Rules revision
Why a quick rules refresh could be the best thing you do this year
Every golf club has a rules anorak, and you can guarantee they’ll be the first in queue whenever there’s a debate. But what you might not realise is that they are actually a walking stroke saver. They know when they can use the rules to their advantage and when to accept that a penalty is the best and only option. Sadly, few can recite the R&A manual, so we enrolled on an England Golf/r&a Level 1 Introductory Rules School to nail the basics. Here’s what we learned…
Before your round starts, you should…
✔ Read the Local Rules relating to preferred lies and plugged balls.
✔ Put clear identification marks on your ball.
✔ Count your clubs. Carrying more than 14 incurs a two-shot penalty per hole (max four strokes).
During your round, you must not...
✔ Use artificial devices and equipment such as Tour sticks or grip gadgets. First breach: Two-shot penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. Second breach: DQ.
✔ Play practice shots during play of a hole (Stroke play: Two-shot penalty. Match play: Loss of hole).
At the end of the round, you must…
✔ Clarify any issues with the Committee.
✔ Ensure the scorecard is correct, signed and returned as soon as possible.
✔ Post the match result in match play.
A one-stroke penalty is incurred for carelessness or errors of play. This includes... ✔ Unintentionally moving your ball during a practice swing or search.
✔ Failing to mark your ball before lifting, cleaning and replacing.
✔ Taking an unplayable lie.
✔ Hitting out of bounds.
✔ Hitting your ball against your equipment, caddie or partner. A two-shot penalty in stroke play/loss of hole in match play is imposed when there is potential to gain a significant advantage. This includes...
✔ Moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (except in fairly taking your stance).
✔ Playing the wrong ball.
✔ Creating or eliminating irregularities of surface.
Disqualification is the prescribed penalty for a serious rules breach, such as… ✔ Playing with a non-conforming club.
✔ Failing to sign the scorecard.
✔ Returning a lower score than actually taken. A ball can be re-dropped if it rolls…
✔ Closer to the hole than the original position or the nearest point of relief.
✔ More than two club lengths from where the ball first struck the ground.
✔ To a positon where interference still exists.
Loose impediments are defined as… Natural objects such as worm casts, branches, stones, insects, banana skins, pine corns, leaves and a dead rat. They may be removed without penalty, except in hazards.
An abnormal ground condition is defined as… Any casual water, ground under repair or a hale, cast or runway (not a rabbit scrae) made by a burrowing animal, bird or reptile. Free relief may be taken if the condition impedes your stance, intended swing or line of putt; or if the ball lies in or on the condition.
A moveable obstruction is defined as… An artificial and easily moveable object, such as a rake, food packet or drink bottle. When interference occurs through the green or in a hazard, the ball may be dropped without penalty under the place where it lay in or on the obstruction. On the putting green, the ball is placed without penalty.