Category: Rules of Golf

Ladies I know you have heard me talk about slow play many, many times but with the weather heating up we certainly do not want rounds of over 41/2 hours.
Please take the time, yet again, to read the tips below. Your fellow competitors will thank you.

Watch your ball until it stops
After every shot – especially from the tee – keep an eye on your ball until it comes to rest, and get a clear sight onto a marker or reference point near it – a tree, bush, mound…anything. If there is even the slightest chance that it could be lost, play a provisional ball.
If it’s lost, it’s lost.I realize that your ball wasn’t cheap, and it might be your favorite one, but when your five minutes is up, it’s up. Declare it lost and move on.

Be prepared
When on the green, in the fairway, or anywhere else, get prepared for your shot while riding or walking to your ball. If you are ready before your fellow competitors play ready golf, and remember not too many practice swings!

On the green.
Slow play is very, very common on the green.
Line up your putt while others are putting then step up, take a practice stroke and putt!
When it’s your turn you should be immediately ready to hit your own ball.
Continuous putting speeds up play, marking and unmarking take extra time.

Cart Management.
Each member of your group should go directly to their ball. Avoid traveling from one ball to the other. When sharing a cart, drop off one player and then proceed to your own ball while she does her pre-shot routine and hits, play ready golf!

Take Multiple Clubs
If you need to leave your cart away from where your ball is positioned, take a couple of clubs with you. This will save you from having to go back and forth in case of indecision.

Always think ahead
As you approach the green, determine where the next tee is, and then park your cart between the hole and the next tee. That way, when you are done with the hole, you can clear the green quickly. And for heaven’s sake, don’t loiter around the green discussing the scores — record your scores at the next tee!

Hold that club
When playing in a cart, do not put your club back in the bag until you arrive at your ball for your next shot, or when leaving the green, at the next teeing ground. This can save a significant amount of time over the course of a round.

Don’t Wait
If your group has fallen behind for whatever reason, the first 2 players to putt out should immediately head over to the next tee and tee off.
This saves time, and can really help you catch up. Filling in score cards for the previous hole can be done as the last 2 players are preparing to tee off.

Watch the groups around you
If the group in front of you is more than one shot ahead (i.e. if they are on the green of a par-4 before you even tee off) you need to speed it up. Unless the game you are playing stipulates you must hole out and you’ve taken more than 8, 9, 10 strokes, pick up

Thank you all!

Hilary

Question:

If I am allowed to lift my ball under a Rule am I always allowed to clean it?

Answer: NO

Rule 21: When you lift your ball using a Rule it may be cleaned

EXCEPT when it has been lifted:

Because it is interfering or assisting with play, Rule 22.

For identification, in which case it may only be cleaned to the extent necessary for its identification. Rule 12-2.

To determine if it is unfit for play, Rule 5-3.

Question:

If I am not allowed to clean my ball when it is lifted are there any special procedures I should follow?

Answer: YES

In order to be sure you do not incur a one stroke penalty for removing anything from your ball:

Lift the ball carefully and hold it preferably with two fingers.

Make sure the ball can be seen at all times so it is certain that nothing has been removed.

Replace the ball carefully in the exact position it was before.

This may seem overly cautious but why get a penalty stroke for not being careful?

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Ladies, let’s do some True or False quiz questions.

1. In taking relief from a cart path Maria drops her ball in the correct place but before it comes to rest it deflects off her shoe. Maria must re- drop the ball.

True or False?

True. There is no penalty if a ball is being dropped under a Rule and it hits the player or their equipment. The ball must be re-dropped, Rule 20-2a.

2. Miranda chips her ball up a slope to the green and the ball rolls back and is accidentally stopped by her foot. She moves her foot and the ball rolls further down the slope. She incurs a one stroke penalty and must play the ball at the spot where it came to rest against her foot

True or False?

True. Even though when Miranda moved her foot the ball rolled to a different position she must replace it where it originally came “to rest” against her foot. Decision 19-2/1.

3. Barbie putts her ball towards the hole and it hits the lip and bounces backwards. It is deflected by Barbie’s shoe and comes to rest six feet from the hole. She gets a one stroke penalty and may put the ball back where she was standing when the ball hit her.

True or False?

False

Barbie does get a one stroke penalty but she must play the ball where it now lies, 6 feet from the hole. Rule 19-2.

4. In a Discovery Bay CC tournament the format is “alternate shot”. One of the partners makes a stroke when it is not their turn. The player’s stroke is canceled and the side must correct the error by playing in the correct order as near as possible to where the last stroke was made. They incur a one stroke penalty.

True or False?

False. They replayed the shot correctly but they incur a TWO stroke penalty. If they do not correct their error before teeing off at the next hole they are disqualified. Rule 29-3.

5. Ball marks may only be fixed on the putting green if the player’s ball is on the green.

True or False?

False. A player may repair an old hole plug or damage to the putting green caused by the impact of a ball whether or not their ball lies on the putting green. Rule 16-1c.

6. Anna’s ball goes into the water on hole #4. She stands erect, with her arm straight out at waist height and she drops her ball in the correct place under Rule 26. She then plays her ball to the green. She adds a one stroke penalty to her score for the hole .

True or False?

False. Anna incurs a one stroke penalty for going into the water BUT also incurs an additional one stroke penalty for incorrectly dropping the ball and playing it. She adds two strokes to her score.

When dropping a ball the player must stand erect, hold the ball at arm’s length and SHOULDER height and drop it. If Anna had corrected her drop error before she played the ball she would not have incurred the additional one stroke penalty. Rule 20-2, 20-6. Be careful when dropping your ball, do it correctly.

I hope this helps you.
Hilary