Rules of Golf Program is a GHK Community Service

This is Golf Tuft’s 2 Great Principles Play the course as you find it. Put your ball in play at the start of the hole, play only your ball and do not touch it until you lift it from the hole

How to prepare your team for knowing the Rules of Golf

FIND OUT Be A Golf Journalist What form of play? Who was involved? Where did the incident occur? What were the players intentions? What happened when? Identify form of play Who is involved When did it happen Where did it happen Why did it happen

Tour of the booklet Section I Etiquette Section II Definitions Section III Rules of Play Appendices Index

Understanding the Wording MAY = optional SHOULD = strong recommendation MUST = instruction - penalty if not done A BALL = any ball THE BALL = the specific ball in play DEEMED = judged to be (treated as) Examples: May -- Rule 21 (Cleaning Ball) -- A ball on the putting green MAY be cleaned when lifted under Rule 16-1b. . . . Should -- Rule 6-5 (The Player; Ball) -- . . . The player SHOULD put an identification mark on his ball. Shall/Must -- Rule 15-5 (Wrong Ball; Substituted Ball) -- . . . The player MUST hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground . . . A Ball -- Rule 28a, b, & c (Ball Unplayable) Play -- A ball. . . ; Drop A ball . . .; Drop A ball . . . Rule 26--Water Hazards; Rule 27--Ball Lost or Out of Bounds. The Ball -- Rule 24-2b (Immovable Obstruction; Relief) -- . . . The player shall lift THE BALL and drop it . . . Deemed -- Rule 16-2 (Ball Overhanging Hole) -- . . . If by then the ball has not fallen into the hole, it is DEEMED to be at rest.

Parts of the Course 1. Teeing Ground The "teeing ground" is the starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground. 5 6 2. Through the Green "Through the green" is the whole area of the course except: a. The teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played; and b. All hazards on the course. 4 3 4 2 3. Out of Bounds "Out of bounds" is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee. 4. Water Hazard A "water hazard" is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature on the course . All ground and water within the margin of a water hazard are part of the water hazard. 2 2 5. Bunker A "bunker" is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like. 1 6. Putting Green The "putting green" is all ground of the hole being played that is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee. A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the putting green.

Loose Impediments Loose impediments are natural objects (such as stones and leaves) that are - not fixed or growing, - not solidly embedded, and - not adhering to the ball.

Fable Of The Oak Leaf I Teeing Ground Prior to the first stroke, the player’s ball is accidentally knocked off the tee in the process of removing a leaf. No penalty, ball is not yet in play Rule 11-3 (Ball Falling off Tee)

Fable Of The Oak Leaf II The player moves the leaf within one club- Through The Green The player moves the leaf within one club- length of her/his ball and the ball moves. 1 stroke penalty, replace Rule 18-2c Emphasize -- Similar incident - Different Place - Different Outcome

Fable Of the Oak Leaf III Bunker The player’s ball is in a bunker, she/he removes the leaf that is in the same bunker. 2 stroke penalty Rule 13-4c, 23-1 Same Incident - Different Place Different Outcome

Fable Of The Oak Leaf IV The player, in the process of removing the Putting Green The player, in the process of removing the leaf on a putting green, accidentally moves the ball. No penalty, replace Rule 18-2a Similar incident -- Different place Different outcome

PRACTICE PROBLEM Table of Contents A player plays a stroke from the fairway and immediately realizes it was a fellow-competitor’s golf ball. Which Rule will tell the player how to proceed? Page 51 Rule 15-3b 2 Strokes Rule 15 - Wrong Ball; Substituted Ball Identify "Playing the Ball" section in Contents Identify Rules Descriptor (Wrong Ball). Point out Definition of “Wrong Ball” that precedes the Rule. Point out the blue print penalty statement under Rule 15-1.

Rules of Golf Program is a GHK Community Service

Nearest Point of Relief The “nearest point of relief” is where the ball would lie and interference ceases to exist, it is no nearer the hole and not in a hazard (club is grounded in this simulated address position). In this example, the player’s “point on the course nearest” is on the left side of the cart path (Tom Watson). It is the spot where the club is grounded in a simulated address position.

Water Hazard 3 options 1. Play the ball as it lies -- no penalty. OR, Under penalty of one stroke: 2. Play a ball at the spot from which the original was last played. 3. Drop behind the hazard keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 1 Water hazard, marked with yellow lines and/or stakes. The point of reference for the third option (Rule 26-1b) is where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. 3 2

Lateral Water Hazard 5 options - Same 3 plus 2 1. Play the ball as it lies--no penalty. OR, Under penalty of one stroke: 2. Play a ball under the stroke and distance procedure. 3. Drop behind the hazard keeping the point between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 4. Drop 2 club-lengths from the point of entry into the hazard. 5. Drop 2 club-lengths from point on the opposite margin, equidistant from the hole. 1 5 4 3 What makes a lateral water hazard? --Nearly impossible to keep the point where the ball last crossed the margin between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 2

When is a Ball Out of Bounds IN In bounds Wow your lucky OUT Sorry you’re Out of Bounds

When is the ball is lost? The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place. Ball in Play Stop Don’t Hit Ok Hit again

Ball Unplayable Stroke and Distance Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer to hole. Drop a ball, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 2 3 Tee 1