Category: Rules of Golf

Ladies let’s start this year of my Golf Rules e mails by covering some of the possibly misunderstood situations that can happen during play.

1. Rebecca has a fantastic shot to the green of hole #2 of Discovery Bay Country Club and she’s excited to make a birdie. She makes her putt but ball rolls right over the hole and fails to drop in. The ball comes to rest on the other side of the hole. Rebecca reaches across the hole with her putter and taps the ball in the hole.

Does Rebecca incur?

a) A one stroke penalty
b) Two stroke penalty
c) No penalty

The misconception is that Rebecca is not allowed to putt her ball from across the hole but… ….she is.

Rebecca would have been a breach of Rule 16-1e if she had stood “astride” the line of her putt but in this situation her ball was on the other side of the hole.

In the Golf Rules “Definition” of Line of Putt at the end it states “……….The line of putt does not extend beyond the hole.” So, no penalty for Rebecca, and sadly no birdie either!

2 a) Bessie is putting her ball on the green of hole number 4 and the removed flagstick is lying on the putting surface, and her ball in motion is about to hit it. Can one of the other players move the flagstick?

2 b) Bessie is putting her ball on the green of hole number 7 and her ball in motion is about to hit a wedge that another player has left near the green in the fringe. Can one of the other players move the wedge?

Well Bessie is in luck, both answers are YES.

Rule 24-1b.

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.

So the wedge and the flagstick can be moved, but a movable obstruction such as a pine cone, stone, leaf etc may be moved before you make your putt, but NOT once your ball is in motion.

3. You accidentally touch your ball that is in play with your club and you move your ball. Are you always penalized? This can be another golf rule misconception.

If the ball does not move from its spot and just rocks from its original spot but it returns to the same place, IT HAS NOT MOVED. Crazy eh, must be a time warp?

According to the Definition of “Moved”

“A ball is deemed to have “moved” if it leaves its original position and comes to rest in any other place.” If the ball does not “move” there is no penalty.

This is a test of a player’s integrity, but if you are certain that every dimple of your ball came back to its original position then there is no penalty.

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

When do you take a ONE stroke penalty, and when do you take TWO strokes???

However well you know the Rules of Golf at times you can be uncertain of the penalty you have incurred. You stand there and ask yourself, “Should what I just did be a one or two stroke penalty?”

Certified Rules Officials learn from the NCGA “Big-Little Book” in which almost a whole page is devoted to when you get a ONE stroke penalty. Many Rules Officials quake at memorizing these, and even after learning them they still make mistakes. I’ve certainly been there…..done that.

So how does the everyday golfer decide?

I’ve been giving some thought as to how I can explain it to you all, as I know you don’t want to memorize a whole page. Hopefully this will help you. It’s not set in stone; it’s a guide to help you make the correct decision.

Let’s start by looking at the REAL world……According to the law of the land if you break the law you can be charged with a FELONY, or a MISDEMEANOR.

Let’s move this thinking over to the golf world, but don’t worry there’s no jail time!

If you break a golf Rule, as in moving your ball to a different place and hitting it from there, that’s like a FELONY, bad, bad, bad so it’s a TWO stroke penalty.

You took an advantage and cheated. A felony.

If you do anything in the course of play to help you play better, like getting advice from someone, or grounding your club in a bunker, and thereby testing the surface of the sand, it’s a FELONY, you’re a bad, bad girl, and you deserve a TWO stroke penalty.

Now the ONE stroke penalty, this is like a MISDEMEANOR.

You did something you shouldn’t have but it’s more like an accident, not a deliberate action to gain an advantage in the golf world.

You accidentally hit you ball in the water hazard; it was a mistake, so just a ONE stroke penalty.

You hit you ball out of bounds, again not a deliberate act, so a ONE stroke penalty.

You are a klutz and on your swing you accidentally hit your ball twice……you take a ONE stroke penalty. Ouch!

You move your ball in play by mistake, an accident, ONE stroke …UNLESS you don’t move it back and then it’s a deliberate act to cheat for distance and so it’s a TWO stroke penalty.

Very simply put………….and a basic guide for you all……..

When you do something wrong on the course think to yourself, “Was it an accident, or did I do a really bad thing? Was it more like a misdemeanor or a felony?”

Accidental, with no advantage but you should not have done it…….then a ONE STROKE PENALTY.

If you gained an advantage in your play by what you did, breaking a Rule, then it’s a TWO STROKE PENALTY.

I always end my Rules’ e mails by saying “I hope this helps you”, this time I really hope this helps you decide correctly if you take a one or two stroke penalty, and if you really can’t decide you can always ask me, or look it up in the Rules of Golf.

Hilary

Ladies

The Ryder Cup is played every other year between 24 players representing the United States of America and Europe. This weekend the twenty eight 2014 matches are to be played at Gleneagles, Scotland. In 2012 the final score was Europe 14.5 USA 13.5. Europe has won 7 of the last 9 Ryder Cups, who will win this time? The Europeans have a very strong team which includes McIlroy, Garcia and Poulter. The USA team includes the veterans Mickelson and Furyk, along with the rookies Spieth and Reed. Fierce competitiveness and strategy is the key to winning in Ryder Cup Match Play. Rickie Fowler just got a new haircut with U S A shaved into the side of his head so maybe this will spur the USA team on? As I am English and an American citizen too I am torn who to root for, but my “roots” are swaying my allegiance, I say Europe wins again! Sorry……

Here is a Ryder Cup quiz you may like to try just for fun. Enjoy!

1. Where did the Ryder Cup get its name?

a.) An English seed merchant

b.) An American rental truck company

c.) Bernard Darwin

2. When was the Ryder Cup first held

a) 1897

b.) 1904

c.) 1927

d.) 1952

3. Who is the youngest player in Ryder Cup history?

a.) Young Tom Morris

b.) Sergio Garcia

c.) Jordan Spieth

4. Which player broke his putter in anger and had to use a sand wedge the rest of his match?

a.) Ben Crenshaw

b.) Tiger Woods

c.) Tommy Bolt

5. What is considered the greatest gesture of sportsmanship in the Ryder Cup?

a.) Jack Nicklaus conceding Tony Jacklin a short par putt in 1969 so the Ryder Cup would end in a tie.

b.) Hal Sutton sending out Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as partners — twice.

c.) Tiger Woods removing himself from consideration for the 2014 team.

6. Where was the first Ryder Cup played?

a.) Valhalla Golf Cub

b.) Worcester Country Club

c.) Wentworth Golf Club

7. What was the most prolific partnership in Ryder Cup history?

a.) Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal

b.) Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson

c.) Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson

8. Who is the oldest player to be named captain of the Ryder Cup?

a.) Arnold Palmer

b.) Tom Watson

c.) Old Tom Morris

Answers.

1. a
2. c
3. b
4. a
5. a
6. b
7. a
8. b