Forum: Rules Of Golf

At the Spring Open qualifier today my ball ended up on a huge ant hill adjacent to the 13th tee. One of my fellow competitors was unsure if I got relief, so I chose to play two balls, one taking relief and the other, playing the original ball. I hit the ball with which I took relief on to the...

33-7. Disqualification Penalty; Committee Discretion A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modified or imposed if the Committee considers such action warranted. Any penalty less than disqualification must not be waived or modified. If a Committee...

In a recent club tournament a player ducked hooked a ball out of view to the left and as the players were walking toward the area where the ball could have been, a non-competitor(green fee player) was seen picking up a ball. The competitors asked to see the ball and the green fee player...

It was reported in another post that the young man who was leading the Tunis after Day 1 was disqualified for taking a swipe at his ball and taking a chunk out of the Hunt's 15th green. If he had have only taking a swipe at the ball and hit it, without taking the divot, would he have just been...

In a medal play tournament A chips his ball close to the hole. To save time B marks A's ball and moves it one putterhead length so that the marker does not does not interfere with B's line. A is unaware that the ball has been moved but is aware that the ball has been marked. B putts. B gives A...

In another Citizen incident, not in my group, a player marked and then picked up a ball that was in some casual water. After picking it up he realized that the ball belonged to his fellow competitor, so he replaced it. Should the player not be penalized a stroke, because 18-3 says, "b. If, other...

Golf clubs commonly divide their players into handicap classes, ie., Class "A", Class "B", and Class "C." Is their an official guide as to the handicap factor ranges that are used for each class? At my previous club, we used the following, for men: Class A 9.9 or less Class B ...

My ball comes to rest somewhere in long fescue grass. I see a ball but am not able to identify it. I gently spread the grass apart and see that the ball is mine. Must I now put the grass back into it's orignial position so as not to improve my lie?

Played Pakenhan today and one of my fellow competitor's ball came to rest in casual water in the near end of a greenside bunker. The only area free of casual water was in the far end of the bunker, all of which was closer to the hole from where his ball was originally lying in the bunker. My...

Because the condition of some of our courses is not very good, local clubs allow golfers to move their ball a specified distance to get a better lie, a practice which obviously leads to lower scoring. Now, if playing preferred lies and if my ball were to come to rest beside a tree where, in...

I am currently working on a setup routine where my club head is not grounded, just as I am about to start the backswing. The Rule Book defines address as having grounded the club AND taken your stance. This is what I do on a full swing : 1. Place the club on the ground behind the ball...

At the risk of sounding like a nutcase, is it possible to be a professional playing as a right hander, and an amateur playing left handed? I am serious. So was Mac O'Grady.

From the plugged ball thread it was stated that the TOUR has a standard local rule that players may get relief from plugged balls, through the green. Does this "ruling" not contravene Rule 33 which states that: "The committee has no power to waive a rule of golf?"

Rule 6-5 ball states, "The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. Each player SHOULD put an identification mark on his ball." At the start of a tournament round we always state what ball we are using and show our identifying mark. It is my habit to always inform my...

A golfer's ball comes to rest in a puddle, (casual water) and he elects to take relief. Marking the nearest point and the club length relief with tees, he drops the ball properly. His lie is poor so he then claims that he is still in casual water because when he fairly takes his stance, water can...

In taking relief from an obstruction, I found my nearest point of relief and marked it with a tee. What is the maximum distance from this point, from which I may play the next stroke? Reason?

I am intersted in the logic or reasoning that golf clubs use in handicapping their golf holes. In one of the articles Dan posted it indicated that the #1 or #2 holes are the HARDEST holes on the respective nines, while #17 and #18 become the EASIEST holes on their two nines. Very frequently,...

From Matt MacKay - RCGA pg 26 "Golf Canada" July 2008 Q - Can player determine beforehand that his round is merely a "practice" round and not post the score to his handicap scoring record? A - NO. the handicap system does not contemplate the notion of a practice round. All acceptable...

What are the occasions where it is acceptable to have the flagstick lying on the green next to the hole, where you can use it as a backstop or something to have the ball run along where the ball could easily end up in the hole?

Pretend that you are playing #17 or #18 at Mountain Creek where there are water hazards to the right of the holes, but not visible from the tee. You hit drives towards those areas but you cannot find your ball. Is the ball LOST, or is it in the hazard(s)? What reasonable evidence does one need...

18-2b/4 Ball Moves After Player Grounds Club But Before Stance Completed Q. A player’s routine prior to playing a stroke is as follows: He first grounds the club directly behind the ball with his feet together. Then he gradually widens his feet to shoulder width. At that point, he makes the...

Intersectional matches scenario - My opponent tees the ball ahead of the markers and hits his drive into a position that I feel is disadvantageous to him. He realizes his error and asks me, the next to play, if I want the shot replayed. I say, "No." I hit. The third opponent to play then says,...

One of the players in the Tunis yesterday, hit his second shot into a lateral water hazard to the left of the 18th green. He correctly measured his two club lengths relief and placed a marker on the cart path than ran parallel to the LWH. Dropping the ball correctly on to the cart path, the ball...

Average Difficulty. True story. A golfer hits a shot that embeds in soft turf in a water hazard. He takes a mighty swing with a wedge and extricates a huge chunk of turf out of the hazard in which the ball is still embedded. What is the ruling?

