Crondon Park GC Golf Rules Evening 14 th January 2015

Rules Evening Agenda Common Issues around Crondon Park Questions Health Warning: Presenter not infallible, only 85% correct in exam

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon 1.Lost or Unplayable Ball 2.Taking a Provisional 3.Measuring for Relief 4.Ball in Water Hazard 5.Abnormal Ground Conditions 6.Embedded Ball 7.GUR 8.Relief from Paths 9.Movable/Immovable Object 10.Lifting your Ball

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Your ball is lost or unplayable because: Hole 1 - ball from tee goes into hedge on right before ditch Hole 2/5 - ball goes into hedge at the back of the green Hole 11 - ball goes into trees left or right or over the back of the green

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Ball lost or unplayable. Applicable Rules – Lost Ball (Rule 27), Penalty one stroke Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. – Unplayable Ball (Rule 28), Penalty one stroke 3 options

Ball Unplayable Options Ball hit from point A to point B and declared unplayable 3 Options 1.play another ball from Point A, 2.Drop a ball anywhere along line B to C or 3.Drop a ball within two club lengths of B, not nearer the hole

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon If you think your ball may be lost, play a provisional ball before leaving the tee/fairway Note: If your original ball is found within 5 minutes and/or before you take your next shot, you must proceed with the original ball. You cannot continue play with the provisional. Can you declare a ball Lost? No!! Decision 27/16. – Playing another ball, not a provisional, makes the second ball the ball in play.

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Can you use any club to measure two club lengths, e.g. unplayable or lateral hazard ? Yes. Remember to mark position of the ball so you have a reference point from which to measure. When determining the nearest point of relief (NPR) for a free drop, you should establish the ball position using the club you would have used if you did not have to take relief. See definition of NPR Having taken relief you can then use any club to play your shot

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Playing a Provisional Ball if original ball may be lost outside a water hazard. Rule 27-2 Advise fellow competitors and state intention to play a provisional ball Examples of statements that do not satisfy the requirement of announcing a provisional ball: That might be lost; I’d better hit another one; I’ll never find that. I’ll play another. (Decision27-2a/1) Play provisional before you go forward to search for the original ball

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Ball in water Hole 4,5,6,7,13,14, Ball known or virtually certain to have been hit into water (yellow stakes) and is unplayable Applicable Rule 26, Water Hazards, Penalty one stroke – 2 Options

Ball in a Water Hazard at B. Options 1.Play another ball from Point A, 2.Drop a ball behind the hazard anywhere along line C to D

Ball in a Water Hazard at B. Options 1. Play another ball from Point A, 2. Drop a ball behind the hazard anywhere along line D to D

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Note: If ball is in hazard and playable, Rule 13-4 The player must not test condition of the hazard, touch the ground with hand or club or touch or move any loose impediment Exceptions re. Safety and Care for the course

Rules Evening Common Issues Holes 3 and 18 - Ball hit into water on left of green (lateral water hazards – Red stakes) and is unplayable Applicable Rule 26, Water Hazards – Use ‘honest judgement’ to determine where ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. Decision 26- 1/17 – 3 Options under penalty of one stroke

Ball in Lateral Water Hazard. Options 1.play another ball from Point A, 2.Drop a ball anywhere along line D to D 3.Drop a ball within two club lengths of C or E, not nearer the hole

Rules Evening Common Issues Holes 4,7,14,18. Ball in water hazard from tee but may be playable, can I play a ‘provisional’? NO. If ‘known or virtually certain’ that ball is in a water hazard, player cannot play a provisional ball as it would become the ball in play. Rule The player must go forward and check whether the ball is playable. If not, must proceed as per ball lost in Water Hazard. Rule 26 Note: If it is not known or virtually certain that ball is in hazard, player can play a provisional ball and if original ball is ‘lost’ must continue with provisional ball.

Rules Evening Common Issues Holes with fir trees. 8,13,15,16 etc. Ball lies under tree in rabbit scraping, what is the ruling? – Abnormal Ground Conditions Rule 25. In normal circumstances, the ball could be lifted and dropped, without penalty within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief from the scraping. – However, there is an Exception: – A player may not take relief if interference by anything other than an abnormal ground condition makes the stroke clearly impracticable. Decision 25-1b/20

Rules Evening Common Issues at Crondon Ball, not in a hazard, lands on large loose impediments, twigs, branches, leaves etc. Hole 14. Options? Loose impediments can be removed without penalty, however, If a ball is off the green and is moved while loose impediments are removed, the player incurs a one shot penalty and the ball must be replaced, Rule 18- 2A, Ball at Rest Moved

Rules Evening Common Issues Ball embedded in the fairway (closely mown area through the green) may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, not nearer the hole. Rule 25-2 Ball embedded in the rough must be played as it lies or declared unplayable, Rule 28 applies Note: In the rules of golf I cannot find a mention of ‘finger- rolling the ball out of its pitch mark. This is used sometimes as a local rule to protect the course during winter when there are no ‘Qualifiers’. It does not apply in a normal round of golf.

Rules Evening Common Issues Ball lies near GUR bunker such that the player is standing in the bunker to play the shot. Can the player take relief even though the ball is not in the bunker? Yes, Rule 25-1 Abnormal Ground Conditions, which includes GUR states: Interference occurs when the GUR interferes with the player’s stance. Relief is a free drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole.

Rules Evening Common Issues Taking free relief, e.g. From a path Player must take full relief. Rule 20-2c Determine the nearest point of relief Mark where the ball would be and drop a ball, from shoulder height and at arm’s length, within one club length of that marker, no nearer the hole. Rule 20-2 The ball can roll up to two club lengths from where it first struck a part of the course, no nearer the hole Rule 20-2c – Note exceptions for hazards and out of bounds If necessary, re-drop then place where ball first struck the course

Relief from Paths Determining Nearest Point of Relief A B B = Position of ball on path S1 = Notional stance to determine NPR P1 = Nearest Point of Relief P = Nearest Point of Relief P1-A-A = Dropping area P-A-A = One club length dropping area P1 Is nearer the ball than P2

Rules Evening Common Issues Hole 14, ball is to left of green behind moveable fence/gate which is in closed position. Can gate be opened to facilitate shot? Yes, gate is a moveable obstruction which can be moved at any time, Rule 24-1 Note relief from Immovable Obstructions, Rule 24-2, is only available when a ball lies in or on the obstruction or when the obstruction interferes with swing or stance. Except on the green, intervention on the line of play by an immovable obstruction is not, of itself, interference under this Rule.

Immovable Obstruction Dropping Area B =Position of Ball in/on shelter P = Nearest point of relief S = Notional stance to play ball at P X = Dropping area

Rules Evening Common Issues Before Lifting Ball for Identification Rule 12-2: Announce intention to lift to fellow competitors Mark position of the ball Penalty one stroke for not following procedure Penalty for replacing in wrong place two strokes (Disqualification for serious breach)

Rules Evening Common Issues Thoughts to leave with you Always read the local rules Carry a copy of the Rules Book with you If you are not sure that you will find your ball and you are certain it is not in a hazard, take a provisional ball to keep play moving Presented by David Laybourn