Category: Rules of Golf

Just to change it up the golf quiz this time I’ll give you some scenarios that happened lately on our course. I’ll never tell who did these…………………

1. You tee off on Hole #2 and your ball goes to the right. The ball hits the tree on the right hand side near the end of the lake. It bounces off one of the branches and goes to the left, sideways into the water. What are your options for your next shot?

The water in front of the #2 tee box is a water hazard as it has YELLOW stakes. You have three options.

1. Play it where it lies in the lake, rats didn’t you bring your bikini today?

2. Hit from the tee box again.

3. Drop a ball, but the tricky thing is ………………….where do you drop?

You CANNOT walk into the grass alongside the water and drop your ball where the grass looks good. Also you cannot just drop your ball two club lengths from where it went in as it is NOT a red staked lateral hazard.

As it’s a YELLOW staked hazard your last option is to drop the ball in a line behind where the ball crossed the hazard and IN LINE WITH THE PIN.

The line for the drop is “The pin being furthest away, then along that line where the ball last crossed the hazard, and then your ball that you drop as far back as you like.” Your line/angle for your drop depends on where the pin is located that day.

Kinda tricky especially as you might find yourself backed into that tree!

2. Hole #8. Your great drive bounces to the right into the rough at the 100 yard marker. You iron shot to the green flies left into the water along the fairway. You drop a ball close to where your ball went in and play to the green. You take a one stroke penalty, is this correct?

The water hazard here is marked with YELLOW stakes. You must be sure that you drop your ball at a place that is ON LINE A WITH THE PIN AND WHERE YOUR BALL CROSSED THE HAZARD.
If you just dropped it anywhere you may have played from a WRONG PLACE and it’s a further two stroke penalty. I know many of us are guilty of this breach on Hole #8.

Be careful and drop your ball in the correct place.

3. You are on Hole #9 and you have a great drive. For your second shot you grab your favorite fairway wood and aim for the green but you think that your ball slices towards the water. As you walk down the fairway you can’t see your ball anywhere. You decide that it must have gone in the water so you drop a ball within two club lengths from the lateral hazard markers where you think it went in. You hole out and add one penalty stroke to your score. As you walk off the green you see your pesky original ball lying in the rough.

What are your options, and should you add any more penalty strokes to your score or is one enough?

The bottom line is that you should not have dropped your ball at the red stakes of the lateral hazard as you were not VIRTUALLY CERTAIN or KNEW that you ball had entered the hazard.

When you couldn’t find your ball you should have used Rule 27 Lost Ball. Under this Rule you would have gone back to where you last hit the ball and dropped another ball, incurring a ONE stroke penalty.

As you did not do this you dropped your ball in a WRONG place and under Rule 20-7 you incurred a further TWO STROKES as penalty. Therefore, as you finished out Hole #9 you should add THREE Strokes to your score.

If you are in competition the Committee could even disqualify you for serious breach of a Rule. Ouch, that hurts!

So never use Rule 26 unless you know for sure that your ball is in a water hazard or lateral water hazard. If you’re not certain and cannot find you ball within 5 minutes use Rule 27, Lost ball. This way you’ll only pay ONE STROKE even if you find your ball later.

4. You are on Hole #17 and your ball lands in the front greenside bunker. Whew you’re feeling lucky as you didn’t go in the water again eh? Sad to say you’re feeling too good too soon. Your shot from the bunker comes out “HOT” and goes over the wood pilings into the lake. Rats! The water hazard is lined with YELLOW stakes

What are your options for your next shot?

No bikini again eh so you can’t play it as it lies. Your options, under penalty of one stroke, are………………

1. Drop a ball behind the water keeping the point where the ball crossed the margin between the hole and the place where you drop the ball.

Oh no, that would have you either standing in the lake, or way, way back in the 18th fairway on other side of the lake. That’s not a good plan.

2. Your only good option is to drop the ball in the bunker where your first shot came to rest and try again, more gently. Isn’t golf fun?

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

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Honor that which is sacred and equal within us all.

Hi Ladies……..Rules time again……………enjoy!

Question 1.

On hole #1 the shots of two players come to rest within a few inches of one
another in the fairway. Mary’s ball is merely inches past Susie’s ball, so Mary marks
and lifts her ball as it would clearly interfere with Susie’s next shot.

Has Mary committed a Rules violation?

Answer:

Mary was obviously acting courteously and sensibly, but has incurred a penalty of one
stroke under Rule 18-2(a)

Without getting Susie’s agreement to move the ball Mary should not have done so.
Ask first, move second.

Question 2.

On hole #5 Elizabeth’s ball comes to rest in the bunker touching the rake. She proceeds to lift the ball, remove the rake, and then drop it as nearly as possible to the spot where it rested.

Has she committed any Rules infractions?

