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

There is another situation when a player’s ball lies in an abnormal ground condition in a bunker (e.g. casual water); ‘Rule 25-1b. If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause(i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or

(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.’

Remember, that the options under Rule 25-1b only apply when there is an abnormal ground condition in the bunker. Some players mistakenly think that they have the option to drop their ball outside a bunker, under penalty of one stroke, whatever the circumstances.”

#17 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Are all the rules international rules?

i.e. the same rules, whether you play golf in Denmark, Germany, the UK, the USA, Japan, China, and so on……. the world around ?”

#17 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, there is only one unified Rules of Golf. The Royal & Ancient (R&A) is the governing body for the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status in all parts of the golfing world, except the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

The R&A and USGA agreed on the first uniform issue of the Rules of Golf worldwide back in 1952.

There were still some differences in the Appendices, relating to equipment and Local Rules, but in 2000 these were also harmonised. Any agreed changes to the Rules of Golf are made every four years and the current edition is for 2008 – 2011. You can find them on-line here.”

#18 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Would moss be classified as a living thing?”

#18 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I think that your point is whether moss is a loose impediment. The answer is that if it is detached then it is, but if it is still rooted in the ground then it is not. Similarly, if a divot made by a player is still attached to the ground at any point then it is not a loose impediment, whereas if it is totally detached then it is. In this video there was a loose bit of moss in the bunker (it could have been a leaf, a twig or any other natural object) and so a penalty was incurred. If the moss that Michelle had touched on her backswing was rooted in the bunker then no Rule would have been breached.”

#19 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I watched both videos but they brought another related question to mind: is water considered to be a loose impediment? In other words, if you decide to hit it out of a water hazard, and if your club brushes the water on the takeaway, is it a penalty?”

#19 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Water is not a loose impediment. However, Rule 13-4b states that before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard the player must not ‘touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club’. As a stroke does not commence until the forward movement of the club the player does incur a penalty for brushing the water on his backswing.”

#20 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Referring to this video, does Barry’s last comment make a difference then, if the moss in the bunker was growing in the bunker.”

#20 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, If the moss was actually growing in the bunker then there would be no penalty. The note to Rule 13-4 states; ‘At any time, including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke, the player may touch, with a club or otherwise, any obstruction, any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing.’

You can catch more rules of golf videos here.”

#21 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Hi – Following the seagull video I am told by our pro that if a bird catches he ball in flight and drops in into the water, the ball (or rather another ball) must be dropped outside the hazard applying a penalty shot for the drop.

Had the bird dropped the ball into the hole (green) the ball would be considered as holed out.

Is this correct please?”

#21 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Your Pro is correct, assuming the ball was not played from the putting green, which seems likely as the ball was ‘in flight’! The bird is an outside agency and Rule 19-1 states, ‘If a player’s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is a rub of the green, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies’.

The circumstances of Decision 19-1/6 are not too dissimilar; Q. A ball played from off the green was about a foot from the hole and still in motion when it was moved by a dog to a spot about 10 feet from the hole. The ball was either deflected by the dog or the dog picked it up, ran with it and dropped it. What is the ruling?
A. If the ball was deflected, it would be played as it lay, without penalty, from the spot to which it was moved by the dog — Rule 19-1.

In your scenario when the bird dropped the ball in the water hazard so the player would have to take relief under Rule 26-1, incurring a one stroke penalty.

However, If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced, Rule 18-1.”

#22 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“In these times of difficult winter golf when preferred lies are the norm, I find a lot of confusion about this rule more than any other, except perhaps the WATER question.

My club rules state that Preferred lies are available ‘Through the Green’ The R&A Rules of Golf give a definition of this meaning, but still most golfers whom I play with insist that balls may only be lifted, cleaned and placed when they lie on the fairway, which, I believe, is incorrect.

Would you please relate the rules on this matter, as seen from your point of view.

Thanks for all the other info and videos.”

#22 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You are obviously correct in your understanding of your Club’s Local Rule re preferred lies if you have quoted from it correctly. The way that it is worded means that players may not only take relief from the fairway but from anywhere on the course other than the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played and all hazards on the course. I think that the confusion arises because the specimen Local Rule for Preferred Lies in Appendix l.B.4c. refers to “a ball lying on a closely mown area through the green”, which obviously does not include the rough.”

#23 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Have a question for your rules person. This actually happened today.

A ball appeared to be hit OB from the tee. There was no doubt it was visually going out by about 1 metre. The OB area had some cattle and one of the cattle picked the ball up and dropped it back in bounds. No one actually saw it come to rest OB but the cow was seen to bend down presumably to pick it up and it then it dropped it over the fence. The ball was seen to fall from the cows mouth, is the ball still in play or is it deemed to be still OB?”

#23 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Although no-one actually saw that the ball had come to rest out of bounds I think that we can be virtually certain that it did. A cow does not not usually move fast enough to field or pick-up a moving ball! Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, my ruling would be that the ball was out of bounds (Rule 18-1 and Decision 15/9). However, I am impressed by the well-trained and courteous cows neighbouring your course!”

#24 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“During a recent round one of the players in our groups ball became lodged in a tree, this tree was measured to be under 2 club lengths high. is the ruling for this situation the same as a ball coming to rest under a tree 2 clubs lengths high with a free drop, or does the rule regarding an unplayable shot apply which results in a penalty? One would assume that the first ruling comes in to play, can you carifiy this for me.”

#24 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no relief without penalty (‘free drop’) for a ball lodged in a tree, no matter how tall the tree is. The player may either play the ball as it lies from the tree or take one of the three relief options under Rule 28 – Ball Unplayable, for a penalty of one stroke.

Decision 28/11 relates to a similar situation; Q. A player’s ball is eight feet off the ground, lodged in a tree. The player deems the ball unplayable. May the player proceed under option c of Rule 28 which permits him to drop a ball within two club-lengths of where his ball lay unplayable?
A. Yes. The player would be entitled to drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point on the ground immediately below the place where the ball lay in the tree. In some instances this may allow the player to drop a ball on a putting green.

Note that this option under Rule 28c incurs a penalty of one stroke.”

#25 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“When you are on the tee bed I know you can stand on the outside of the grid but can you have your feet over the front line of the grid?”