Gbower slices his tee shot into the centre of a bush. He deems it unplayable and measures two club-lengths from the outside of the bush. He drops a ball not nearer the hole, at the maximum distance within the two club-lengths he measured. The ball rolls only two feet and not nearer the hole,...

Golf Quebec will be holding four, Level 3 Rules of Golf seminars, in the spring. Locally, one seminar will be held at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club on May 3 and 4, and three others will be held in other Golf Quebec regions and in both English and French. Registration is done through the Golf Quebec...

STROKE PLAY Mike is on the putting green 50' from the hole. 1. Dave is on the putting green 25' from the hole and plays while Mike's ball is still moving. 2. Dave is on the fringe 40' from the hole and chips while Mike's ball is still moving. 3. Dave is in a bunker 40' from the hole,...

Dan, Mike and Lyle walk down the fairway of a par 4 in search of their golf balls. Dan and Lyle find theirs but Mike cannot find his. After a 5 minute search, Mike walks back to the tee and hits a ball. When he walks up to the ball, he finds that it is his ORIGINAL ball. What is the ruling?:)

For anyone who may be interested in getting certified in the RCGA Handicap System, there will be a seminar on May 26, 7:00 to 10:00 PM, held at the Carleton Golf & Yacht Club. The cost is only $22.58. Registration Form is here:...

(A) A player hits his tee shot towards an area of trees and thinking that it may be lost, plays a provisional. The ball flies in the same direction as the first. Upon arriving at the area where the balls flew he finds two balls, one in a lateral water hazard and one is nearby in the rough. They...

List the occasions where a player may hit a MOVING ball, without being penalized.

The greens staff is digging a trench to drain an area habitually filled with water when it rains. The trench runs from the low area to a water hazard adjacent to the green. While the greens staff break for lunch, Dan plays a shot that lands IN the trench that is IN the water hazard. What is the...

There are situations under the rules where you MUST inform your fellow competitor or your opponent, of what you intend to do. What are they? Let's start at list.

Paul and David play their tee shots to the fairway on #12 at Mississippi, where the landing area cannot be seen from the tee. Approach shots are played to the green and David makes a long putt for a birdie. As David picks his ball, a Titleist 2, out of the hole, he realizes that the ball he holed...

Club Match Play Championship Semi Final Matches - A vs B, C vs D Both matches are being played in one group of four. A and C are putting for birdies in their respective matches. C is farther from the hole than A. C and A putt simultaneously and A's ball strikes C's ball. A's ball is holed...

From The Leith Society - a story. In a stroke play tournament, on a 180 yard par 3, a player played his tee shot that flew into a tree on the tee side of a wide stream, i.e., water hazard, that runs across in front of the putting green. Although there was no evidence to that affect, the player...

At the recent OCAA golf championship, the players were informed that if there was any doubt as to how to proceed during play, that they were to play two balls and get a ruling from either Gerry or myself later. This scenario is hypothetical but based on a similar incident. On a hole a player hit...

In the same OCAA tournament a player hits his 225 second shot over the green on the par 5 14th at Upper Canada GC. After searching for a couple of minutes he finds a ball, pitches it on to the green and when he marks the ball he discovers that it is not his. He searches for a couple of more...

A player hit his ball towards a garden, (Grounds Under Repair in local rules). He was certain that the ball had come to rest in the garden and his fellow competitor was of the same opinion. The ball could not be found after a two minute search so the player dropped a ball within 1 club of the...

From LS website, with variation. Matt hits his tee shot approximately 225 yards into an area of trees off to the right. He smokes his provisional ball 275 yards but into an area of long grass on the other side of the hole. He plays a second provisional and it flies 250 yards down the middle of...

Mutt and Jeff both hit their drives over the hill of #12 at Mississippi GC, a blind par 4 hole. As they walk up, they see two balls close together and Mutt then hits his approach shot to the green. As Jeff is about to play the other ball, he sees that it is Mutt’s original ball. Mutt plays his...

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In a match between Player A and B, A is looking for his ball in an area covered with leaves. He inadvertently kicks his ball. Not sure of its original location, he estimates where it lay and drops a ball as near as possible to that spot but no closer to the hole. As he takes a practice swing, he...

Player A plays his third shot from off the green. The ball does not reach the elevated green but instead rolls back and comes to rest against his bag. Player A lifts his bag and the ball rolls a few feet farther from the hole. He plays his next shot from this new position onto the green and...

Player A and B both hit shots into a bunker and are on the same line of play. A plays first and advances his ball a few yards in the same bunker. He rakes his footprints, but his next shot hits the lip of the bunker and rolls back into the area he just raked. B then plays his shot and it also...

A competitor hits his tee shot near a water hazard. Thinking the ball may be lost outside the hazard he hits a provisional into the same area as his original. The player finds both balls (one inside and one outside of the Water Hazard), but is unable to determine which is the provisional. What...

Three competitors were scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. Two competitors were present at that time. The third competitor, who was scheduled to play last in the group, was practicing on the range at 10:00 a.m. but arrives just in time to play after the second competitor plays. His actions did not...

Arnold Palmer wrote a piece for Golf Channel that included the following description of a rules incident that happened involving Ken Venturi and himself in the 1958 Masters. It was also referred to on Sirius radio this morning. Ken and I will likely forever be linked by a rules decision invoked...