Hi, My understanding is that you are allow to practise putting after finishing a hole without breaking the rule. What about chipping or pitching (or a may be full shot)? TIA.

Read Rule 7-2:

“A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.

Between the play of two holes, a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practice putting or chipping on or near:
(a) the putting green of the hole last played,
(b) any practice putting green, or
(c) the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round, provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).”

Penalty in strokeplay: two strokes.

Note that the Committee may make a Condition of Competition prohibiting such practice.

I remember seeing on the Golf Show on Fox Sports that you can take a practice putt after finishing a hole during a stableford round. That sound right?

I remember seeing that too Leigh, and it was misleading. They gave the impression that it’s only ok in Stableford. That’s rubbish.

The rule publish posted is the truth. Ossie Moore also said they are not allowed to do it on Tour (which indeed as the rule says can be a Condition of Competition), but I saw many doing it at a Senior event a couple of weeks ago, of which Ossie was in the field.

Just be cautious of those Golf Show rules segments – I’ve seen quite a few with what appear to me as blatant errors.

Most professional golf tours do have a Condition of Competition that prohibits the practice that is normally allowed under 7-2. Some senior events don’t.

Understand, I just find they generalise and dumb things down carelessly. Mentioning it’s allowed but can be denied by a condition of competition is accurate. Saying it’s allowed in Stableford but not on Tour is inaccurate.

Here’s the segment Leigh was talking about if anyone’s interested.

I’m pretty sure I spotted another error in one of the rules segments on Fox’s Golf Show. I haven’t reviewed the segment on their web site but they appeared to say that you can always have relief for line of play from a sprinkler when it is within 2m of the putting green (etc. etc.)

This is ONLY the case where the course you are playing has adopted the specimen Local Rule in Appendix I, Part B Item 6 which goes like this:

“Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be obtained under Rule 24-2. In addition, if a ball lies off the putting green but not in a hazard and an immovable obstruction on or within two club-lengths of the putting green and within two club-lengths of the ball intervenes on the line of play between the ball and the hole, the player may take relief as follows:

The ball must be lifted and dropped at the nearest point to where
the ball lay that (a) is not nearer the hole, (b) avoids intervention
and© is not in a hazard or on a putting green. The ball may be
cleaned when lifted.

Relief under this Local Rule is also available if the player’s ball lies on the putting green and an immovable obstruction within two club-lengths of the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. The player may take relief as follows:

The ball must be lifted and placed at the nearest point to where
the ball lay that (a) is not nearer the hole, (b) avoids intervention
and© is not in a hazard.The ball may be cleaned when lifted.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.”

I’m pretty sure I spotted another error in one of the rules segments on Fox’s Golf Show. I haven’t reviewed the segment on their web site but they appeared to say that you can always have relief for line of play from a sprinkler when it is within 2m of the putting green (etc. etc.)

This is ONLY the case where the course you are playing has adopted the specimen Local Rule in Appendix I, Part B Item 6

Yes, I noticed that. The problem with quick bites like that is that what they leave out is as dangerous by omission as getting it wrong.

In regard to the Stableford/Tour distinction for practice putting, maybe give them some benefit of the doubt. They don’t actually say it’s only permitted in Stableford, Ben just says “Yes, but because it’s only Stableford today we’re allowed to practice”. They still could have done it better if they’d explained the normal permission in 7-2.

Wouldn’t give either of them many marks for acting. And I like the way Ben says “virtually known” when talking of balls in a hazard! :-)

Yeah, I remember the sprinker-head one. I could just imagine some guy doing it at my course (where there is no local rule), claiming the Golf Show told him he could do it.

Same with the practice thing publish – it’s the implication. If I didn’t know any better, I’d be hesitant to practice in my next stroke round, someone else might just assume that because they’re playing Stableford, they can practice.

I remember seeing on the Golf Show on Fox Sports that you can take a practice putt after finishing a hole during a stableford round. That sound right?

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

Stableford and Par competitions are stroke rounds.
Distinctions always relate to stroke v match play.
If it is not match play it is stroke play.

Stroke PLAY not stroke COMPETITION.

Just to sum up:

Rule 7-2 quoted by Publish in posting #2 covers practice both in match play, and in all forms of stroke play.

If nothing else is written by the Committee, practice as described is allowed.

So, during stableford, would I be allowed to take a practice putt after everyone in my group has finished the hole? Of course, depending if there was another group right behind us.

If there are no special conditions of the competition, this is what the Rules allow.

Thanks for that Doc.

Seems to me there are a few rules in gof are designed to allow play to keep moving (provisional balls, hazard markings etc) and the concept of stableford as opposed to stroke. Allowing practice after holes have been completed can only slow it up, ban the practice.

Nothing would annoy me more than standing behind someone who grinds over every putt only to see them re hit the ones that missed. It rarely happens however there is no need for it to happen at all.

NormC had another post about re writing golf rules (I think), suggest this could do with some tweaking. The whole practice thing is a bit strange, you can play every hole before a match but not in stroke. Couldn’t it just be no practice on the course proper either before or after a hole is completed.

Practice putting or chipping is not allowed if it slows up play, that’s already a part of Rule 7-2.

RulesDoc, understood but it can’t speed up play, all it can do is maintain or slow it. Then we get into nuance, what is someone’s version of not “unduly delaying play”.

Ban it, serves no purpose

Ban it, serves no purpose

I’ve never seen someone practice a putt whilst we’re waiting to come to the green. I think it’s pretty trivial really.

I’d also rather do a few extra putts/chips when the next hole is clogged than just standing around doing nothing.

Ban it, that’s funny, and silly… been doing this for years and it’s never upset anyone I was playing with, or behind us or in front of us… it serves it’s purpose which is to allow the player to practice a putt they missed, and the fact is when there are three groups waiting on the next tee, why not take some time to practice if there’s no one behind?