#25 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“In the Rules of Golf the ‘tee bed’ as you describe it is known as the teeing ground.

Rule 11-1 states, ‘A player may stand outside the teeing ground to play a ball within it.’ Therefore it does not matter whether a player has a foot in front of, to the side, or behind the teeing ground when he makes his stroke, providing the ball is played from within the teeing ground.”

#26 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Regards to out of bounds. We have a barbwire fence that defines the out of bounds line on a couple of holes. It is what we use in the wild, wild west at times.

My question is if the ball is in bounds next to the parallel line of the fence and restricts my swing when ball is in bounds. Is a free drop permitted since the fence is a man made object?”

#26 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The Definition of Out of Bounds states that objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed. Therefore, there is no relief from the barbed wire fence defining out of bounds on your course. What happens if someone takes relief in these circumstances? Decision 18-2a/3 deals with this situation;

‘Q. A player’s swing is interfered with by a stake defining out of bounds. The player mistakenly considers the stake an obstruction and he lifts his ball and drops it in the manner prescribed in Rule 24-2b.

What is the ruling?

A. The player incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2a and he must replace his ball before playing his next stroke. Otherwise, he loses the hole in match play or he incurs a total penalty of two strokes in stroke play — see penalty statement under Rule 18.’

Thanks for your rules of golf out of bounds question”

#27 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Can you clear this up for me?

I sliced my tee shot onto the adjacent fairway, this put a hazard with tall trees standing in it between me and; the green I was playing to… I tried to go over trees but hit into the hazard … I was taking a drop at the point of entry, the trees were now directly in front so I would had to have to hit sideways onto or near the tee of the adjacent fairway when a rules official told me I could drop the ball at the opposite end of the hazard as long as it was no nearer the hole… this took me to the end of the hazard that was on the hole I was playing and also gave me a clear shot to the
green… this didn’t seem right?”

#27 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“No, his ruling certainly doesn’t seem right to me either. Because you had lifted your ball and had chosen not to go back to where you played your last stroke from, your only remaining option (under Rule 26-1) was to drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped. It does not seem to me that this is what the Rules Official was saying to you.

If the hazard was a lateral water hazard (red stakes) then there were two more options; drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole. Again, this does not seem to fit with what you were being advised.”

#28 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Do the rules say that anything touching the ball is deemed to be adhered to the ball? If not, then as long as the blade of grass was merely touching and not adhered, there should be no penalty as long as the ball was not moved. Now one could under the rules, and without penalty, rotate the ball in order to make a positive identification. An un-adhered blade of grass would fall off.”

#28 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Decision 21/2 specifically prohibits removing cut grass adhering to a ball.
‘Q. Through the green, is it permissible to remove cut grass adhering to a ball?
A. No. Such action is prohibited by Rule 21. Anything adhering to a ball is not a loose impediment – see Definition of Loose Impediments.’

Note that this Decision is under Rule 21 – Cleaning Ball. So, in the second part to your question, if a player rotated his ball in order to identify it and a cut blade of grass fell from the ball the player would be penalised under Rule 12-2, which says that the ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification.

Of course, if the blade of grass touching the ball was still growing then Rule 13-2 still prohibits the player from moving or bending it to improve his shot.

Remember also, that under Rule 12-2 a player may only touch his ball if it is necessary to lift his ball in order to identify it and he must announce his intention to his opponent in match play, or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play, mark the position of the ball and give them an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. In other words, he cannot use the Rule to replace his ball in a more favourable position where a blade of grass may not then be between his ball and club-face when he makes his stroke.”

#29 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I was on the last hole and drove the ball right down the middle, not as far as I normally hit it. As I began my downswing with my 3 wood, a ball hit by one in the foursome behind rolled past my ball.

I was startled and could not stop my downswing. I hit my ball the the toe of the club and it went into the water hazard to the right, about a 100 yards away. I was told I had to play the bad hit since there is no rule allowing me to hit another ball without penalty from where my ball was originally. Is there a rule on this situation?”

#29 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no rule to answer your question, but there is a Decision that is relevant and your fellow competitor/opponent/partner was correct in telling you to play the ball as it lay.

Decision 1-4/1: As A was making his backswing, B accidentally dropped a ball, which rolled within six inches of A?s ball. The appearance of the dropped ball startled A, causing him to top his shot. In equity, should A be permitted to replay his stroke?
A. No. Distractions are a common occurrence which players must accept.

Of course, it was extremely poor etiquette from the player behind and if they had not apologised to you they should have been advised. Lack of knowledge of the Rules is one thing but bad etiquette on the course can upset everyone’s game.”

#30 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Here is a very interesting scenario involving water. I’m still not sure what the correct ruling is, but I have given a possible solution at the end. Will be great to hear what you say.

It’s a par five with a split fairway. From the end of the righthand side fairway there is water for +- 170 yeards up to the edge of the green. The golfer played his perfect t-shot to this island fairway and struck his second, well but could not see the end-result as it was straight into the sun.

He did not feel comfortable that he reached the green and assumed the ball was in the water. He dropped another ball at the edge of the fairway and hit his next shot onto the green.

On reaching the green both balls were on the green. Which ball is now in play?

Problem is as you have said in your email that a ball in the water is a matter of fact and therefore the second ball can not be in play as he could not have proceeded under this rule. Is he now disqualified or penalised because he played a wrong ball? Remember he could not have played a provisional ball, as he thought the ball might be in the water.

Someone said that because of the fact that the layout of the hole makes it impractical to actually first walk up to the green to try and find the ball on or around the green, the first ball should be treated as if in play when found on the green. Furthermore it is felt that the committee should actually set out on the local rules the correct procedure to follow on this specific hole.

Your comments will be appreciated..”

#30 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There are a couple of points here which need to be clarified. The first is that you did not say whether the player had declared that his ball was to be a provisional before playing it onto the green. If he had not, then he had obviously put that ball into play and the original ball was lost within the Rules.

As it happens, the outcome was the same anyway, because under Rule 27-2a a provisional ball may only be played if ‘a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds’. In this case the ball was obviously not lost outside of a water hazard; because of the layout of the hole it was either on the green or in the hazard.

