Author: Hilary

Ladies: Our Spring Handicap tournament starts next week. Here are some helpful reminders!.

Tournament play is more stressful than regular play days as more is on the line, the chance to be the Champion or place in your flight! With this in mind we should be sure to follow golf etiquette and the Rules of Golf. Consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times. Make each day of the tournament a pleasant experience for your fellow competitors and yourself.

Pace of Play

Nothing is more annoying than slow play. Long waits to make your shots ruins your rhythm and slows down the whole field.

Keep up with the group in front.

Take all the clubs to your ball that you “may” need for your next shot.

Do not take excessive time over the ball or an excessive number of practice swings.

Be prepared to step up and putt when it is your turn. Check out your line and speed of putt while others are putting. Be ready.

As soon as everyone has putted out leave the green quickly. You can put your clubs back in your bag at the next tee box.

If you bring clubs to the green leave them on the line of your exit path. This way you will not be wasting time retrieving your clubs that are on the other side of the green.

If you walk make sure you leave your push cart away from the front of the green so it is out of the way of players hitting behind you. Put your cart on your exit path.

Write the scores on the scorecard at the NEXT tee box.

Etiquette

Be courteous. Do not talk or make a noise while your fellow competitors are hitting or setting up for their shot.

Be patient. If your fellow competitor is playing badly help them by moving their cart if needed.

If your ball is on the green and your fellow competitors are still hitting up from the fairway do not stand on the green in the line of play. It is very distracting for players hitting to the green to see you on their line of flight and dangerous for you.

Rules

Do not be early or late for your tee time. Tee off at your designated time. If you don’t you may be penalized 2 strokes or DQ’d

Check that your handicap is correct on your scorecard.

Do not ask for or give advice.

If a ball is on your line of play or distracting for your next shot ask your fellow competitor to lift their ball and mark it. (Rule/Decision 22/1)

If you want to play a Provisional ball because your ball may be lost or out of bounds tell your fellow competitors before you hit the Provisional ball.

If you are unsure how to play your ball using a Rule you may play two balls, your ball in play and a second ball. Before you hit both balls decide which of the two you want to count if it is played by the Rules. Complete the hole with both balls and put both scores on your score card. Do not sign your card and bring it to the Committee for a decision. (Rule 3-3)

If you believe that you or a fellow competitor has broken a Rule and may have incurred a penalty do not sign the score card and bring the question to the Tournament Committee at the end of your round.

Double check all your scores for EVERY hole before you sign your scorecard. Check your addition. Do not be DISQUALIFIED because you made a scoring mistake.

I hope this helps you.
Hilary

Ladies:

Let’s have some fun with “loose impediments” and see what we know, don’t know, and what we should do.

1. Our ball is on the fairway surrounded by little pieces of cut grass. We think, “Thank goodness they’ve finally mowed the rough!” We remove them from around the ball, and also remove one piece that’s stuck on our ball.

Penalty or no penalty?

Answer. No penalty for removing the grass around the ball BUT a one stroke penalty for removing the grass adhering to the ball.

Decision 21/2 says that anything “adhering to the ball” is not a loose impediment. The grass is a loose impediment when it’s on the ground, not when it’s on your ball.

2. Your ball is on the fringe of the green and before you make your next stroke you remove some twigs, leaves, loose soil and sand from around your ball. Penalty or no penalty?

No penalty for removing the twigs and leaves as they are loose impediments.

You get a TWO STROKE penalty for removing the loose soil and sand. They are only “loose impediments” when on the green, not the fringe. You improved your lie, area of intended stance, swing or line of play, Rule 13-2.

3. Now you’re on the putting green. You mark and lift your ball and, on your line of play, there’s some sand and loose soil. Can you remove them, or will it be a two stroke penalty again?

. Here on the putting green sand or loose soils ARE loose impediments so you can remove them. Rule 16-1(i)

Go figure who decided this, and what do they have against loose soil and sand anyway?

4. Your ball lies on the fairway and a live insect is on your ball, can you remove it?

Yes, because unlike the grass in question #1, it is not considered to be adhering to your ball because it has legs and can walk, yikes, and therefore is a “loose impediment”.

BUT if your ball moves while removing the pesky critter you get a one stroke penalty and have to replace your ball. If you don’t replace it a two stroke penalty is added to your score.

5. Same ball, same insect, now in a bunker. Can you remove the insect?

NO. He was loose impediment in the fairway but he’s now in the bunker and you cannot remove loose impediments when in a bunker.

However as he is capable of moving on its own you may wave your hand over it, or blow on it to encourage it to fly away. If you remove the insect with your fingers you will be penalized TWO STROKES under Rule 13-4c.

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Ladies:

Here is our first Rules quiz for 2016.

7 questions for an OK or Not OK answer…..

A player in a stroke play event asks a fellow-competitor the distance from the teeing ground to clear a fairway bunker.

OK: Distances to objects are public information (Decision 8-1/2)

A player, while waiting to play a stroke in the fairway, chips a ball back and forth with their partner.

Not-OK: A player cannot practice on course during a round (other than between holes as specified) – two stroke penalty (Rule 7-2)

A player while waiting to play a stroke in the fairway does some “housekeeping”, replacing some divots including one on his line of play but not near his ball.

Not-OK: Player improved their line of play (Rule 13-2 and Decision 13-2/6)
Two stroke penalty.

A player’s ball is on a hillside, as the player approaches they see their ball roll down the hill and out of bounds. The player retrieves ball, replaces it on the original spot and plays from there.

Not-OK: Ball was out of bounds – This is most likely to be called a serious breach in stroke play as the player may have gained a significant advantage from playing from a wrong place. The penalty is disqualification.
If your ball goes out of bounds at any time take a one stroke penalty and play from where the previous stroke was made. (Rule 27-1b and Rule 20-7)

A player’s ball “might” be in a water hazard. The player drops a ball on their best estimate of the line from the hole and where they think it “might “have crossed the hazard. They play the dropped ball and hole out.

Not-OK: The Committee must determine if this a serious breach as it was not virtually certain ball is in water hazard. By playing from the wrong place in this situation the player could incur a three stroke penalty or be disqualified.
(Decision 26-1/3.7 and /4)

While a ball is in motion after a stroke, a player moves another player’s club to prevent the ball from striking the club.

OK: Equipment may be moved while ball is in motion (Rule 24-1)

A player takes relief from a lateral water hazard. They drop a ball which lands outside the allowed two club-length area but the ball rolls into the allowed two club-length area. The player plays the dropped ball.

Not-OK: Player incurs a two stroke penalty for breach of Rule 26-1. The ball must first strike course where prescribed by the Rule (Rules 20-2b, 20-6, 20-7 and 26-1c). If you drop in a wrong place, and do not play that ball, you can pick up your ball and re-drop it in the correct place without penalty, Rule 20-6.

I hope this helps you.
Hilary