Topic: Rules of Golf / ON OR OFF THE PUTTING GREEN

Since when does the playing group determine a ruling?
Having a ball on the green gives extra rights and obligations, there is a whole rule (16) applied to the putting green. IMO if there is a doubt that the ball is on the green then play it as if TtG. Otherwise in SP play a second ball under 3-3 and let the Committee decide. In SP protection of the field is the important factor and a player cannot leave it up to (possibly) 3 mates to determine the issue.

Absolutely.

Topic: Rules of Golf / How many Clubs can I carry?

You mean potato wedges ?

Topic: Rules of Golf / Ball caught in a tree?

A ruling from the RBs is as good as a decision.
The only difference is that not as many people are aware of it.
But those who don’t read the decisions aren’t aware of them either.

The ruling has appeared on many boards now.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Stableford

It beats me why there’s so much energy expended by clubs and golfers in trying to ascertain exact hole difficulty (other than to make it even across the nines for countback purposes).

I can’t say I’ve ever seen a recommendation by Golf Australia on how it should be done, so maybe clubs here just haven’t really thought about it. I’ve seen the English Golf Union publish stuff on it.

The USGA and the EGU have published essentially the same recommendation. The EGU’s supplements comments from the R&A. I believe the other UK unions support the EGU view.
Oddly, the USGA have changed their website (within the last year or so) and include the ‘difficulty’ option. I haven’t looked at it for a while and can’t remember if they still make a recommendation.

When we changed at our club we were concerned about the stableford aspect. We did (as suggested above) a spreadsheet taking dozens of cards with SIs allocated by both methods. There was never a difference of more than one point (and that was vey rare).

Topic: Rules of Golf / Ball caught in a tree?

You need to answer two questions please.
Can you see it?
Can you identify it as yours?

Topic: Rules of Golf / Stableford

I doesn’t take much :-(

Topic: Rules of Golf / Stableford

Of course, I see what you mean now. There was a thread about this some while ago. I didn’t take a lot of notice as seemed an odd idea then. It seems just as odd now ;-)

Topic: Rules of Golf / Stableford

I managed to ace our par3 200m 13th a few months ago. At the time my handicap gave me 2 shots on the hole (Index 5) , so it was a 1 for 6 points.

Unfortunately it was the monthly medal event, so the points meant nothing!

Cheers

Dave

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

Dave

I’m not in OZ but doesn’t the system convert strokeplay score to stableford for the calculations ?

I thought the UK system was based on the Oz system originally.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Stableford

This is the crux of the Aussie system (UK and US don’t have double indexes),

Stebboko

Not quite. The UK system goes up to 28 for men and 36 for Ladies. Juniors can be allocated ‘Club’ handicaps upto 54. (The system is designed to cope with them)
The European Golf Association (most countries in mainland Europe) goes upto 36.
Both in the UK and Europe I believe many clubs are now adopting the ‘matchplay’ route rather than the ‘difficulty’ route for stroke index allocation.

Topic: Rules of Golf / relief to the side at nearest point ??

Should it be treated as an immovable obstruction if the garden bed has been declared an integral part of the course?

The LR should make it clear which part is an IPC and which is an IO

Can an obstruction be declared not an obstruction? I woudn’t have thought so.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Is this a penalty

You arrive at you ball in the fairway,no twigs or anything near the ball 1you dont ground your club,you take your swing,the ball moves in the middle of your swing…2..you ground your club,same thing occours ,ball moves during swing…What penalties apply to both ?
By the way,not hypothetical,has happened to me at some stage

Did you actually hit the ball in either case?

Topic: Rules of Golf / Casual Water

I understand your point re tropical rain conditions which apply all across SE Asia (what do they do I wonder).

But the Rules have got to be pedantic otherwise everyone would read their own interpretation into them.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Casual Water

Im not quite sure that thats withen the rules …..it effectively enables the committee to by default declare an area as enviornmentally sensitive ……which I doubt they can in this case

The committee may certainly make players take a compulsory drop from GUR. This happens frequently for newly seeded or turfed areas.
However, as you say, they cannot impose a penalty for taking that relief.