Therefore, even if the player had declared his ball provisional it would not have mattered, it was still the ball in play and the original ball had to be picked up. Greg Norman made this mistake in 2004.

What your player should have done is to walk up to the green to see if his ball was there. If it was not then he had to take one of the options under Rule 26-1 Water Hazards), one of which is to drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped.

If your player played his original ball and did not correct the situation before teeing off at the next hole he is disqualified for playing a wrong ball.

I think that the Committee on this course would be totally wrong to introduce a Local Rule for a situation that is adequately covered within the Rules. What you have to remember is that there is only one option where a ball is lost or out of bounds; to go back to where you played your last stroke from. When a ball is lost in a water hazard there is the additional option referred to above.

I understand the point you are making in that the player would have to tale the long walk back 170 yards to the point where his ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, but feel that this is necessary to maintain the integrity of the Rules.”

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Understanding Water Hazards And Lateral Water Hazards

Barry Rhodes — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:01:48 +0000

It’s time to clear up the confusion surrounding water hazards and lateral water hazards.

Watch these two short golf rules vides explaining the options available to you. The first video explains the options you have when your ball comes to rest in a water hazard (yellow stakes and/or lines).

The second video below explains the additional two options that are available under Rule 26-1c when youur golf ball comes to rest within the margins of a lateral water hazard (red stakes and/or lines).

Now sign up for more free videos below….

Just fill in the form above & hit “Rush Me Barry’s Free Golf Rules Videos Now” and I will immediately send you an email with the heading “Thank You – Golf Rules Video on the House”

There is no catch, for absolutely Nothing, Nada, Zilch I would like to send you more never released videos to save you shots the next time you play.

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Tiger Woods Golf Rules Video Explanation

Barry Rhodes — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:15:33 +0000

Over the past few months many golfers have watched this video of Tiger Woods in the trees and asked me :

“How come Tiger wasn’t penalised?”

Well here’s my video verdict on Why Tiger wasn’t penalised and how YOU can sign up for further videos (for nada, nothing, zilch) including the infamous “Is Phil Mickelson In The Right?” Golf Ruling Video.

Now fill in the form above & hit “Rush Me Barry’s Free Golf Rules Videos Now” and I will immediately send you an email with the heading “Thank You – Golf Rules Video on the House”

There is no catch, for absolutely Nothing, Nada, Zilch I would like to send you more never released videos to save you shots the next time you play.

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Do You Make These 5 Mistakes Playing Golf?

Barry Rhodes — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:02:25 +0000

Knowing The Rules of Golf and not making mistakes on the course can save you many strokes over the course of a year. I was recently asked the following 5 questions and wondered how many others are unsure of the rules and consequently making mistakes on the course.

I hope you enjoy reading these 5 rules of golf questions and answers:

#1 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“If I play a shot into a bunker and its flooded, there is no way i can play it and no where i can drop it in the bunker and its not GUR , am I allowed to drop in another bunker no nearer the hole if there is one with no penalty.. Many thanks.”

#1 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“This is a question that regularly arises. A player is NOT permitted to drop their ball in another bunker, not nearer the hole, if their ball lies submerged in casual water in a bunker.

Under Rule 25-1b(ii) there are two options if a player’s ball lies in an abnormal condition (e.g. casual water) in a bunker and they choose to take relief. They may lift their ball and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in the bunker within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief from where the ball lies or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or

To summarise these two options, the first one allows the player to drop in the shallowest part of the water in the bunker, not nearer the hole, without penalty, and the second one allows the player to drop outside of the bunker, on a line from the flagstick through where the ball is at rest, under penalty of one stroke.”

#2 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“In a 4-ball-better-ball game, Player A partners B while Player C partners D. They all arrive on a Par 4 in two with Player A some 25 ft from the hole, Player B 10 ft from the hole, Player C 15 ft from the hole and Player D 6 ft from the hole. Player A putted first to 3 ft short of the hole. Then Player C’s turn; he putted to 4 ft passed the hole but in front of his partner, Player C. Player B putted to within 6 inches from the hole and tapped in for a par. Player C then decided to put before his partner and holed in for a par. Player D then putted in for a birdie. Have Player C & D violated any rules of golf?”

#2 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Neither C nor D has breached any Rule of Golf, whether the incident occurred in match play or stroke play, as they are partners on the same side. Rule 30-3b states; ‘Balls belonging to the same Side may be played in the order the Side considers best.’

I trust this clarifies the situation.”

#3 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I have a question for you. I am learning to play golf. I was shown how to check your aim by laying a club across your feet to check alignment. I did this out on the course while preparing for my second shot. My partner said that doings so was illegal. What is the rule regarding that? Is it legal from the tee box? I see it done all the time.”

#3 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The answer to your question lies is within Rule 8-2a; ‘Any mark placed by the player or with his knowledge to indicate the line must be removed before the stroke is made.’

Decision 8-2a/1 is the relevant one;

Q. A player places a club on the ground parallel to the line of play to assist him in aligning his feet properly. Is this permissible?

A. Yes, provided the player removes the club before playing his stroke. Otherwise, a breach of Rule 8-2a would occur.

So, whether you are on the teeing ground or anywhere else on the course, you may line yourself up by placing a club on the ground providing you pick it up before making your stroke.”

#4 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Can sand be removed to identify a golf ball in a bunker? If not and it is subsequently learned a wrong ball has been played is there a penalty or not?”

#4 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The Rule on this situation changed on 1st January 2008. A player may now identify his ball anywhere on the course, including in a hazard, providing the correct procedure is followed; ‘Before lifting the ball, the player must announce his intention to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play and mark the position of the ball. He may then lift the ball and identify it, provided that he gives his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. The ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification when lifted under Rule 12-2.’

Rule 12-1 covers the situation where a ball is covered by sand; ‘In a hazard, if a ball is believed to be covered by loose impediments or sand, the player may remove by probing or raking with a club or otherwise, as many loose impediments or as much sand as will enable him to see a part of the ball. If an excess is removed, there is no penalty and the ball must be re-covered so that only a part of the ball is visible. If the ball is moved during the removal, there is no penalty; the ball must be replaced and, if necessary, re-covered. The player must then replace the ball and restore the previous lie as closely as possible.’”

