Rules Contest

[Martin B]

Not sure last weeks Rules Contest was right. It was:
Norm breaks a club during a round while using it as a cane to climb a hill. Is he allowed to replace the club?

No. A club broken in such circumstances is not considered to have become “damaged in the normal course of play” as its use as a cane is not an action related to making a stroke.

But the new ruling is:
4-3/7 Club Broken While Used as Cane
Q. A player uses one of his clubs as a cane while climbing a hill and the shaft breaks. May he replace the club during the round?

A. Yes. A club broken in such circumstances is considered to have become “damaged in the normal course of play” as its use as a cane is considered a reasonable act — see Decision 4-3/1. (Revised)

[Kilroy]

Well, the question and answer came from the RCGA / R&A decisions 4-3/7
http://www.randa.org/flash/decisions/decisions.html

Your ruling came from the USGA Decisions. I have no idea why they would differ on this point, but we follow the RCGA rulings in Canada.

[mpare]

Such clarity!!!!

[gbower]

I have the RCGA decisions book in front of me and it says exactly what Martin had quoted. This is one of the rules that was revised. The RCGA and USGA decisions books are exactly the same.

[gbower]

I just went to the RCGA web site and to the online decisions and again got what Martin had quoted. Don't know where the one you got came from Dan.


http://www.randa.org/index.cfm?actio...decisionsappv3

[AAA]

The decision was changed in 2006. You must have an old book Dan.

[Kilroy]

This is very strange. I got it from the link I posted earlier. I just took the first screenshot.
http://www.randa.org/flash/decisions/decisions.html

Then I followed GBower's link http://www.randa.org/index.cfm?actio...decisionsappv3 went to the same ruling and got the second screenshot

[Kilroy]

I'll change the answer, but I already awarded the prize and deleted last weeks entries

[AAA]

I have emailed Kevin Barker at the R & A.

Have just got a response (20 minutes after asking - wow).
The answer 'Yes' is of course correct.
The wrong answer is from an old link which he wasn't aware of. He will refer it to the web support team.

[Kilroy]

Thanks AAA I will use the newer link from now on. They must have changed the structure and page address, but left the old pages in place on the server.

Sorry fellas. The "Correct answers" percentage went from 70% - 30%