GOLF RULES, ETIQUETTE, & EQUIPMENT

USGA GOLF RULES n MATCH PLAY WIN OR LOSE THE HOLEWIN OR LOSE THE HOLE n MEDAL PLAY TOTAL STROKESTOTAL STROKES

STROKE PLAY n ON THE TEE MUST TEE BETWEEN OR BEHIND TEE MARKERSMUST TEE BETWEEN OR BEHIND TEE MARKERS IF THE BALL FALLS OFF THE TEE, WHEN NOT IN PLAY, IT IS NOT A STROKEIF THE BALL FALLS OFF THE TEE, WHEN NOT IN PLAY, IT IS NOT A STROKE –WHEN DOES IT COST A STROKE? A “WIFF” IS A STROKEA “WIFF” IS A STROKE

ON THE FAIRWAY OR IN THE ROUGH n YOU MUST PLAY THE BALL WHERE IT LIES YOU CANNOT IMPROVE YOUR LIE BY MOVING, BREAKING, OR BENDING GROWING VEGETATION (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE)YOU CANNOT IMPROVE YOUR LIE BY MOVING, BREAKING, OR BENDING GROWING VEGETATION (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE) YOU CAN MOVE LOOSE NATURAL OBJECTS WITHOUT PENALTY; BUT IF YOU MOVE THE BALL (1 STROKE)YOU CAN MOVE LOOSE NATURAL OBJECTS WITHOUT PENALTY; BUT IF YOU MOVE THE BALL (1 STROKE)

FAIRWAY/ROUGH (CONTINUED) n IF YOU PLAY THE WRONG BALL (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE) PLAY OUT HOLE WITH CORRECT BALLPLAY OUT HOLE WITH CORRECT BALL n LOST BALL 5 MINUTES AND/OR PLAY THRU5 MINUTES AND/OR PLAY THRU DROP (PROVISIONAL BALL)FROM SPOT LAST PLAYED (1 STROKE)DROP (PROVISIONAL BALL)FROM SPOT LAST PLAYED (1 STROKE) MAY BE RETEED IF LOST FROM THE TEE SHOT (HITTING 3)MAY BE RETEED IF LOST FROM THE TEE SHOT (HITTING 3)

RULES FOR HAZARDS

WATER HAZARDS n IF YOUR BALL LANDS IN WATER: IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A SHOT GO FOR IT “LUCKY” (CAN’T GROUND CLUB)IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A SHOT GO FOR IT “LUCKY” (CAN’T GROUND CLUB) PLAY A PROVISIONAL BALL FROM THE SPOT LAST PLAYED (1 STROKE)PLAY A PROVISIONAL BALL FROM THE SPOT LAST PLAYED (1 STROKE) DROP BEHIND THE HAZARD (1 STROKE)DROP BEHIND THE HAZARD (1 STROKE) LATERAL WATER HAZARDLATERAL WATER HAZARD –PLAY FROM LAST SPOT OR; –DROP WITHIN 2 CLUB LENGTHS OF HAZARD MARGIN

SAND BUNKERS n CANNOT GROUND CLUB (2 STROKES) n IF BALL IS COMPLETELY BURIED OR COVERED YOU CAN REMOVE ENOUGH OF THE IMPEDIMENT TO SEE THE BALLYOU CAN REMOVE ENOUGH OF THE IMPEDIMENT TO SEE THE BALL

CASUAL WATER, GROUND UNDER REPAIR, OR.... n OTHER THAN A HAZARD OR THE GREEN ONE CLUB LENGTH RELIEFONE CLUB LENGTH RELIEF NO CLOSER TO THE HOLENO CLOSER TO THE HOLE NO PENALTYNO PENALTY n IN A HAZARD PLAY IT AS IT LIES;PLAY IT AS IT LIES; LIFT WITHOUT PENALTY AND DROP IN THE HAZARD NO CLOSER TO THE HOLELIFT WITHOUT PENALTY AND DROP IN THE HAZARD NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE LIFT AND DROP OUTSIDE THE HAZARD; PENALTY 1 STROKELIFT AND DROP OUTSIDE THE HAZARD; PENALTY 1 STROKE

CASUAL WATER, GROUND UNDER REPAIR, OR.... n ON THE GREEN LIFT WITHOUT PENALTY AND PLACE TO GET MOST RELIEF POSSIBLE; NO CLOSER TO THE HOLELIFT WITHOUT PENALTY AND PLACE TO GET MOST RELIEF POSSIBLE; NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE n LOST BALL NO PENALTY FOR LOST BALL IN THIS SITUATIONNO PENALTY FOR LOST BALL IN THIS SITUATION

RELIEF FROM OBSTRUCTION n MOVABLE OBSTRUCTION IF THE BALL DOES NOT LIE IN OR ON THE OBSTRUCTION MOVE THE OBSTRUCTIONIF THE BALL DOES NOT LIE IN OR ON THE OBSTRUCTION MOVE THE OBSTRUCTION BALL LIES IN OR ON OBSTRUCTION, LIFT AND PLACEBALL LIES IN OR ON OBSTRUCTION, LIFT AND PLACE n IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTION ONE CLUB LENGTH RELIEFONE CLUB LENGTH RELIEF

