Author: Hilary

February Rules

Ladies today’s Rules e mail is a simple reminder.

“FREE FOR ONE, PAY FOR TWO”

No ladies this has nothing to do with “Singles Night Out” or Happy Hour, it’s about CLUB LENGTHS. It can be confusing when using the Rules in different situations and wondering,
“So do I take one club length here or two?”

Use this simple phrase. FREE FOR ONE (club length), PAY FOR TWO (club lengths).

In using Rule 24-2 Immovable Obstruction and Rule 25 Abnormal Ground Conditions you get free relief = One club length.

In using Rule 28 Unplayable Lie or Rule 26 option C in a Lateral Water Hazard you pay for relief = Two club lengths.

You gotta get something for your money eh?

So now……. HOW DO WE DO IT?

Q. Which club do I use to measure my nearest point of relief?

A. Take your stance where you have complete relief for your swing, stance, and lie and use the club you are going to make your next shot with. Mark where you ground the club head with a small marker or tee.

Q. Which club do I use to measure the one or two club lengths?

A. Any club in your bag. You can carry a belly putter just for measuring as long as you only have 14 clubs in your bag.

Q. From where do I measure with the club I choose?

A. For the Ground under Repair or Immovable Obstruction you measure one club length from where you grounded and marked your club head.

For the Unplayable Lie you measure from where your original balls lies.
For the Lateral Water Hazard from where your ball crossed the margin. For both you use two club lengths.

Q. How do I drop the ball?

A. From shoulder height with your arm fully extended. Ouch!

Q. How far can the ball roll after dropping?

A. Two club lengths, not nearer the hole. Choose where you drop carefully so when it rolls you get a better lie in better grass for a better shot.
As I said before, you gotta get something good for the money!

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

February Golf rules

Ladies:
You might think I’m stuck on the putting green again this month but, I start there and move on to other bad practices on the course.
They don’t break the Rules of Golf but aren’t a good idea.

Hope this helps you,
Hilary


We often see our ladies clean mud from their golf ball, by rubbing it on the putting green surface beside their ball-marker, I started to think of other bad practices that we often see on our golf course, which do not incur a penalty, but should definitely be discouraged. Here are a few.

  • Cleaning a ball by rubbing it on the putting green. This is permitted (Decision 16-1d/5), providing 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.
  • Using a putter head, a tee or a loose impediment to mark a ball on the putting green (Decision 20-1/16). Players should always use a coin, ball-marker or other similar object for this purpose.
  • Placing a club, usually a putter, in front of a ball when addressing it.(I addressed this last month) Even though this unusual pre-shot routine means that the player is touching their line of putt on the putting green, it does not incur a penalty. Rule 16-1(ii) specifically permits this action, providing the player does not press anything down. If they do press their club down on the ground as they address their ball they incur a penalty under Rule 13-2.
  • Standing behind a fellow competitor while he makes his stroke. Again this action does not breach any Rule, but it is extremely poor etiquette. Players should never stand close to or directly behind the line of play, or directly behind the hole, when a fellow competitor or opponent is about to play.
  • Not entering the player’s score on the score card after each hole when acting as their marker. Some markers only update the card every 3rd/4th hole, or even wait until the end of a round. There is no penalty for this, but the Rules say that the marker should check the score with the competitor and record it at the end of each hole (Rule 6-6a).

Lastly, not putting recognisable identification marks on your ball. Time and again players find that they are not able to positively identify their ball in play. Rule 12-2 states that each player should put an identification mark on his ball.

These bad practices on the golf course can annoy us all. Try to avoid them so we can all enjoy our rounds of golf.

Hope this helps you,Hilary.

First golf Rules for 2013

Welcome ladies:

We have an ever growing group of 18 holers, fantastic. Below is my first Rules mailing of the year and I chose it as it addresses questions I have been asked a number of times, especially about “grounding your putter in front of the ball.” This comes with great graphics.

To all of you, especially the new members, please feel free to e mail me or ask clarification on any Rules questions you have. I love questions, they keep me sharp, and it gives me an idea of what I need to cover in my mailings each month. Remember knowing the Rules can cut strokes from your score so, know them and use them!

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Pre-putt Routine

Question 1:
A left-handed player places their putter head in front of the ball as part of their putting routine;
a) Do they incur a penalty if they do not press anything down while doing so?
b) Do they incur a penalty if they do press down on the putting surface while doing so?

Answer 1:
a) No.
b) Yes.
Exception (ii) to Rule 16-1a permits a player to place their club in front of the ball when addressing it, providing they do not press anything down.

Question 2:
On a calm day with no wind, a player’s ball moves after they have placed their putter head down in front of it as part of their putting routine. Do they incur a penalty even if their club did not touch the ball?

Answer 2:
Yes, the player incurs a one stroke penalty under Rule 18-2b.

Definition of Addressing the Ball;

A player has “addressed the ball” when he has grounded his club immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball, whether or not he has taken his stance.

Exception: If it is known or virtually certain that the player did not cause his ball to move, Rule 18-2b does not apply.

__________


Question 3:
If a player forgets to lift their ball marker when they replace their ball and then putt, do they incur a penalty?

Answer 3:
No.

Note: Under Rule 20-4, a ball is in play when it is replaced, whether or not the object used to mark its position has been removed. Providing a player is not using their ball-marker to indicate their intended line of putt there is no penalty for leaving it in place while putting.