Forum: Rules Of Golf

This is not a trick question. Situation: You have marked your ball on the putting surface and on a severe incline.:thumbsdow There is also a strong wind that could start the ball moving once you replace your marker with the ball. You understand that if the ball moves once you address it...

... did Cink break a rule by moving that rock before taking his drop on the first hole? :scratchch I'll have to check that out.

Let's say that I'm playing in a tournament and distance measuring devices are allowed (distance measuring only, NOT slope, temperature etc.). If I am so inclined, am I allowed to share the readings with my FCs?? Would providing distance information be considered giving advice under 8-1?

This is pretty basic and you would think that I would know the ruling but help me out.I,m in the middle of a fairway and yank a ball out in the woods.No O.B. or red stakes.Do I reload and play a provisional from that point or walk to the woods and see if i can find my ball.If i cant find it,do i...

Basically, do one have any options that would allow one to go back to the tee if they don't like their first result for whatever reason even if it is playable and what would the penalty be? Background info: I recently played and hit a wonky first tee shot that hit a tree about 50 yards...

Will be playing in this event this year but my game lately is in real bad shape. My question is when I address my ball and I am about to start my swing can my playing partner stand behind me and tell me my aim is off and witch way to change it. Really helped me on the weekend but we do not know if...

OK so We had a player hit today into an area he thought the ball would likely be lost. He played a provisional as we usually yo. A discussion started about what do we do next year. Player hit a ball to a questionable area. Player Hit a provisional Provisional would be lying 3 if needed Can't...

I just got to get this one off my mind.... What really sucks is when you hit a ball out of bounds and one of your competitors finds your ball. During the "B" Class City & District this happened to someone in the group ahead of me. One player hit a ball off the tee and it went out of bounds. He...

My playing competitor is teeing it up on the ninth hole when this happens ....... He takes his club back and starts his downswing, just as his club is about to touch the ball, the ball starts to move off tee to the right and he kinda tops the ball so it rolls about 18 inches in front of the tee...

Is there a specific rule that says you cant? or is it more of a course rule? If its a course rule then what is the purpose of it?

For those of you not familiar with the swing guide, its plastic piece you put on the bottom of your grip that keeps your swing on the right plain during your back swing, doesn't let your wrist cock to much so you don't go past parallel. Question is, on a practice swing are you allowed to use it? ...

A friend of mine hit his ball over the green and couldn't find. He asked me to help him. I marked my ball as I was in someones way (direct line) and went to go look for the ball. Everyone on the green putt out and when we found he ball we finnished the hole. When I replaced my ball I wanted to...

Would a ball is resting on a white stake considered out of bounds? What determines the OB line? Also at Chateau Cartier on 10 there is white and red stake side by side at the 150 mark. What is the reasoning behind this?

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?

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...

We now have 5 certified rules officials here who are all active posters. They are BC Mist, gbower, Lob Wedge, AAA and myself. This really is an awesome opportunity to bring the rules of the game discussions to a new level here. It seems that we should lay out a few proceedures to follow... No...

From the Leith Society website, a situation that resulted in varying opinions about what the correct procedure was. Donna hit her second shot towards the deep rough and trees, dropped a ball and said, "This is a provisional." Before she made a stroke at the provisional ball a forecaddie said,...

I was playing with McGoo and XTour yesterday and one of their balls was heading out of bounds when it struck a fence. The ball stopped dead and landed just inbounds. The fence is basically resting on the white stakes, but the ball was clearly still in bounds. As a left handed golfer her had no...

Tee shot is hit to the right, comes to rest on the cart path (right edge of it.) Player can't hit his ball because it's on the cart path, so he needs relief. Player marks his ball and takes a drop at the nearest point of relief which is a couple of feet right of the cart path. Before...

so I go up to tap in an 8 incher, having told my playing partner I want to sink it, he was going to send it back to me. I take a stance, I forget if I had grounded the putter, I don't think so, but am not sure, tha ball moves half an inch. it's not a windy day, but there is some wind, and...

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...

Just a follow up question to last weeks answer. Say that A holes a putt, and B has a putt to tie the hole. A then picks up B's ball is A peanalized 1 stroke for picking up the ball or is the hole halved? (Assume this is a match play situation) This could be very important if the match...

If you are playing very poorly and you pick up your ball after 9 holes (out of frustration), how is this handicapped? Can you enter just 9 holes? If this is done two often will it not artifically lower your handicap?