#5 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I have a question for you on the rules. I was playing our 16th hole and hit my second shot into an unplayable lie amongst some gorse bushes. I decided to take 2 club lengths no nearer the hole under penalty of 1 shot. When I dropped my ball it bounced and hit the head of my driver. I didn’t really think anything of this because my ball was still in an awful position and continued to play the ball as it lay.

On of my playing partners said I should incur a 2 shot penalty. I was unsure about this rule and said we should check once we had completed the round.

The consensus of opinion at the club house was that a 2 shot penalty was appropriate. I duly applied the 2 shot penalty and signed my card. However this was still niggling me.

I have since found out that I should have re-dropped the ball because it was an illegal drop and made sure it did not hit any part of my golf gear. However finding this out after the event and signing my card didn’t give me any great pleasure.

In these circumstances what should I have done:

1) Disqualify myself
2) Accept the 2 shot penalty, which was the consensus of opinion.
3) Argue that I received no benefit from the ball striking my driver and not give myself a 2 shot penalty.
4) Explain the situation to the competion committe and let them decide.
5) An Alternative action.

this may seem petty but I was on a reasonable score and could have beaten my handicap and if not at least been in the buffer zone so there is a serious side to the question.”

#5 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The answers to your questions are all to be found in Rule 20. Firstly, there is no penalty if your dropped ball strikes your equipment but you must drop the ball again within the Rules (Rule 20-2a). When you failed to drop the ball again and played your ball from where it lay you incurred a penalty of two strokes for playing your ball from the wrong place (Rule 20-7ii). However, as you did not gain a significant advantage as a result of playing from this wrong place the Committee would not be justified in disqualifying you (Note 1 to Rule 20).

So, my direct answers to your questions are;
1. No.
2. Yes.
3. No.
4. It is always best to do this if you have played from wrong place.
5. Not applicable.”

How To Take Relief From GUR And Common Misconceptions

Barry Rhodes — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:53:22 +0000

Here is a rules of golf question I received today, it covers key points relating to GUR and some misconceptions. It made sense to share it with everyone.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“If a player has established his point of relief from a GUR, ( right hand side of the GUR ) which is aprox. 10 meters from the green, and uses his 3 wood to measure this, and then uses the same wood to measure his 2 club lengths allowed for his free drop, and then proceeds to use his wedge to play the next shot – does the player get a penalty for not measuring the first from the GUR with his wedge? If so, how many penalty strokes?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The definition of ‘nearest point of relief’ includes these words; ‘In order to determine the nearest point of relief accurately, the player should use the club with which he would have made his next stroke if the condition were not there to simulate the address position, direction of play and swing for such a stroke. Notice that it says ‘should’. In other words there is no penalty for using a different club. However, a Committee would be justified in giving a warning, and then some form of sanction, to someone who deliberately ignored this explicit recommendation in the Rules.

The next point is important. When taking relief from GUR, an abnormal ground condition, the player must drop the ball, without penalty, within ONE club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. Believing that the relief is within TWO club-lengths is a common mistake made by golfers. The two club-length relief applies to situations where the player incurs a penalty, e.g. one of the options for an unplayable ball, or opting to take relief from a lateral water hazard.

On your second point Rule 4-4 states ‘For the purpose of measuring, a player may use any club he has selected for that round’. Therefore there is nothing to stop a player from using a 3 wood, a driver, or even a long-handled putter, providing he uses one of his own clubs.

However, using a long-handled putter is considered by some to be poor etiquette and I would avoid doing this.”

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Twenty Rules Of Golf Every Golfer Should Know

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:31:21 +0000

Over the next couple of months I plan to post many of the rules of golf questions and answers I have specifically written for golfers. This way everyone can learn a little more about the rules.

I hope you enjoy reading these 20 rules of golf questions and answers:

#1 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A golf ball is embedded/plugged in its own pitch mark in the bunker wall – the sand section. It can barely be seen. Is there any relief?”

#1 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no relief from a ball embedded in a bunker.

Decision 13/4 states;

‘Q. A player’s ball is completely embedded in the vertical lip of a bunker. The lip is not grass-covered, so it is part of the bunker. Is the ball considered to be lying through the green? If so, the player would be entitled to drop the ball behind the bunker if he deems it unplayable.

A. No. An embedded ball is considered to be lying in the part of the course where it entered the ground.’

Under the Rules the only place where a player gets relief for a ball embedded in its own pitch-mark is in ‘any closely mown area through the green’ (Rule 25-2).”

#2 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A few weeks back I entered the monthly medal at my club. I didn’t play well (again) and signed off for a net 78. My card was marked and signed correctly by my playing partner and myself. I duly entrered my scores into our club computer but it seems that I forgot to press the enter button!

My club then disqualified me. I informed him that as far as I was aware I had done everything right within the rules and just because I forgot to press a button on a computer should not mean I should have been disqualified. I was told that I had not entered my score correctly and was DQ, simple as that. I disagreed as what would have happened in the old days before computers?”

#2 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I suggest that you refer the person that disqualified you to Decision 6-6b/8;

‘Q. May a Committee, as a condition of competition, provide that a competitor must enter his score into a computer?

A. No. Such a condition would modify Rule 6-6b.’

Therefore, under the Rules of Golf the score card, as signed by the player and the marker, is the official record of the round for purposes of the competition.

But you should be aware of the continuation of that same Decision; ‘However, while it is not permissible to penalize a player under the Rules of Golf for failing to enter his score into a computer, a Committee may, in order to assist in the administration of the competition, introduce a “club regulation” to this effect and provide disciplinary sanctions (e.g., ineligibility to play in the next club competition(s)) for failure to act in accordance with the regulation.’

Under the Rules the Committee were not entitled to disqualify you for the competition in which you did not correctly record your score on the Club’s computer system, but they could have ‘disciplined’ you for a future competition if it was in their ‘club regulations’. In my opinion this would be totally unfair as you had made an attempt to enter your score in the computer but had made a simple error in doing so.”

#3 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Can you give me a ruling on:

If a player hits through the green into a water hazard, where do you take the drop?

Do you have to keep the water hazard between you and your intended target or drop at point of entry or replay your shot from its original position?”

