Forum: Rules Of Golf

I was golfing at Pakenham over the weekend and was playing the Canyon course. The number 4 hole, par 3 over water. I hit my first tee shot and it hit the land on the other side of the water but bounced backwards a couple of times before rolling into the water. I hit again, 3 off the tee, and...

With all the rain we've had in the last week or so, the question came up as to casual water in the rough. Are you allowed relief if your ball comes to rest in casual or standing water in the rough. Some say you have to play it as it is and some say you do get relief. If you can get relief, is it...

Gary, by definition "the margin of a bunker extends vertically downwards, but not upwards. A ball is in a bunker when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker". Many bunkers have a grassy area overhanging the bunker and the situation is as follows. You are in the sand portion of the bunker...

On the first tee, three members of the FOURsome showed the rest, the unique marks on the ball that each used to identify his own ball. The fourth declared that he doesn't mark his ball. Ironically, on the first hole the player with the unmarked ball, hit the ball into trees. We searched for a...

I was just wondering if you play nine holes and want to enter it for your Handicap do you divide the slope by two Ie Score 45 Rating 67.8 Slope 102 would you enter 45 33.9 51 Thanks for your help

The ball lands on a cart path. The nearest point of relief from the cart path is casual water. The nearest point of relief from the casual water is back on the cart path. Where can I play from?

I would like to know what the ruling is if there is an island green and a gravel path going from the cart path to the area of the green and this path is inside the lateral hazard markings and a ball comes to rest in this area do you have to play the ball as if it's in the hazard or is there an...

What are the options of an unplayable lie.

Is there a specification for maximum club head size, and if so how do they measure it? In CC's or something else? thanks.

Is there a rule that tells you whether scores should be posted for handicapping purposes if there are temporary greens? Where would I find this rule?

http://www.ottawagolf.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=215&highlight=grooves You can tell I'm kinda bored, eh Gary :-) Anyway, quick hypothetical. Your driver or fairway wood has mud or other similarily smooth foreign matter in the grooves of the club face. You give your driver...

Is this really bad etiquette? It only makes sense that if you want to exactly duplicate your swing you would have to take a divot on your practice swing. It would make my game so much more consistent.

Gary are the pure spin and other diamond faced irons conforming or not????? Thanks

Gary, If the ball comes to rest against the rake, either in or out of a bunker, and when the rake is moved the ball also moves what is the ruling. I'm not sure but I think I remember seeing someone on tour mark the ball where it was and when the rake was moved and the ball moved they replaced...

A player plays a ball from the teeing ground which may be lost or out of bounds. (Ball #1) He properly announces and plays a provisional ball which also may be lost or out of bounds. (Ball #2) He properly announces and plays another provisional ball which may be lost or out of bounds. (Ball...

Gary, This is probably in the rules book but I don't have one with me. When teeing up, can one go back as far as he/she wants? I mean, can I tee up 20 yards behind the markers if I want to? What are the limitations? For those who wonder why one would want to do such a thing, it could put a...

Playing down south last month, I hit a tee shot to a par three which ended up next to the wood support at the edge of the greenside pond. It was not possible to address the ball. Should I have been given relief? (I did not take relief - tried to hit it left handed with an upside down club with...

On the PGA Tour, when the golfers are playing under the pick, clean and place rule, can they place the ball on the putting green if it was originally on a closely mown area within the designated lenght from the green? I know that in the appendix of the RCGA rules, it recommends that this not...

Hi, just wondering what the ruling is for grounding your club in a sand bunker after you've hit your shot?? No stroke penalty?? Thanks, Ty.:wave

I am contemplating building a belly putter. This would be done by extending one of my putters (paddle grip) by adding a six inch shaft extension and capping it with a 3” trimmed iron grip (round). Appendix II, Section 3, Sub-section ii & v would suggest that on a belly putter with two grips, a...

A player puts spin on a ball purposely when dropping it. what is the ruling?

After reading Gary’s answers over the last day this should be a relatively simple one to respond to. While playing the Meadows Sat morning on the West 9 one of my FC’s balls landed IN the green-side bunker front-right of the green and about 3 feet from the edge closest to the green. My shot landed...

Please Help Many years ago, our club planted a couple of tree nurseries. These were located along two separate holes in open areas of rough, about 20 yards from the fairway. The nurseries were about 20 yards by 30 yards in size. The expectation was that when the time came, these trees would be...

I am a right handed palyer and have problem with my left (Lead) wrist breaking. When practicing, I often stick a pocket comb in the back of my grove as a reminder not to flip my wrist. Can I do so when playing a round?

Gary, What is the ruling if on the green, ball has been placed down on the green, marker removed, putter not grounded and the wind blows the ball from where it was placed?

I noticed Gary responded on another thread that the only difference between the USGA and RCGA Rule Book is some revenues support their respective amateur golf. Well when my wife shopped for a rules book this past Christmas, the only one for sale in the local golf stores (if they even had one)...

