Forum: Rules Of Golf

Today we were playing and I hit it from the fairway over a water hazard in front of the green and landed in the water hazzard near the bank. I played a provisional from where I just hit and when I went across to where my ball went in I noticed I could attempt a shot to the green which I...

I have a quick question as I got called on that rule in our course championship and depending on who I talk about it , I get different answers. If my ball lands in a sand trap I know that my club can't touch the sand but my question is if there is a rock or a pine cone next to my ball am I allowed...

Hi guys, We are competing in a shoot-out competition. Where we start with 10 players on hole #1 and eliminate 1 player on every hole. If 2 or more players are tied on a hole there is a chip off. The question is: Player A has is second shot from a low spot, so he has a blind shot to the...

The ball rolls down the car path. From what I understand the point of relief is 2 club length. There is no point of relief since the car path in in the middle of the bush. Should the player take a drop then an unplayable (1 stroke penalty) and then drop as close as possible to where the ball...

Hit an iron shot to the green and the ball roll on the fringe. Can I fix my ball mark before chipping/putting my ball from the fringe? Am I only allowed to fix ball mark after my ball is on the green? Thanks

When getting relief from a cart path, your drop lands more than 1 club length but less than 2 away, no closer to the hole. Is this a legal drop?

I recently hit my ball just off the enter/exit part of the path where the ground is beaten down by cart traffic. There is no grass in this area because of the cart traffic. What is the ruling here? Do I play it as it lies?

Hi Gary Would this Grip Tee be legal or illegal for golf / tournament play? I think this design is now illegal for Long Drive competition this year.

What would be the ruling in the following situation? My buddy and I are not pros therefore we do our best to speed up play. I'm on the fringe and he's further away. I know I should have waited but I went ahead and hit the putt which would have ended either in the hole or real close. :irked: All...

I did not know that. did you? USGA Rules of Golf, Appendix II, Part 1, paragraph d: Alignment When the club is in its normal address position the shaft must be so aligned that: (i) the projection of the straight part of the shaft on to the vertical plane through the toe and heel...

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?

Is it legal to put your bag or your caddy in such a position that you are blocking the shade: STORY

Is it legal to sand a wedge face to get extra spin? The USGA wants to regulate on the grooves but not sure if they want to regulate on abrasive faces.

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?

Would this be legal? http://www.layerco.com/?i=video

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...

This past weekend I witnessed something I had never seen before. My playing partner and long time friend was in the rough when he suddenly carried the ball forward. In tennis it is called a double carry. It was not a double hit as he only hit the ball once but it kind of got stuck on the club along...

:flush

If your ball is sitting on the monkey part are you allowed to take a practice swing?

. Name a few if you don't mind.

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?

:rolleyes Just curious as to how many golfers out there actually record their "true" scores. Do you ever roll your ball up on higher grass to improve your lie? Give yourself a "gimmie" for a two foot putt? Actually drop your ball a club length when taking a penalty drop? Feel free...

When putting, if there is sand (from a bunker shot) between your ball and the hole, are you allowed to brush it aside; or do you have to play through it? In saying that, what can you clear off the green to allow for a clearer path to the hole?

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...

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...

John is in a match. John’s tee shot lands 2 feet to the right of a large tree. John swings right handed. He squeezes up to the tree, does not bend any branches and takes his next stroke. The ball veers right towards a forest and it appears that it may be lost outside of a hazard. John...

What are the options of an unplayable lie.

18th hole match play............Par 5 Playing against a 2 HDCP, I was 10 at the time. I was 80 yds out after 2 shots and the other guy was under a tree 100 yds back..........with no swing..........unless he climbs the tree. So, we have a local rule with certain trees with ribbons. So the...

On the third hole at Le Geant at Mont Tremblant yesterday, one of the deer standing around the hole came over and started to lick my ball, which caused it to move off the back fringe and onto the green. I replaced the ball, which I believe falls under rule 18-1, an outside agency, before I...

Rule 4-4b allows partners to share clubs, but according to the rule they must only have 14 clubs. This is the rule: Partners may share clubs, provided that the total number of clubs carried by the partners so sharing does not exceed fourteen. Does this mean that between the two bags, they...

Gary, In last week's rules contest, there was a question concerning taking a stance in the bunker without a club, and the answer was that yes, it is considered to be addressing the ball. If that happens, what are the ramifications of then going out and picking your club? If the player takes...

Gary, I know that paper yardage books are legal, at least I am assuming that they are since they are used on tour and a basic version is included on most score cards. What about electronic yardage books? These may be an overhead view of the hole on a pda where you can see how far an item is...

The question asked if the player touches the ball when it is lying through the green. The highlighted answer, based on 23-1, states that the ball is on the putting green, which is not the same thing. Now in the question, the ball doesn't move, but is touched by the player accidently. ...

Gary, Rule 17-1 starts with: The start Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole. I've always been under the impression that if you were not on the green, you only had the...

I meant to ask this before as it was brought up in discussion during my Men's closing event. What constitutes fixing a ball mark on the green. Do you have to use a tool and fix the mark before tapping down, or can you just tap it down. People felt that just tapping down constituted touching...

Here's a golf story i heard and would like clarification if anyone can help... two guys are playing in a match play game. they arrive at a par 3 hole. player 1 selects his club and goes to the teeing ground. As it is a par 3, he looks around the tee deck and finds a broken tee (like many of...

I'm a new player - I've put my first 6 rounds in the handicap calculator on this site, and it spits out my handicap factor as 29.8 From what I understand of the new handicap rules, you are supposed to take an 8-max if you are 20-29 and a 9-max if you are 30+ Am I supposed to round my...

:grumpy: While playing this morning,my second shot from the fairway with a 3-wood hits the stake indicating ground under repair,and rockets 90 degrees right into o.b I droped with one stroke penalty. Is this correct,or is the stake considered g.u.r as well?

Need to settle an argument with a friend. What happens when a tee shot hits a power line?

Hey wondering if anyone could give me a link or let me know an answer to this question. I am looking to sign up for an OVGA event, but I am not sure what level I am eligble to play in. What handicap factors make up and "A" class golfer, "B" class golfer and "C" class golfer. Thanks.

You're playing in a competitive round and you are using your trusty Titleist 3, ProV1X. You reach into your bag and pull out a dozen mini sharpies (for you sharpie junkies) and mark your ball with a navy blue line through the PROV1X on the 'side' of the ball. You hit your tee shot on #3 left,...

Player A and B are playing a par5. Player A has pitched his 3rd shot from below the green to 3 feet. Player B is on the green in 2 shots and has 50 feet for eagle and decides to hit the putt before Player A has marked and made his way up to the green. Player B's eagle putt hits Player...

A golfer addresses the ball where it sits in the rough with a 'flyer' lie - meaning its sitting up on the grass. The player addresses the ball and at the same time he makes his backswing, the ball moves... BUT the player continues his move and hits the ball. Penalty?

Are there any changes for this year? Was there ever a thread talking about last year's rules changes?

Came close to pulling this off, was wondering what my next play would have been: - In the front bunker on #18 at Marshes, picked it clean and ball flew and landed on the green, 3 feet from the hole for #9, or ~150 feet from the fole for #18. Whats the next play if I would have drained it on...

Yesterday i was playing and before my shot my ball fell off the tee. when i set up to address the ball fell and it did not go past the tee box. Is this a penalty ?