Topic: Rules of Golf / 2 clublengths

Yes. That is what I was suggesting. In equity the measure for any drop which requires a reference point should be treated the same way.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Casual Water

Trysil
Quite correct.

A French Drain is by definition an Immovable Obstruction. However the R&A has said that they can be declared and marked as GUR by Local Rule if that helps players understand their options when the grass is starting to cover the stones or gravel.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Lost ball penalties

Sometimes this is the best option.
(If you fx replay a stroke for the first stroke from the tee, you’ll be lying 3 with the new ball in play)

Why is that the case? After you hit your ball from where you have dropped its still lying 3? Or do you mean if you are dropping into rough around the water and therefore you are dropping into tough circumstances around the water hazard you may get a better shot returning to your original spot?

You also need to familiarise yourself with the difference between a hazard and a lateral hazard.

Ive read up about them and all I can see is that hazards and pegged as yellow and lateral hazards as red. Any other indicators on that?

1) Ball hit OB = 1
2) Ball dropped at original position = 2
3) Ball played = 3

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the correct terms.
Hazards includes Water Hazards & Bunkers
Water Hazards come in two forms. Water Hazards (yellow stakes/lines) & Lateral Water Hazards (red stakes/lines),
There is no such thing as a Lateral Hazard.

The difference between WHs and LWHs is that there are two additional relief options available for LWHs. As mentioned by Rules Doc above.

WHs generally are aligned accross the direction of play. LWHs are lateral or parallel to the direction of play. Or sometimes LWHs are positioned behind the green where there in no practicable way of playing from the side further from the hole.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Casual Water

No local rule on the drain and it is not defined as a hazard as it only has water in it after rain.

The permanent presence of water is not required for it to be a water hazard. If it is a ‘surface drainage ditch’ it is covered by the definition.

However, could you expand on your description as it may be a french drain, which is a different beast.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Touching in Hazard

If you start your swing and hit something and stop is that also a penalty?

I depends on what you hit and why you stop.
If you hit the ground in front of your ball and a stone in the ground prevents you making contact with the ball. Then you have made a stroke.

If you catch a branch on your backswing and stop the swing because it distracts you, then there is no stroke.

What sort of situation did you have in mind?

Topic: Rules of Golf / 2 clublengths

Dec 24-2b/2 gives a clue.
In both cases the rule does not specify what club must be used for the original measure of 1 or 2 cl from the reference point. Either npr or hazard entry point.
The decision makes it clear that if the drop is made without using a club it is sufficient to be able to demonstrate that the drop would have been correct if a (any) club had been used. The choice of club is upto you. Providing the spot on which it first landed was within 2 putter lengths it can roll 2 putter lengths further. If the spot was ouside 2 putter lengths then a different club can be chosen as your ‘nominated’ club.

Topic: Rules of Golf / 2 clublengths

Maybe it is time the rule was reworded to state that the two club lengths is with the club you intend to use for the next shot!

That would not be acceptable. Until the player knows what sort of lie he finishes with, it would be unfair to tie him into a particular club.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Tempers Rising :-[

I’m sure you did but I can’t remember that long ago :-)

Topic: Rules of Golf / Tempers Rising :-[

If the player does not gain any advantage by dislodging a couple of leaves or a few water droplets , he should not attract a penalty.

That’s what RD has been saying all along.

Topic: Rules of Golf / hazrd pegs

if a removable obstruction hazard peg is in your line of sight what if any are your options

You may remove a movable obstruction whenever you wish or wherever you ball is, providing you don’t cause undue delay.

Topic: Rules of Golf / Tempers Rising :-[

OED accumulate v gather together a number or quantity of.

Topic: Rules of Golf / most misinterpreted rule

And I agree with previous posters on most misunderstood Rules:

Finding the nearest point of relief, and understanding how to take relief from a water hazard.

:-)