Answer:

Yes, Elizabeth is penalized two strokes for moving the ball while it is in play and
then dropping it when it should have been replaced (See penalty statement under Rule 18
and Decision 18-2a/9).

The correct procedure is:

Carefully remove the rake. If the ball moves it must be replaced, not dropped, and there is no
penalty.

Question 3:

On hole # 9 Adeline’s ball is on the cart path and she is permitted to take a drop off the path. She finds the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole of course, and drops her ball according to the Rules.

On the drop, the ball rolls approximately 25 feet from the place where it first struck the course
when dropped. The ball did not roll closer to the hole.

So, is a re-drop necessary?

Answer:

Rule 20-2 requires a ball to be re-dropped if it rolls more than two club-lengths from the spot
where the dropped ball first touched the golf course.

Adeline must re-drop the ball.

Question 4:

On hole # 17 on play day three weeks ago Hilary, while taking practice swings preparing to putt, struck her ball.

What penalty, if any did she incur?

Answer:

Although Hilary did not intend to strike the ball, and therefore did not made a stroke, she did incur a one stroke penalty under Rule 18-2a for causing the ball to move except as permitted by a Rule.

She must replace the ball to where it was when she hit it accidentally. Even the Rules Guru makes mistakes, ouch!

Question 5:

The round is almost over and Vanessa is on the teeing ground of hole #18. She accidentally tees her ball an inch in front of the tee markers. She holes out and is on her way to pick up her trophy when her partner Beth reports what she did to the Committee. What is the ruling?

Under the Rules of Golf when starting a hole the ball must be played from within the teeing ground. This is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth. The front and sides are marked by the outside limits of the tee markers. Your ball is outside when ALL of it lies beyond this area. If you play your ball from outside the teeing ground you will incur a two stroke penalty. You must correct and play a ball from within the teeing ground. If you fail to correct you are Disqualified.

A big mistake for just a few inches. I don’t think Vanessa will be friends with Beth anymore!!

I hope this helps you.

Hilary

Hi Ladies: Let’s start our quiz year with an easy one, but first a Rules nag.

So that we play the game correctly please remember that if a Rule states that you must DROP the ball make sure you do so anddon’t just bend down and PLACE the ball. I know you want to get a perfect lie for your next shot but it is against the Rules and you will incur a TWO stroke penalty.

For example: When your ball goes in the water DROP a new ball. When taking relief from aeration holes DROP a ball. When taking relief from Ground under Repair DROP a ball please. Get used to doing it correctly! The only place you can place is on the putting green. Nag over.

Here’s the quiz, enjoy.

1. What is the maximum number of clubs with which a player may start a round?

14
15
13
12

2. A player may declare his ball unfit for play during the playing of a hole and after the concurrance of his opponent, if the ball _______ ?

is scratched
is cut or cracked
is covered with mud or other substance
its paint is damaged or discolored

3. According to Rule 11, how many club lengths behind the tee markers may a player tee the ball and still be within the teeing ground?

1
4
0, ball must be teed even with the tee markers
2

4. In match play, what penalty does a player incur for teeing off in front of the tee markers?

no penalty
no penalty, opponent may require player to re-hit
loss of hole
one stroke

5. Water hazards are defined by what color stakes or lines?

red
green
white
yellow

6. Which of the following is not considered ‘casual water’?

snow
puddle
ice
dew

7. An out of bounds stake is an obstruction under Rule 24?

True
False

8. A player may declare his ball unplayable at any place on the course except when the ball is in a _________

9. What is the penalty for hitting a ball out of bounds?

one stroke and distance
two strokes
one stroke
loss of hole in match play

10. A player may, upon reaching the putting green, change balls and complete play on the hole with the substitute ball?

True
False

ANSWERS

1. 14.
Rule 4-4. However, if a player starts a round with less than 14 clubs he or she may add clubs during the round up to 14 providing the pace of play is not affected.

2. Is cut or cracked.
Rule 5-3. It the opponent agrees that the ball is unfit, the player may replace it with no penalty

3. 2
The teeing ground is defined as a rectangular area 2 club lengths in depth defined by the outside limits of 2 tee markers.

4. No penalty, your opponent may require you to re-hit.
Rule 11-4. It is a 2 stroke penalty in stroke play.

5. 5. Yellow.
Red stakes or lines define lateral hazards. White stakes or lines define out of bounds.

6. 6. Dew
Casual water is defined as a temporary accumulation of water which is visible before or after a player takes his or her stance

7. 7. False.
Lateral hazard stakes and water hazard stakes are considered movable obstructions.

8. 8.Water Hazard

9. Rule 27. One stroke penalty.

9. One Stroke and distance.
.

10. False
Rule 15-1. A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground, unless that ball has been declared unfit for play.

Honor that which is sacred and equal within us all.