Category: Rules of Golf

All: As your Tournament Committee has decided that in upcoming play days they will be allowing the Local Rule for Preferred Lies, and the Local Rule for relief from Goose poop I have attached both these Local Rules with this e mail.  I hope this helps you. -Hilary 

PREFERRED LIES, WINTER RULES

When temporary abnormal conditions are widespread on the course and may interfere with fair play the Committee can choose to adopt a Local Rule for Preferred lies.  

LOCAL RULE E-3 states:

When any part of a player’s ball touches part of the General Area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief by placing the original ball or another ball and playing it from this relief area.  

The relief area is decided by the Committee* such as one club length or one score card length, and the reference point for relief is the spot where the original ball lies.

*Be certain to check with our Tournament Committee before play the distance they have approved for you to use for relief.

ANIMAL DUNG

There are two options for using this Local Rule.  

Treating the poop as a “loose impediment” which, if you moved your ball when removing the poop, you would incur a one stroke penalty or,

Treating the poop as “Ground under Repair” which is the better option.  No penalty.

LOCAL RULE F-12 states:

At the player’s option goose dung may be treated either as:

A loose impediment that may be removed under Rule 15.1. (One penalty stroke if ball is moved.) Or

Ground under Repair from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1. (One club length relief no closer to the hole.)

Some Rules are used more often in the Fall.  Below are some reminders.

AERATION HOLES

Fall is the time to start getting the course back in shape after the hot summers, and aeration is critical in this process.  Sadly for the golfer numerous aeration holes may be present in the fairway and on the putting green.

If Local Rule E-4 has been approved for play by your Tournament Committee or your Head Professional, then you may take free relief.  Be sure to check on this before your round.

If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole in the General Area the player may take free relief under Rule 16.1 b. If when your ball is dropped in the one club length relief area it comes to rest in another aeration hole the ball may be redropped. If on the redrop your ball comes to rest in another aeration hole the ball may then be PLACED away from the aeration hole under Rule 14.2.

If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole on the Putting green, relief may be taken under Rule 16-1d.  On the putting green the ball is PLACED not dropped at the closest point where it does not touch an aeration hole.  

LEAVES, LEAVES AND LEAVES

As pretty as they may be in the fall, they are a real nuisance if your ball lands among them and hides from you!  Prior to the recent Rules changes if you moved your ball while searching you would get a penalty.  

Now Rule 7.4 allows players to search for a ball and if it is accidentally moved there is no penalty.  Replace the ball on its original spot or, if the spot is not exactly known, estimate the spot.  Do not drop the ball but PLACE it, Rule 14.2b(2)/1.

 Remember though, you only have three minutes to search before your ball is declared “Lost”.  

Enjoy Fall golf.  Winter golf will be here soon enough.  Brrrr…..

Everyone:  In my last Rules e mail that I sent to you I covered “embedded ball Rule” and how under Rule 16.3 a. relief for an embedded ball is only allowed in the General area.  A bunker is not defined as being in the General area so the options in a bunker are to play the ball as it lies or use Rule 19, Unplayable ball.  See page 169 in your Rules book, Rule 19.3a.

However, some of you may have watched the U.S Open tournament on June 18^th and saw that Rory was allowed relief from an embedded ball and he was in a bunker and wondered, “What, did Hilary mislead us all???”

Let me explain and dispel any confusion you may have.

In Rory’s case although he was standing in the sand in the bunker his ball was embedded in the earth/dirt shelf above the bunker and so he was allowed relief.  If his ball had been a few feet lower it would have been in the bunker sand, and he would not have been allowed relief. He was very lucky!

Our bunkers at Discovery Bay, and at most courses, are completely constructed with sand and if a ball embeds in the upslope of a bunker embedded ball relief is not allowed, because it’s sand! 

I hope this clarifies this unusual embedded ball ruling.  Hilary