#3 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“This is a situation that confuses many golfers. Assuming that the player decides that the ball cannot be played from within the water hazard there are two options under Rule 26-1, ‘If a ball is in a water hazard, or if it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:

a) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b) Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped’.

So, to answer your question, the important words are ‘keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped’. You will see that in your question the place where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard was on the far side of the green to where the stroke was played from. Therefore, the place where the ball must be dropped under option b) is on the far side of the water hazard. In other words, the player’s next stroke will have to be played over the water hazard on the far side of the putting green from where he last played from, under penalty of one stroke.”

#4 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I Do NOT ground my club before playing off the fairway, [or any where for that matter]. This I do as I believe having NOT grounded my club, I have not addressed the ball. Therefore if it moves I am not deemed to have made a stroke. I think this includes me inadvertently touching it during waggle?

Do you agree?”

#4 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You are quite correct. A player has “addressed the ball” when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.

Therefore, if you do not ground your club you have not addressed it (other than in a hazard). Touching your ball inadvertently does not change this situation, unless off course your ball moves of its spot when you do so, when a penalty of one stroke is incurred and the ball must be replaced.”

#5 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I had a challenging situation yesterday. Whilst driving at the 15th my ball fell into the water. There are yellow stakes around the water. My partner suggested that I reload and I hit a beautiful, straight and long shot onto the fairway ( don`t know why I couldn`t do that the 1st time). I finished playing and when we got back to the club house the people who were playing behind us complained that what I did was wrong.

They did not have a problem with me hitting the second ball from the tee because that was my choice but teeing the second ball was the issue.

They said I can only tee the second ball if the 1st one goes out of bounds or if I cannot find my 1St ball (lost ball). They maintain that in my case I can drop the ball at the tee or anywhere near the yellow stakes but I am not supposed to tee the 2nd ball ot use the peg.

Please help clarify, this left a bitter taste in my partner`s mouth because he has been playing for some years now and he thought he understands the rules.”

#5 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Tell your partner that he can relax because he was correct. As he quite rightly suggested, one of the relief options under Rule 26-1 for a ball lost in a water hazard is to play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. Rule 20-5 states, ‘When a player elects or is required to make his next stroke from where a previous stroke was made, he must proceed as follows:

a. On the Teeing Ground: The ball to be played must be played from within the teeing ground. It may be played from anywhere within the teeing ground and may be teed.’

So you were quite within your rights to tee up the ball anywhere within the teeing ground.

Incidentally, the group behind were also wrong if they said that you could drop a ball ‘anywhere near the yellow stakes’. Under Rule 26-1 the only other option if your ball is lost in a water hazard is to, ‘drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped.’

This might be near the yellow stakes or may be many yards away, but in either case it has to be somewhere on an extension of the line from the hole through where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard.”

#6 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

” I have some rubber tees for a driving mat. I am wondering if they are legal with the USGA to use on the course? If so I would rather use them. What I like about them is they are always the same height and won’t break and you can always find them, they don’t go far after hitting the ball.”

#6 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The definition says, ‘A “tee” is a device designed to raise the ball off the ground. It must not be longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm), and it must not be designed or manufactured in such a way that it could indicate the line of play or influence the movement of the ball.’

Therefore, I see no reason why your rubber tees do not meet this specification and can therefore be used in competition.”

#7 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Please can you clarify something for me from a rules perspective.

A player is lying 2 on a Par 3 and has about a 4 metre putt for par. As he addresses the ball his putter touches the ball which does a half roll forward and then settles back into its original position. The player then hits his putt and sinks it for a par.

What is the ruling? Must he take a 4 for the ball moving, although resting in original position, or does he record a 3.”

#7 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“A ball is only deemed to have ‘moved’ if it leaves its position and comes to rest in any other place. Also, Rule 18-2a(i) permits a player to touch his ball in the act of addressing it. So, in the situation that you describe no penalty has been incurred.

This is confirmed in Decision 18/2, ‘Q. In addressing the ball, a player accidentally causes the ball to oscillate, but it returns to its original position. Has the ball ‘moved’ A. No.’

Thus the player recorded a 3.”

#8 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“At my home course, hole # 11 runs parallel to hole # 15 ( in opposite directions). In between the two is an old train rail bed, which is out of bounds on both fairways. ( it is used as an access road for the grounds crew) My question is, if you hit a tee shot off either hole and it crosses the out of bounds stakes on the hole being played and crosses the out of bounds stakes in the parallel hole and lands in the fairway of the parallel hole, is the ball still in play?”

#8 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Decision 27/20 answers your question;

‘Q. A public road defined as out of bounds divides a course. A ball crosses the road and comes to rest on the part of the course on the other side of the road. Is the ball out of bounds?

A. No. Since the ball lies on the course, it is in bounds unless a Local Rule provides otherwise. However, because it is unfair that a ball on the road is out of bounds and a ball beyond it is in bounds, it is suggested that the following Local Rule should be adopted:

A ball which crosses a public road defined as out of bounds and comes to rest beyond that road is out of bounds, even though it may lie on another part of the course.

So, in your question the ball is in bounds unless there is a Local Rule that declares otherwise. You will see that the USGA and R&A would approve of such a Local Rule being introduced in these circumstances.”

#9 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“How should mixed competition be held?

Should the ladies play from the men’s tee?

The ladies handicap is given according to the ladies’ tee. So would it be fair to make the ladies play from men’s tee with the same handicap?”

#9 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Unfortunately, I cannot give you a definitive answer to your question as it is not covered by the Rules of Golf but by a Rule of Competition, as defined by the course or Club Committee.

However, I can tell you that, in my experience, for most mixed competitions the men play from their tees off their stroke indexes and the ladies play from their tees off their (usually different) stroke indexes.

There is a Decision on the Rules, which is relevant to your question; Decision 29-2:

Q. In a mixed foursome in which the men play from the back tees and the women play from the forward tees, a man hits a tee shot out of bounds. Does his partner play the next stroke from the back tee or the forward tee?

A. The partner must play from the back tee.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“My friends and I were discussing some rules of golf when this one came up.

A person hits a ball towards the green, they look around for the ball but could not find it and the player declares the hole lost, then he finds the ball in the hole and tries to say he’s won the hole.

