Author: Kay B

Webmaster in training.

February Rules Quiz:

Good morning Ladies:

Here’s February’s Rules quiz, enjoy……

Abnormal Ground Conditions/ Ground Under Repair, (RULE 25) Quiz

If your ball lands in an area marked as “Ground Under Repair” (GUR)

  1. Do you have take relief from GUR?

2. If you take relief is there a penalty?

3. If you take relief but your foot, club or ball still touches the GUR is that okay?

4. If your ball lands on bare bumpy ground can you decide it is Ground Under Repair?

5. May you remove the stakes and rope lining the GUR before you make your stroke?

6. Once you find your nearest point of relief from Ground Under Repair how many club lengths do you measure from that point in which to drop your ball?

7. Can you clean your ball if you lift it to take relief from GUR?

8. Your ball lies in a few yards off the putting green and GUR intervenes between your ball and the hole, are you entitled to relief?

Answers

  1. NO you do not HAVE to take relief, you may play the ball as it lies unless there is a Local Rule in effect prohibiting play, or the area is deemed as an environmentally sensitive area.

 2. NO. There is no penalty, you get FREE relief.

3. NO it is not okay. When you drop your ball and are set up to make your stroke you must have COMPLETE relief from the GUR.

If you do not you will incur a TWO stroke penalty!

 4. NO Only the Pro Shop or Tournament Committee may decide which areas are Ground Under Repair and they should be marked (Usually with white lines and sometimes also with stakes.)

 5. YES you may. The stakes are considered to be “Obstructions”. After your stroke please replace the stakes from where you removed them.

6. One club length. You may use any club in your bag to measure this one club length.

 7. YES you may.

 8. NO you cannot take relief just because the area is on your intended line of play. You may only take relief is your ball lies in or touches the GUR, interferes with your stance or the area of your intended swing.

I hope this helps you,

Hilary

<Feb Rules quiz.docx>

New Local Rule

Ladies:

Some of you may have recently read that the USGA has introduced a new Local Rule regarding “accidental movement of the ball on the putting green”. They will be implementing this Local Rule at all of their tournaments this year and they are recommending that Clubs do the same for their members. With this in mind I talked with our Tournament Committee, Cathy and Bonnie, and also Barbara our Captain. They are in full agreement that we should implement this Local Rule.

I have attached a video from the USGA website which explains exactly how this Local Rule works. Remember however if the wind blows your ball on the putting surface you will play it where it ends up BUT if you accidentally move your ball, ONLY on the putting surface, you replace your ball and play it without penalty.

If you have any questions please e mail me.

I am in the process of discussing this with Jon and he will be deciding if this Local Rule will be used for the Country Club’s tournaments as well. I will keep you informed as to his decision for those events that he runs for the Country Club.

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/2017-local-rule/2017-local-rule-resources.html

Preferred Lies Local Rule

Good morning ladies, and happy new golfing year!

Here is my first Rules e mail for 2017 and, as our play days will be starting soon, and the rain doesn’t look like it will be stopping, I thought this would be the perfect time for me to remind you all about “Preferred Lies, or Winter Rules”.

( I have also attached this article to the e mail)

“Preferred Lies” and “Winter Rules”

With the rainy season here we may find ourselves golfing in wet and muddy conditions, not fun, but at least the Rules of Golf can give us relief. Our DBWGC Tournament Committee may decide on some Tuesday play days to allow us to use this Local Rule for “Preferred Lies /Winter Rules “. You cannot use this Local Rule on play days UNLESS the Committee allows it.

“Preferred lies” is the term that means that you as a golf player are allowed to improve your lie without penalty on certain parts of the golf course. A player may lift up their ball that has landed on a closely-mown area if they want to and move it to improve the ball position, but not closer to the hole. A closely-mown area is any area of the course that is cut to fairway height or less, and includes paths cut through the rough and the fringe around the green. You CANNOT use the Preferred lies Local Rule if your ball is in the rough.

How to use the Preferred Lies Local Rule.

The position of your ball must be marked first. This can be done with a tee or a ball marker.

Then you can lift your ball and clean it if you want.

The ball must then be placed on a spot, not nearer to the hole, within the area specified by the Committee, e.g. within six inches, a score card-length or perhaps even one club-length (which is for example common on the PGA tour). This distance is decided by the Committee, so make sure your know the distance you are allowed before you start your round.

The ball is in play as soon as it’s placed on the ground. If you pick it up again and move it, you incur a penalty stroke for ‘moving the ball in play’ and you must replace it where it was.

Nobody enjoys playing in the mud but this Local Rule can help us, if our Tournament Committee allows.

I hope this helps you.
Hilary