Forum: Rules Of Golf

So I'm flipping through the Decisions book today, and I came across something that I would have guessed was the opposite of what I read. That's my reason for starting this thread. If anyone else wants to post something else that they've learned about the Rules or Decisions that you didn't...

While I agree that the question was inappropriate, the idea of purposely distracting another player is worthy of consideration. More than once have I seen this happen and while some forms of it have been subtle, others have been more overt. There are players who, when involved in matches, will...

These rules scenarios come from a rules forum, are unique and are presented solely for the enjoyment or frustration of rules of golf aficionados. mpare hits his ball into a pile of junk. He takes two balls from his pocket and proceeds to drop both of them near where his ball lay. His FC says,...

Simple question, of the rules of golf, which one do you think is the most archiac and would like to see changed/updated/eliminated?

I just caught the tail end of Verplank playing two balls on a hole and was wondering what the details were that caused him to play two. I gather there was a heated discussion with the on-site rules official. Anyone know what happened?

In a stipulated 18 hole match, what is the worst defeat that a golfer could suffer?

In the thread on the worst match play defeat possible, there were a couple of suggestions that (a) rules can be interpreted, and that (b) the rules do not make sense. Are there any members willing to describe situations or rulings that they feel fall into either one of these categories? ...

Is carrying 2 putters in your bag legal? Just curious.

This actually happened to me. Our foursome is playing a 2 man best ball. The hole is a dogleg right. My FC hits one left overtop a big tree lining the hazard line. The hazard line does open up behind this point to some degree. I hit mine to the center of the fairway with 100 yards left. Great...

We had this little discussion on the course yesterday.(no big deal-just friends and no wager) One guy hits his ball over the water and hits the rock across the water and the ball goes back into the pond. I said: You have to hit another one from the same spot. The other 2 said no it is the point of...

Played today with one of the forum members and we got into a small disagreement after I finally went ahead in a bit of a money game. He's not hitting his driver that great and decides to put it away and just use the 3 wood off the tee to keep it in play. I told him he has to keep using the...

From Matt MacKay Senior Coordinator of Golf Programs & Services at the RCGA Hi Dan, I’m going to have some handicap manuals that expire at year’s end. Would you like to offer them at no cost to members of your forum?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"...

http://www.usga.org/news/2007/october/2007_79.html

when is capping season? I know there is a certain time you can add rounds. Prior to a certain date and after a certain date you can't use your adjusted scores for cap purposes. Anyone know these days? Are they the same every year or does it change based on when the weather changes year to year

Now that a lot of courses are closing down, are you obligated to post scores that are taken on a non-maintained course? IE- My course has stopped cutting, removed ball washers, sand rakes closed the pro shop etc. It is still open for members play and non-members can get access to the course...

In a skins game, I was in a lightly wooded area - a clear shot back to the fairway, and a narrow opening straight at the green. If I were going for my best score (stroke) I'd play it safe, but in a skins (or match play) I went for the green. Skins or match play are fun in part because you...

I'm not sure why I can't seem to get this right but let me tell you what I think and you tell me if this right. I'm taking my approach shot and the ball hits the green and bounces off into the water BEHIND the green which is staked so its a hazard. This is directly behind the green. ...

A posting on 04-05-2007 (Is this cheating) described a high handicaper that drove eratically, but used an iron off the tee in tournaments - with the result that he shot well under his handicap. Replies used the terms sandbagger, unethical, and occasionally cheating. (One cited 1-1 of the RCGA...

Real simple one here that I'm pretty sure I know the answer to. Is there any circumstance where you can ask either your playing competitor or your partner for advice of line of putt? Does the format of the game make a difference i.e. 2 man scramble, 2 man best ball, 2 man alternate shot? Or...

At Loch March on number 15 (par 5) there are some red stakes on the left and maybe 3 feet away from the red stakes there is a fence with OB stakes. Now if your ball bounces close to the red stakes but keeps going through the fence is the ruling considered ob or in the hazard?

So in this instance a player hits it into the hazard but decides to play it from in the hazard. The player duff's his shot and puts the ball in the water in the hazard making the ball unplayable, where does he/she drop? Since there is no point of entry on the shot they just took. Can they go...

My drive almost cleared the water hazard. The lack of rain had reduced the large pond to a few puddles. My ball was embedded in mud. I got the ball, took a stroke penalty, and looked for a place to drop. There was a grassy bit within a club length (no closer to the hole) so I dropped there -...

I recently played in an event where two teams were pitted against each other in an Intesectional-like format. Each team has 10 players. Each foursome goes out on the course with 2 players from each team. Player A and B are teams memebrs. Player C and D are team members. Each player plays his own...