One of my friends says this right. Could you please clarify this point for me.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Your friend was correct in that the person who found his ball in the hole won the hole, assuming of course that his score on that hole was lower than his opponent. The reason is that the ball is out of play as soon as it is holed out and cannot therefore be lost or the hole conceded.

Decision 2-4/11 is relevant as it confirms the principle involved;

Q. In a match, A played his second shot towards the green but he could not find his ball. He conceded the hole to B, whose second shot was on the green. The following players then found A’s ball in the hole. What is the ruling?

A. Since a player may not concede a hole after conclusion of the hole ‘Rule 2-4′. A holed out in two strokes and won the hole if he made a claim before B played from the next teeing ground (Rule 2-5). If A did not do so, he lost the hole.”

#11 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I once saw Mickelson use a wedge on a putting green to approach a very distant hole, instead of the putter. I understand the expected club to use on the green is a putter, but there is no explicit rule against using any other club, is there? If so, even if the player in this case were completely on the green, could he take his stance and use any club for his next shot?”

#11 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You are quite right, there is no Rule of Golf that prohibits a player from using any of his clubs on the putting green of the hole being played. However, if you do find yourself in a situation where you have to chip a ball from the putting surface make sure that you completely repair any damage to the surface that your stroke leaves.

You are probably aware that Rule 25-3 states that a player may not play a stroke from any putting green other than the one being played, though he is permitted to take his stance on a green in order to play a stroke at his ball that lies just of the putting surface.”

#12 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I once hit a bunker rake on a second fairway shot and it made a large hole in my ball. At other times on my course I may hit a cemented pathway, a rock, etc. and the ball will come out damaged or with very deep cuts or cracked. Can I replace the ball?”

#12 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, Rule 5-3 states that, ‘a ball is unfit for play if it is visibly cut, cracked or out of shape. A ball is not unfit for play solely because mud or other materials adhere to it, its surface is scratched or scraped or its paint is damaged or discolored.’

If you suspect that your ball may be unfit for play during play of a hole you must be careful to follow the procedure laid down in the Rules,’Before lifting the ball, the player must announce his intention to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play and mark the position of the ball. He may then lift and examine it, provided that he gives his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor an opportunity to examine the ball and observe the lifting and replacement. The ball must not be cleaned when lifted under Rule 5-3.’ Failure to comply with any part of this procedure incurs a penalty of one stroke. If the ball is unfit for play under the above definition it may be substituted without penalty. Of course, any ball may be substituted between the play of holes.”

#13 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“What could happen in a tournament if a golfer did not submit their original scorecard for a Stableford Competition and instead submitted a regular scorecard and filled in the numbers to match the original scorecard?”

#13 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The answer to your question is in Decision 6-6/7;

Q. At the end of a round in stroke play, a competitor returns to the Committee a score card different from the one issued by the Committee at the start of the round (e.g., because the original score card was lost or illegible due to wet weather). The new score card contained the competitor’s name and scores and was signed by both him and his marker. Should the score card be accepted?

A. Yes.”

#14 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“The opponents ball was hit approx 10 meters further than mine on the fairway after we teed off. I then took a short iron to further hit the ball to the green, in the process I took a divot, which then landed on top of the opponent’s ball. What is the ruling when they have to remove the chunk of grass form the ball?”

#14 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“A principle of the Rules of Golf is that a player is entitled to the lie which his stroke gave him. Accordingly, in equity (Rule 1-4) your opponent could not only have removed your divot lying against his ball, without penalty, but he could also have lifted and cleaned any grass or earth that was deposited on his ball as a result of your stroke. Decision 13-2/8.5 rules on similar circumstances.”

#15 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“When a white line is not present, i.e. just stakes, why can’t clubs attach some weather proofed chord to each post as this will surely help to more easily determine the actual OOB line?”

#15 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I certainly agree that all out of bounds should be marked as clearly as possible and ropes or chains between the posts are a good idea to identify those areas. However, under the Rules, when out of bounds is defined by reference to stakes, the out of bounds line is determined by the nearest inside points at ground level of the stakes, not by the ropes or chains between them.”

#16 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Would it be possible for you to send me the rule on the 3 option, when you take a penalty in a bunker”

#16 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I believe that you are referring to when you declare your ball unplayable in a bunker. The three options, under Rule 28, all incurring a penalty of one stroke, are;

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

c. Drop a ball in the bunker within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

#17 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“If a sprinkler head is in the line of your swing path but in no other way interferes with the stroke viz it is not affecting your stance nor is the ball lying on it, is relief permitted?”

#17 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no relief from a sprinkler that is in the line of a player’s swing path unless his club would make contact with any part of it during his intended swing. As sprinklers are usually flush with the ground this is unlikely. In other words there is no relief for mental interference by an immovable obstruction.

On a related issue, note that if a Club adopts the specimen Local Rule in Appendix 1, Part B, no.6, for Immovable Obstructions Close to Putting Green, a player may take relief if his ball lies off the putting green, but not in a hazard, and there is a sprinkler on or within two club-lengths of the putting green and within two club-lengths of his ball intervening on his line of play. There is no such relief unless this Local Rule is in operation.”

#18 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A player marks their ball on the putting green picks it up then wipes the mud of the ball on the surface of the green is there any penalty?”

#18 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no penalty unless there was intent to test the surface of the putting green. Decision 16-1d/5 states,

‘Q. May a player clean his ball by rubbing it on the putting green?

A. Yes, provided the act is not for the purpose of testing the surface of the putting green. It is recommended that a ball be cleaned in other ways to eliminate any question as to the player?s intentions.’

This is why you see professionals pass the ball to their caddie for cleaning.”

#19 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“If Player A plays with a non-conforming driver and Player B at the 11th tee-box notifies his opponent that he is making a claim. Player A still used the non-conforming driver on the 11th hole.

What is the ruling before Player B plays from the 11th tee-box and after he plays from the 11th tee-box.”

#19 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Rule 4-1 states that,’the player’s clubs must conform with this Rule and the provisions, specifications and interpretations set forth in Appendix II.’ As soon as Player A made a stroke on the 11th with the non-conforming club, in breach of Rule 4-1 or 4-2, he incurred the penalty of disqualification (see the penalty statement at the end of Rule 4-2).