RULES ON THE GREEN

ON THE GREEN n IF YOU HIT THE FLAGSTICK WHILE PUTTING (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE) n HITTING THE FLAGSTICK WHEN IT LIES ON THE GREEN (2 STROKES, PLAY IT WHERE IT LIES; LOSS OF HOLE) n HITTING AN ATTENDED STICK OR THE ATTENDEE (SAME AS PREVIOUS )

ON THE GREEN (CONT.) n TOUCHING THE GROUND ON YOUR LINE OF PUTT (2 STROKES OR HOLE) EXCEPT: TO REPAIR BALL MARKTO REPAIR BALL MARK CLEAN BALLCLEAN BALL REMOVE LOOSE IMPEDIMENT, ETC....REMOVE LOOSE IMPEDIMENT, ETC.... n IF YOUR BALL LANDS ON THE WRONG GREEN (1 CLUB LENGTH RELIEF, NO PENALTY)

ON THE GREEN (CONT.) n OPPONENTS BALL IN THE LINE OF YOUR PUTT ASK THAT IT BE MARKED & LIFTEDASK THAT IT BE MARKED & LIFTED MARKER MAY BE PLACED 1 OR MORE PUTTERHEAD-LENGTHS TO THE SIDEMARKER MAY BE PLACED 1 OR MORE PUTTERHEAD-LENGTHS TO THE SIDE STROKE PLAY THE PLAYER IN THE LINE CAN PUT FIRSTSTROKE PLAY THE PLAYER IN THE LINE CAN PUT FIRST

ON THE GREEN (CONT.) n HITTING ANOTHER PLAYERS BALL REPLACE ITREPLACE IT STROKE PLAY 2 STROKE PENALTYSTROKE PLAY 2 STROKE PENALTY MATCH PLAY NO PENALTYMATCH PLAY NO PENALTY n IN MATCH PLAY YOU CAN CONCEDE THE HOLE/MATCH BEFORE ITS CONCLUSION n IN STROKE PLAY EVERY PLAYER MUST HOLE OUT ON EVERY HOLE

HANDICAPS

THE HANDICAP SYSTEM n PAR FOR THE COURSE THE TOTAL OF THE PAR VALUES FOR ALL HOLESTHE TOTAL OF THE PAR VALUES FOR ALL HOLES n THE COURSE RATING A MEASURE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THE COURSEA MEASURE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THE COURSE n JUST BECAUSE A HOLE IS A PAR 5 DOESN’T MEAN IT PLAYS TO THAT SCORE

HANDICAPPING CONT. n THE AVERAGE SCORE ON A PAR 5 MAY ACTUALLY BE A AND ON SOME PAR 3 THE HOLE MAY PLAY LIKE A 3.4 n THE COURSE RATING IS: THE TOTAL OF THE AVERAGE SCORES FOR ALL THE HOLESTHE TOTAL OF THE AVERAGE SCORES FOR ALL THE HOLES n SLOPE RATING BETWEEN 100 AND 140; HIGHER IS MORE DIFFICULTBETWEEN 100 AND 140; HIGHER IS MORE DIFFICULT

HOW TO ESTABLISH A HANDICAP n EVERY TIME AN 18-HOLE ROUND IS COMPLETED (OR COMBINING 9’S) IT IS ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER n WHEN 20 SCORES ARE ENTERED, THE COMPUTER CALCULATES n BEST 10 OF 20 SCORES ARE AVERAGED; THE HANDICAP IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVG. AND THE COURSE RATING: = 15

SOLVE THE PROBLEM? n HOW MANY STROKES DOES A 10 HANDICAPPER GIVE TO A 16 HANDICAPPER TO CREATE A FAIR GAME? n 6 STROKES ALL

HANDICAP SCORING n SCRATCH GOLFERS HAVE NO HANDICAP n A 2-HANDICAP GOLFER SHOULD AVERAGE 2 SHOTS MORE PER ROUND THAN A SCRATCH GOLFER n A 18-HANDICAPPER WOULD AVERAGE 18 MORE SHOTS THAN A SCRATCH GOLFER

HOW THE HANDICAP WORKS n IN STROKE PLAY, PLAYERS HANDICAPS ARE SUBSTRACTED FROM THEIR GROSS SCORES: SCRATCH PLAYER SHOOTS A 78SCRATCH PLAYER SHOOTS A 78 – = 78 2-HANDICAPPER SHOOTS A 792-HANDICAPPER SHOOTS A 79 – = HANDICAPPER SHOOTS A 9018-HANDICAPPER SHOOTS A = = 72 WHO WINS?WHO WINS?

ENJOY THE GAME! n BE PATIENT n PRACTICE OFTEN n READ AND LEARN n KEEP THE GAME IN PERSPECTIVE n HAVE FUN