Hi Gary, Have you ever thought of adding a comment section to the rules contest page to allow respondents to leave the reasons they answered as they did? Then after the contest closes (so it does not affect the contest running for the week), some select comments could be posted to entice...

Gary, Can a player whose ball lies in a water hazard, not necessarily in the water play the ball without incurring a penalty of one stroke? Or must that player take a penalty and drop no nearer the hole. Is there any different interpretation of this ruling depending on the color of stakes...

Hi Gary. I just picked up a really old golf book (1911) & the 1st chapter lists the orginal rules of golf from 1812. "As adopted by the St. Andrew's Society of Golfers". I'd dearly love a clarification of Rule XV.... "When a Ball is completely covered with fog, bent, whins, etc, so much...

Gary, Here's one for you. I was playing a round with my buddies and on the 4th tee, Daryl hits a ball and it kinda b-lines toward a tee box area nead a cart path and then the four of us saw what looked like two balls going in different directions.:confused At first thought was that he hit...

Hi Gary, I have a funny one for you today. On the 18th hole at Predator, I hit my 2nd shot with a 3-wood to reach the green in two on this par 5. My ball landed on the left of the green, in the rough, bounced a couple of times and finished in the ball pocket of a golf bag which was...

In this imaginary, but possible situation, A and B are partners in a "SELECT DRIVE / ALTERNATE SHOT," format. Both partners drive and then A, mindlessly, hits his own ball. After realizing the mistake A then hits B's ball on to the green after which B makes the putt for a 3. Do the rules of golf...

Hi Gary, I was playing a skins game contest with some friends over the weekend and there was somewhat of a dispute over a ruling. It didn't affect the outcome of the contest (i.e. number of skins won) but we were simply curious to see if we made the correct ruling. ...

Can you step on grass or move branches without breaking or otherwise damaging the plants? What restrictions are there?

Gary, what do you think the ruling should be on this one: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/020910/5/oupr.html In a related scenario, I hit a ball into a groudhog hole on one of the fairways at Pineview a couple of years ago, and always wondered what the ruling would be.

In a team better ball match... I play an opponents ball in error. In the match I have lost the hole so I am out of it. We usually keep a stroke card for handicapping during the match - so I add a 2 stroke penalty, not counting the stroke with the wrong ball. My opponent replaces his ball...

At Tuesday's Senior Intersectional matches, one of my team mates teed off from slightly ahead of the markers. One of his opponents immediately told him to NOT pick up his tee, called him for playing ahead of the markers and told him his next shot from the fairway would be his third. We ALL know...

A short story from the Cornwall Open yesterday. At the Cornwall Golf and Country Club, the 17th hole is a dogleg right of medium length (about 370 yards) with trees left and right and a good size pond guarding the front right of the green and hedges protecting the back. BTW, yesterday the pin...

Gary: Last weekend my playing companion hit his tee shot into the middle of an old tree stump that had the middle rotted out. How is this ruled? The stump was about 3 inches high and he had no way of hitting the shot without damaging his club & himself. The stump was just slightly off the...

Gary: Perhaps you can clarify exactly what happened on Saturday with Rich Beem using his hat to remove sand from the green? The commentators suggested that since his ball was not on the green that using the hat was allowed. That is fine and good, however I was always under the impression...

A player hits his tee shot into the rough close to out of bounds. He declares that he will play a provisional ball and does so. He finds his original ball and picks up his provisional ball. He continues play with the original ball for the remainder of the hole. After picking ball out of the...

Gary When you hit into red staked hazard, are you alllowed to drop without keeping the flag in line with point of entry? If so? When?

The 15th hole at Greensmere requires a left to right tee shot, to hit the fairway, otherwise the ball will end up in a lateral water hazard, or, if hit far enough, it will go over or through the hazard into another portion of wooded, through the green. If, from the tee, my ball travels on a line...

On a recent round we were playing the white tees at the course in questions when we approached the teeing area of one of the holes and there were no tee markers in place (I guess someone forgot to replace them following maintenance work). Is there any rules or guidelines as to where you...

A small pool of rainwater has accumulated on a bridge over a water hazard. The player's ball ends up on the bridge and in the puddle. May he ground his club? May he take relief from the puddle?

Gary Playing Stoneridge last Thursday evening our foursome got into a 'discussion' about what happened on par 3 #2 hole. First player hit ball to left side of green, secong player hit and knocked players ball off the green. What is the official ruling in this case. Do either player incur a...

Gary Funny thing happened at Emerald Links yesterday, and need ruling.:rolleyes Fellow competitor found my ball in the rough (actually just inside tree line) for me and when I played the shot, a second ball was hit as well. My ball goes flying across the fairway into the other trees and the...

I like to "plumb bob" my short putts. Do the rules permit me to use the flagstick for this purpose?

In your previous explanation of how to determine nearest point of relief, which, BTW, was excellent and should be posted in locker rooms around the area, you stated that any club may be used to determine the nearest point. In decision 20/1, it states that "A player may use any club in measuring,...