So I am off the fairway again, left or right, I'm an equal opportunity player. I can see the ball and I have a "shot" to get it out but branches make it nearly impossible to take a stance or even take more than a 6" back swing. BUT, if I brace some of the lower branches behing my leg (R or L) then...

These are the balls with the microchip transmitter and a radio reciever ball finder. I have been looking around and the only thing I have been able to find with regards to the acceptability of these balls for handicapping or competition is the manufacturer's claim. From their website FAQ: ...

So, my regular Sunday game is always with the same foursome. Three of us are "close" in handicap, and the fourth is..... not. We always alternate the partnerships, and do a two-man best ball; i.e. two against two, and take the low score of one twosome against the low of the other twosome, and...

I was playing the other day in the rain. I hit into a par 3 greenside sand trap. When I got there the ball was in casual water. The entire rear portion of the bunker was full of water, the only way to play the ball and stay in the bunker was to move the ball closer to the hole, about 5 feet...

Can anyone shed some light on the 'new' hadcp system? Just read that they are going back to the 'old' system we had a few years back. Max of double boggie on all. When does it come in effect? Thanks

Hi; Hate to go back to basics but - I have had conflicting opinions on this point of etiquette... If a player is addressing the ball and his head is pointed a 12:00 and his butt is at 6:00 where do I stand? Once I was about 20 ft behind at 9:00 and the guy teed off and then...

Where has everyone gone ? Gary, I seem to remember that some time ago you introduced a 'tester' question but iti only seemed to last a short time. Have you any plans to reintroduce it?

Here's one for you rules experts. There was a bit of confusion this weekend at my club during the second round of club championship. Our group was playing the 13th hole. The first guy to hit proceeds to pull his ball left. We watch to see if it clears the pond. We don't see it bounce on the...

Does anyone know the ruling for: Par 3 Ball hit just left of green headed between edge of green and a bunker. Lands beside the bunker and bounces viloently straight up and we lose sight as heads behind the hole. 1st thought- sprinkler head cover. Get to the green - we all agreed the only...

The following takes place between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm. The story is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. A, B, C & D are playing in the OVGA Intersectional matches. On a long par 5, with a water hazard crossing in front of the green, A and B hit good drives side by...

If taking relief from, say, an immovable obstruction, the rule says that I should use the club with which I would have played the shot had the condition from which I want relief, was not there. If I am 50 yards from the green the club I would normally use would be a 35" lob wedge. But, I decide...

Me again. As stated in previous thread, I was playing match play this weekend and got called on a breach of rule. I hit a four iron on hole #8 at Mountain Creek and the ball plugged in the middle of the fairway. One of my partners told me I was allowed to pull it out of there and drop it. ...

O Rules Gods, who's pronunciations are law........... Rule 16 (1) a (ii) states that a player may place his putter ahead of the ball along the line of putt during address, except that it can't "press down anything". Does this mean that I can sole the club, providing that there is no obstruction...

We have a protective fence out on my course (subject to other rules previously). This fence is behind the 2nd green and is a mesh fence. When playing any hole other than #2 you do not get line of site relief. You do get swing/stance relief. Directly behind the fence are 20 or so pine trees. So when...

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...

this gets confusing but I think I know what's right. You hit ball, there is a hazard, you aren't sure if it's in, or maybe you didn't know it was staked, you declare and hit provisional. Get up there and can't find ball anywhere. I see two results 1) if you can't be virtually certain...

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...

Is the use of lasers during a round in the PGA actually illegal? When the caddies walk the course before the round, they'd be using a laser for sure to fill in they're yardage book, right? Anyone else think laser should be allowed on tour? Seems to me like it would speed things up a...

Late in yesterday's golf telecast, there was a great example of KVC, "known or virtually certain." Robert Allenby was significantly PO'd on the ruling he got late in the 4th round. His ball headed toward a lateral water hazard, but no one saw it go in. The commentators indicated that it was heard...

For those who know Hautes Plaines (the old Dome) here's one for ya... Last men's night we are waiting on #10 tee (the par 3). We hear a drive off #18 land in a backyard (on interlock) bounce over the house, hit the road twice and then lands behind the #10 tee box. Now there are OB stakes left...

My playing partner has been doing the following. He hit's a ball into a hazard (same scenario for both red and yellow staked areas). What he does following is immediately drops a ball at the point of entry, hit's it calling it a provisional. Then he goes searching for his first ball in the...

Just looking for some piece of mind here,if I'm shooting an average of an 85 per round , what would you guys think my handicap should be, believe me this is the last handicap question I will ask