Category: Rules of Golf

Hi Ladies:

I thought today I’d focus on the putting green and just a few of the many rules. Firstly the rules for the putting green are different from those that are “through the green”. Through the green is the whole area of a golf course EXCEPT for the teeing ground, the putting green of the hole being played, and all hazards on the course. The putting green is all the ground of the hole that is especially prepared for putting.

Your ball is on the green if any part of it touches the putting surface

RULE 16 The putting green

The line of putt must not be touched except:

1. the player may remove LOOSE impediments for example sand, leaves or stones provided they do not press anything down
2. to repair old hole plugs or ball marks
3. in pressing down a ball marker
4. in lifting or replacing the ball
5. in moving movable obstructions (such as trash or…. yuck, yuck, cigarette butts)

This means that you cannot improve the line of your putt. So before you putt you may repair pitch marks and remove loose leaves or stones but you MAY NOT repair spike marks or remove attached grass. So be sure that what you try to remove is not growing into the surface.

Talking about improving your line of putt be very careful if you do this:

The player may place the club in front of the ball at address, but may not press anything down. two stroke penalty if you improve your line.

You are allowed to lift and clean your ball before putting but you must mark its position first with a marker and be sure to replace it in the same position. If your ball moves when you remove the marker there is NO penalty, just remark where it was, replace your ball and lift the marker a second time.

The fringe around the green is not the putting surface so the rules for the fringe are the same as for “through the green”.

We do have sprinkler heads in the fringes of all our greens. If your ball lands so that one of these is in direct line of your intended putt you MAY NOT move the ball unless the ball lies on the sprinkler head, or the sprinkler head interferes with your stance or your area of intended swing. If you do have these kinds of interference you will get free relief under Rule 24-2. You find your nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole and drop a ball there.

So please repair all your balls marks, and a few extra ones that have been missed too, and as you leave the green tamp down any spike marks you see AFTER everyone has putted out as you never know that mark might be on your line of putt on your next round.

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Looking at the scale of golf highs and lows in the Rules of Golf a definite high is the feeling of relief when you errant shot lands in Ground under Repair. Under the Rules of Golf you get a free drop. Whew…..

When your errant shot lands in a water hazard it’s a low for sure but even this low is offset by the Rules of Golf. You can get a great lie, yippee, and it only costs you one a stroke.

The two stroke penalty is a definite low, but the worst is the dreaded two letter word DQ, disqualified. A sure fire low to end your game and possibly ruin your reputation.

I’d like to go over the following MUST CORRECT situations. If you don’t correct them, then yes, you guessed it…………. you’re DQd.

All must correct situations have the same stipulation they:

“Must be corrected before teeing off from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole, before leaving the putting green.”

The Rules of Golf give a player this window of opportunity to avoid being DQd.

Failure to hole out 3-2 Stroke Play

If you fail to hole out your ball on any hole and do not correct your mistake you will be Disqualified. You have before teeing off from the next teeing ground, or in the case of the last hole before leaving the putting green to make the correction. But it is a “A must correct situation.”

Playing from outside the teeing ground 11-4b. Stroke Play

Under the Rules of Golf when putting a ball into play it must be played from within the teeing ground. If you play from outside the teeing ground you will incur a two stroke penalty, and you must then tee off from within the teeing ground. If you fail to correct you are Disqualified. A must correct situation.

The same applies for Rule 11-5, Playing from the Wrong teeing ground Stroke Play

A must correct situation, or you incur DQ.

Playing the wrong Ball 15-3b Stroke Play

If you make a stroke at a wrong ball you incur the penalty of two strokes. You must correct this mistake by playing the correct ball or proceeding under the Rules (lost ball, ob ball played). I’m sure you all know by when it MUST be corrected or you are disqualified. A must correct situation.

Playing from Wrong Place (serious breach) 20-7 Stroke Play

If you make a stroke from a wrong place you incur a penalty of two strokes and you must play out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place. However if the Committee considers you have gained a significant advantage as a result of playing from the wrong place you will be disqualified for a serious breach of this Rule.

If you believe you have committed such a breach you must play out the hole with a second ball in accordance with Rule 3-3 and report this fact to the Committee so it can be decided which ball counts. Such a serious breach is a must correct situation.

Threesomes/Foursomes (playing in incorrect order) 29-3.

If the partners make a stroke or strokes in incorrect order, such strokes are canceled and the side incurs a two stroke penalty. The side must correct the error by playing a ball in correct order as nearly as possible at the spot where it was first played in incorrect order, or the side is disqualified.

A must correct situation.

Ladies, I wish you only highs in your golf games this year and no lows, especially no two dreaded lettered ones under the Rules of Golf.

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Hi Ladies:

The Principles of the Rules of golf expect the player to play by the Rules and not by their own decisions. It was reassuring to learn of some of our ladies’ decisions on their Rules infractions during recent Ladies play days. These expert ladies I know about, there are probably many more of you.

1. One of our ladies on the putting green recently moved her ball ever so slightly at address. No one saw, but she called the one stroke penalty, and moved her ball back the half an inch.

2. In trying to escape that pesky bunker on hole #15 one of our ladies hit her ball twice. No one saw, but she called the one stroke penalty on herself.

3. Two weeks ago the same lady accidentally hit her golf bag with her ball. Her fellow competitors saw but she was the first to say, “Rats, a one stroke penalty for me”. Either this particular lady is accident prone or likes to use the Rules!

4. The most dramatic example of responsibility came because the lady played a “wrong” ball. She hit the ball two times before realizing it was not her ball. She called the correct two stroke penalty on herself. She then tried to find her original ball but was unsuccessful. We all know the pressure on play days to keep up the pace of play so, instead of going back to the tee and hitting again, she knew to disqualify herself. She continued play even though she was out of the game. The dramatic part comes next. One the subsequent par three her shot would have won her all the cash for closest to the pin. She missed the pay day but her honesty paid in my rule book.

These examples of calling penalties on themselves are not heroic, they are just the right way to play the game. As a group it appears that we are learning the Rules and calling the correct penalties.

Way to go ladies!