If Player A had not made any stroke with the non-conforming club in playing the first 10 holes, or during the 11th hole, he would have had two holes deducted from the state of the match at the end of the 11th hole; ‘*PENALTY FOR CARRYING, BUT NOT MAKING STROKE WITH, CLUB OR CLUBS IN BREACH OF RULE 4-1 or 4-2: Match play – At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is discovered, the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred; maximum deduction per round – Two holes.

Obviously, he may not use the non-conforming club for the remainder of the round or he will be disqualified.

The important point here is that any stroke made with a non-conforming club disqualifies the player, whether in match play or stroke play.”

#20 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I have been told that a worm cast on the green cannot be removed. I assumed they came under the heading of a loose impediment, and as long as they can be removed by sweeping with the hand there is no penalty. Who is correct and under which rule does it fall?”

#20 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You are correct. Decision 23-1/1 states,

‘Q. Worm casts are loose impediments. By what means may such casts be removed?

A. Loose impediments may be moved by any means, except that, in removing loose impediments on the line of putt, the player must not press anything down (Rule 16-1a).’

Worm casts can therefore be removed anywhere on the course other than in a hazard.”

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What Happens? – Accidentally Moving A Ball In The Process Of Marking It!

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:24:39 +0000

Here is a rules of golf question I received on accidentally moving a ball in the process of marking it:

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A couple of days ago in a round of golf in our club champs, one of the players in the other pair asked his opponent to mark his ball, a putter-head span to the right. The player did what a lot of players do in marking the ball, namely put the putter head down alongside the ball and placed the marker at the heel of the putter.

This is a not-recommended method of ball marking, but provided it is done in reverse when replacing the ball, is okay as far as I am concerned.

In putting his putter down to span the marker, however, the player tapped his ball about an inch to the right. He replaced it and spanned it again, this time without incident.

Does he incur a penalty for knocking his ball ? Our club is somewhat divided on this, and I volunteered to email you and get a ruling.

Many thanks in anticipation.”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no penalty for accidentally moving a ball in the process of marking.

Rule 20-1 states, ‘If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of lifting the ball under a Rule or marking its position, the ball or ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty, provided the movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific act of marking the position of or lifting the ball.’

Decision 20-1/15 explains what is meant by the phrase ‘directly attributable to the specific act’ as follows; ‘the specific act of placing a ball-marker behind the ball, placing a club to the side of the ball, or lifting the ball such that the player’s hand, the placement of the ball-marker or the club, or the lifting of the ball causes the ball or the ball-marker to move.”

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Clarifying Ten Quick Golf Rules

Barry Rhodes — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:53:03 +0000

Over the past few months I have answered far more questions than can be posted on the blog. Usually I pick the longer answers to post, but today I thought wouldn’t it be fun to add 10 short answers to one post.

I hope you enjoy reading these rules of golf questions and answers.

#1 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“My ball lands in grass cuttings that have been left in the rough ( may be even a pile of leaves left by the green keeper )

Can I play from where it is or do I get relief?”

#1 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I will do my best to give you a complete answer to your question but there is not sufficient information to be absolutely definite. Whether you can obtain free relief or not depends on whether the grass/leaves are “material piled for removal by a greenkeeper”. If they are, then the player can obtain free relief in the same way as from ground under repair or casual water (see Definition of Ground Under Repair and Rule 25-1b). If however, it is obvious that the grass/leaves are not going to be removed by a greenkeeper, then the player can remove as much of the material as he can surrounding the ball, providing he does not move his ball, as they are loose impediments. Obviously, he will not be able to remove any grass/leaves that lie under the ball. If he does cause his ball to move while clearing the loose impediments, he is penalised one stroke and must replace his ball in the same place, with the same lie (i.e. on the grass/leaves).”

#2 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Within the rules of golf it is allowed for a player to ask his opponent what club he used after both players have played their shots.

Is there a requirement for the opponent to answer?

Is there any penalty if he refuses?”

#2 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You are right in saying that a player may ask another player what club they have just played, providing they have both played their shots and the information will not influence the player in determining the choice of club for his/her next stroke. There is nothing in the Rules requiring a player to answer such a question and therefore there is no penalty for refusing to answer. Personally, I would rather not exchange this information as I tend to take more club than most players and would rather keep that fact to myself.”

#3 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“My young mate was awaiting his turn to putt while his parteners played their shots when he accidently dropped his putter on the green the handle striking his ball causing it to move a couple of inches.

What is the penalty, if any?”

#3 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“He incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2a(ii) “equipment of the player or his partner causes the ball to move”. An important point is that he must replace the ball where it was at rest when his putter moved it, or he would be penalised a total of two strokes for causing his ball to move and then playing from the wrong place.”

#4 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Can you help me with the following rule. I play golf in Spain most of the winter months. The following rule applies in Spain. I was playing in Portugal last week and had this problem. My ball finished close to a buggy path. I was standing on the path to play the shot. The local rule states one club length of the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole. I used my 3 wood to measure, the club I used to play the shot. The measurement took me out of the rough on to the fairway. My Irish competitor would not accept this rule and stated I had to drop the ball in the rough.

Please let me know the ruling.”

#4 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You were correct and your Irish friend was wrong. In dropping away from the path, an immovable obstruction, you were taking relief under Rule 24-2b(i), which says “If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

In your case the nearest point of relief was favourable to your next stroke, however, in many cases, the nearest point of relief may put you in a worse position (e.g. in longer grass, or behind a bush). The thing to remember is that the drop must be within one club length of the ‘nearest’ point of relief and not the ‘nicest’ point of relief.”

#5 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I play in Arizona and we have some dry creek or what are called washes. These areas are yellow staked and spray painted. Some of these hazards have never seen the hint of water. My question is since you are allowed to hit from a water hazard, can you hit from a dry creek or wash that is yellow staked without penalty?”

#5 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, the fact that these areas are defined by yellow stakes and lines means that they are to be treated as water hazards under the Rules. The player may therefore play the ball as it lies within the hazard but must not test the condition of the hazard, touch the ground in the hazard with his hand or a club, or touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard (Rule 13-4 Ball in Hazard – Prohibited Actions).”

#6 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“What are the obtions when a ball is unplayable in a bunker?”