What is the ruling on a lost ball? So I was playing in my first tournament on a course I have never played before - 404 yard slight dogleg left. Hit 3 wood flush and pulled it alittle left. I didn't see it land, but one of my playing partners say it is just over the left fairway bunker. I...

First hole is a par 3. A hits his ball out of bounds. B hits his ball on to the green. C and A both ask B, "What club did you hit. B answers, "A 4 iron." Who gets penalized?

Hey everyone. Im new to the forum but hope to be an active poster in the future. I was wondering whether anyone could help me with this question: What is the proper order of play if 2 players' drives land very close to each other on the fairway, so that the player who is away has his opponent's...

A player chips up to the pin and the ball looks close so he goes to his bag to get his putter and walks up to the hole, pulls the pin and as he's pulling the pin the ball falls into the hole without being touched by anything. What would the ruling be on this situation???? Adding to this, what...

We have one of these threads every once in a while, and in the spirit of tournament season, probably time for another one. So, yes or no?

Hi. I am a junior golfer, 16 years old, and was playing in the mayors cup yesterday, when I noticed one of my playing parteners moving his ball ahead of where he marked it (intentionaly). He would mark his ball, pick it up, and replace it about an inch ahead of where the marker was. He would...

For anyone that's been watching the third round today. Do you think Woody Austin made a stroke before he tapped in on 15?

found my ball behind a small tree in the other fairway. I think it might have been the 150 marker for the other hole. A friend told me you get relief from small trees under one club length. I thought you only get relief from trees with ribons on them. Anyone know? thanks NOTE: i was not in...

I was watching golf on the weekend and saw something i didn't understand. One of the players (at the time he was leading) went OVER the water hazard but landed short of the hazard stake. Where should he have dropped? He wasn't sure of the ball cleared the stakes and then kicked back towards...

I think I know the answer to this but I'll put it out there. 11th hole at King's Forest. Hitting from an elevated tee deck down into "the valley". Creek, marked yellow stakes, runs across the fairway (actually, just before the fairway even starts), and is out of sight from the tee deck. ...

I saw this HC adjustment in the match play where 2 players playing from different tees (mjf & NoBack) and therefore different slopes. The situation resulted in the lower hc player adjusting his hc by the differential in the course rating between the two tees by a couple of strokes because his...

I was playing a par 3....hit it left where it drops off out of sight from the tee deck, which happens to be the fairway/rough of the next hole coming back with trees scattered amongst. As I approach the area, I see a guy in the group ahead putting a club back, so it "appeared" he had just played a...

I was playing our team game, and hit a shot into the rough - say 2-3" tall grass. The ball I was using was simply a ball I had found elsewhere and was marked on one side of the ball by the original owner. I get to my ball, but I can't determine if it's my ball for sure or not. If it was mine,...

This happened yesterday in my group during the OVGA Seniors Championship at the Brockville CC. A player's ball comes to rest on the fringe at the back of #16 green. The fringe is sloping a little towards the hole. The player takes several practice strokes within a foot of the ball, scruffing...

what is winter rules, and when can they be used and where?

Corey Pavin hit a bunker shot on 6 that began rolling towards a hazard, but along the line the ball was rolling was a rake. His caddie picked up the rake and the ball went in the hazard. Tim Herron hit a chip that rolled on a similar line towards the rake which had been replaced. The ball stuck...

I was playing in a club championship and was teamed up in a group where the other 3 guys were all buddies. We were playing a Par three and one of the guys was taking a practice swing with his wedge prior to chipping onto the green. he proceeded to actually hit his ball on the practice chip and it...

after hitting a tee shot the ball land so that there is a tree between the ball and the hole( so close-such that you cannot swing towards the hole) you decide to play/hit the ball sort of backwards when you set up to swing you are now standing on the cart path Question do get relief- and if so...

I sliced one and heard a loud crack of ball hitting tree. My provisional went exactly the same way, with the same sound. (My second provisional was OK) When I got to the trees, one ball was in bounds and playable, the other was nowhere to be seen. Since I had started with three balls from a new...

Yet another provisional ball question:confused At my dad's course one hole is tree lined along the left side with OB the whole way probably 10 yards into the trees. So when a ball goes left it could be lost and/or OB. In our 4some 2 of us (not me for a change) go left so they both hit...

Last one today, I promise. I quickly scanned my Rule Book, which I found after I posted the last two questions, and could not find a definition of "club length" as mentioned in serveral rules, such as Rule 28 Ball Unplayable (c) drop a ball within "two club lengths" of the spot... I have heard...

While watching the PGA today there was a rules clip with Gary McCord. He was putting and proceeded to putt the ball about 40 yds off the green. And in his scenario he stated it was a brutally hot day and he didn't feel like walking all the way down the slope of the green to his ball in his fwy. So...