1. Official MSHSL Athletic Bylaws for Boys and Girls Golf
Conduct Policies
No caddies
No Jewelry
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
1st Offense: Two-stroke penalty
2nd Offense: Disqualification
Supported by Rules of Golf per 2004 revision
Everything your about to go through the coaches can find on the MSHSL web site, but your will highlight some of the more important
Caddies: No change from past years
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: What’s new is that the Rules of Golf now support such a policy through changes to Etiquette section

2. Official MSHSL Athletic Bylaws for Boys and Girls Golf
Advice (Decision 6-4/5.3 – Parent carrying umbrella, rain suit, etc.)
MSHSL “One-Ball” Rule
Motorized carts and pull carts prohibited unless covered by ADA
Apply for permit from MSHSL
Must have written response from E.D. each time exception is to be exercised
Advice: You should remind coaches to make sure they tell their players to limit any and all contact with anyone. Most frequently it happens when in adverse weather when Mom and/or Dad start carrying umbrellas, rain suits, sweatshirts, etc. A few interactions for the purpose of passing this equipment is acceptable but should be kept to a minimum. Excessive contact might give the “appearance of evil” and result in the player incurring a penalty. New Decision permits a person to carry “stuff” for player; person is ruled “outside agency.”
This is a good place to suggest coaches conduct early season meetings with the parents to lay out the ground rules for their individual programs but also to mention this rule. Ideally, parents should be “seen and not heard.”
MSHSL “One-Ball” Rule: Players cannot carry another ball in pocket while playing. I suggest players avoid the appearance of evil by announcing to fellow-competitors that they have found a ball if they cannot put it in their bag within a short period of time.

3. Play the ball as it lies (Rule 13-1).
Don’t touch the ball unless a Rule permits.

4. Don’t press anything down
(Rule 13-2).

5. Rule 13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing or Line of Play
A player must not improve:
the position or lie of his ball
the area of his intended stance or swing
his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole, or
the area in which he is to drop a ball,
by any of the following actions:
pressing a club on the ground
moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
removing dew, frost or water.

6. Rule 23 - Loose Impediments
Loose impediments are natural objects (such as stones and leaves) not fixed or growing, not solidly embedded and not adhering to the ball (Rule 23).

7. Rule 23 - Loose Impediments
You may move them unless the loose impediment and your ball lie in or touch the same hazard (Rule 23-1).

8. Rule 24 - Obstructions
Objects defining out of bounds such as fence posts or stakes and immovable artificial objects out of bounds are not obstructions (Rule 24).
Therefore: No Relief!!!!
Beck video

9. Rule 25 - Abnormal Ground Conditions, Embedded Ball and Wrong Putting Green
If you have interference with casual water, ground under repair or, a hole, cast or runway made by a burrowing animal, you may drop without penalty within one club-length of the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole.
No Relief if your ball lies in a water hazard!
Picture is of ball in burrowing animal hole
Interference same as obstructions – stance, lie of ball, area of intended swing

10. (Direct) Water Hazard (3 options)
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 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
I.D. what makes a yellow water hazard
Point last crossed practicable
2 Ernie Els videos on two mouse clicks
talk about Ernies options after 1st video clip 3 2

11. Lateral Water Hazard 5 options - Same 3 plus 2
1. Play the ball as it lies.
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. 5 1 4 3
What makes a lateral water hazard
Point last crossed margin not practicable
John Huston putting into Lateral video 2

12. Lost or Out of Bounds (Rule 27) What determines if a ball is lost?
1 – Can’t find or I.D. the ball within five minutes after beginning a search for it.
2 – Played a provisional ball from where the original is likely to be or from a position nearer the hole.
3 – Put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance.
*4 – Put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency, is in an obstruction, is in an abnormal ground condition or is in a water hazard; or
*5 – The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball.
* - New for 2008
Tell them to note what is missing: A player cannot declare his ball lost.

13. Rule 27 – Ball Lost or Out of Bounds
If your ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, add one penalty stroke and play another ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (Rule 27-1).

14. Rule 27–2: Provisional Ball
“That one might
be out, I’d better
hit a provisional ball”
If your ball may be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds, you should play a provisional ball before you go forward to look for the original, provided you announce your intention to do so.
NOTE: Be sure to use the “magic P word” – Provisional.

15. Rule 28 - Ball Unplayable
The player may declare his ball unplayable at any place on the course except when the ball is in a water hazard.
The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he has three options:
Each includes a one stroke penalty

16. Rule 28 - Ball Unplayable Relief Options
(all include one-stroke penalty)
1. Stroke and Distance
2. Drop a ball, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 3
3. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer to hole. 2 1
Tee

17. 24-2. Immovable Obstructions3 1
Shows “nearest point of relief”
Shows relief may be different for a right-handed player vs. left-handed player
Shows the one club-length from the “nearest point of relief”
Picture 1 (top left) shows that “nearest point of relief” would be on left side of path. This is a good place to stress that the “nearest” does not necessarily mean the “nicest” point of relief. If that was a big bush, the left side remains the “nearest.” Also, this is a good time to remind players and coaches not to touch the ball until the player knows exactly what he/she will do with it.
Picture 2 (bottom left) shows the point that the “nearest point of relief” for a left-handed player will differ from that for a right-handed player.
Picture 3 (top right) shows the one club-length drop area for taking relief from the sprinkler head 2

18. Maximum is 14 Clubs (Rule 4-4)
The player must not start a stipulated round with more than fourteen (14) clubs.

19. Rule 13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions
Before making a stroke at a ball which is in a hazard (bunker or water hazard) the player must not:
a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard,
b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with hand or a club, or
c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.

20. Rule 16 - Putting Green
You may lift, and if desired, clean your ball on the putting green. Always replace the ball on the exact spot (Rule 16-1b).
You may repair ball marks and old hole plugs on the line but not spike marks (Rule 16-1c).

21. Rule 16 - Putting Green
Don’t touch the line of your putt unless a Rule permits (7 times; Rule 16-1a).
The player may remove loose impediments on the putting green by any means, provided the player does not press anything down.

22. Rule 16 – Putting Green Rule 16-1e
The player must not make a stroke on the putting green from a stance astride, or with either foot touching, the line of putt or an extension of that line behind the ball.
Exception: There is no penalty if the stance is inadvertently taken on or astride the line of putt (or an extension of that line behind the ball) or is taken to avoid standing on another player’s line of putt or prospective line of putt.

23. Rule 16-2. Ball Overhanging Hole
..the player is allowed enough time to reach the hole without unreasonable delay and an additional ten seconds to determine whether the ball is at rest. If by then the ball has not fallen into the hole, it is deemed to be at rest.