#6 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“When a player deems his unplayable in a bunker the options are exactly the same as for a ball unplayable anywhere else on the course (except that this relief under penalty of one stroke is not available when the ball is in a water hazard);

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

However, if the player proceeds under Clause b or c, the ball must be dropped in the bunker.”

#7 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Here’s one that happened while playing recently. We were all on the green and marking our balls while the man furthest from the hole was lining up his putt. A ball marker was in his line so he asked that it be moved over. The second player, using his putter blade as a guide moved the marker one blade length to the left. When it became his turn to putt, the second player, instead of replacing his ball one blade length to the right, placed it one further blade length to the left in error and putted from there.

What is the penalty for this?”

#7 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Decision 20-7c/1 provides the answer to your question;

Q. In stroke play, a competitor in replacing his ball on the putting green inadvertently put the ball in a wrong place nearby and holed out. The error was then discovered and the competitor put his ball in the right place and holed out. What is the ruling?

A. The score with the ball played from the wrong place counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to that score (Rule 16-1b or 20-3a and Rule 20-7c).

The competitor incurs no penalty for having putted from the right place after holing out from a wrong place.”

#8 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A friend of mine lost the match play tournament because his opponent called a penalty for unintentionally tossing his club into a sand trap. Is this an infraction? In my opinion, this would fall under the exceptions clause for rule 13-4?”

#8 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“In my opinion your friend should clearly not have been penalised. As you point out Exception 1b to Rule 13-4 specifically says that a player may place his clubs in a hazard. The fact that he unintentionally tossed his club into the hazard means that he was definitely not doing so in order to test the condition of the hazard.

Of course, as it was match play, your friend should have made a claim if he did not agree with the penalty called on him. The correct procedure is that he must notify his opponent (i) that he is making a claim, (ii) of the facts of the situation and (iii) that he wants a ruling. The claim must be made before he, or his opponent plays from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the match, before all players in the match leave the putting green.”

#9 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Whilst playing a medal round with two other guys we completed the eigth hole and I recorded a 6 for myself. On reaching the tenth tee the guy marking my card informed me he believed I had putted a moving ball and had added a two shot penalty. Having not said anything on the green or next tee I was angry and flabbergasted. I know in match play you have to make the
rules objection before playing the next hole but I wasnt sure about medal play?

Can you help?”

#9 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“In stroke play, penalties can be applied to a player’s score any time before the score card being agreed and signed by the player and the marker and returned to the Committee.

Naturally, it would have been more appropriate for your marker to advise you that he thought that you had incurred a penalty as soon as he witnessed it, but it is not mandatory.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A player is on a course which has a local rule giving preferred lie of one clublength (not closer to the hole) on the fairway in play. The ball comes to rest on the fairway in play, a few cm From the edge of the fairway. Since one clublength movement is allowed, the player moves his ball, placing it just off the fairway on some nice tufty grass. Has he breached the local rule, and is he liable for a two stroke penalty?”

#10 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Since your question refers to a Local Rule there is no definitive answer from the Rules of Golf as it depends how the Local Rule is worded. However, if the Local Rule follows the recommended wording in the specimen for Preferred Lies and Winter Rules in Appendix 1, Part B, 4c, then the player is entitled to place his ball off the closely mown area, not nearer the hole, within the specified limit (in this case one club length)without incurring a penalty.

The first part of the specimen Rule reads: “A ball lying on a closely mown area through the green may be lifted without penalty and cleaned. Before lifting the ball, the player must mark its position. Having lifted the ball, he must place it on a spot within [specify area, e.g., six inches, one club-length, etc.] of and not nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

It would be highly unusual for a Committee to restrict the placing of the ball to the closely mown area (i.e. fairway).”

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Understanding The Out Of Bounds Rule

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:57:30 +0000

This week I received a great question on the definition of “Out of Bounds”, understanding this rule is important and I thoroughly recommend you read the question and answer :

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I have a question. This is about a ball on the Out of Bounds line. The definition defines that a ball is Out of Bounds when all of it lies Out of Bounds. It also declares that, when Out of Bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is Out of Bounds.

Now the situation: A ball lying on what seems to be an oil line that defines the Out of Bounds, but the line itself is smudgy and unclear in particular the interior part of the line. Also you have a stalky grass that had part of its stalks touching the ball.

The following are the questions I would like to pose?

1. Note 1: under definitions states; that stakes and lines used to define the Out of Bounds should be white. Does the club need to change the line marking to white rather than oil. Does did affect the Out of Bounds and bring in the stakes instead which also located along the oil line?

2. If the Out of Bounds line is unclear, can one assume that the line is nevertheless there or should the benefit of the doubt go to the player who owns the ball?

3. Does the stalk from the grass inbounds change the status of the ball, noting the definition that the ball is Out of Bounds when all of it lies Out of Bounds yet although the ball is out but part of the course is touching it.

What is the proper ruling on this? Appreciate your assistance.”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Firstly, the ‘oil line’ does legitimately define the Out of Bounds.

Although the definition states that the line ‘should’ be white, it is not mandatory.

Secondly, if any part of the ball overlaps the course inside the oil line it is in bounds.

It is worth noting here that if a ball lies completely between the two outside edges of a line defining out of bounds the ball is Out of Bounds.

Thirdly, where stakes are used at points along the oil line they identify the Out of Bounds area but it is the lines that actually define it. Finally, the stalky grass is not relevant to the decision on whether the ball is in bounds or out of bounds.

So, to try and answer your questions;

1. The club does not have to change the line marking to white (though it would be preferable if they did so) and it is the oil lines that define the Out of Bounds, where they exist, and not the stakes.

2. Even if the oil line is smudged it still defines the Out of Bounds area, so it does not matter whether it is one inch wide in places and six inches wide in others it is still the definitive guide. Where there is no line evident the players must take the nearest inside points of the stakes at ground level as being the definitive points to determine whether any part of the ball is lying in bounds.

Similarly, if there are two oil lines between stakes with an area between them where no line exists then the players must take an imaginary line between the inside points of each line end to determine whether the ball is in bounds or Out of Bounds.

3. The stalky grass, or anything else growing in bounds, is irrelevant in determining whether the ball itself lies in or out of bounds..”

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