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HHLGL Rules Discussion

April 18, 2024

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Introduction

Intended to be both a learning opportunity as well as a discussion
I am NOT a certified Rules person

I won’t know all the answers off the top of my head
I commit to getting those answers after the session and will email you the correct answers

Let’s have fun!

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Why Does Knowing the Rules Matter?

It’s the only way you receive an accurate picture of your skills and abilities
It connects players across the world.
It gives you confidence in knowing your rights and options on the course.
It ensures fair competition.

You do not have to be around it long to realize golf is a unique game. It is played by people of all ages and backgrounds in a variety of settings. The Rules of Golf are also unique. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Rules is that they are written assuming all players are honest and will play by the Rules. While it can be tempting to overlook the Rules due to their complex nature, all golfers stand to benefit by familiarizing themselves with the Rules.

By knowing and adhering to the Rules, you receive an accurate picture of your skills and abilities. You can compare your personal best against friends and family or even see how you stack up against the top professionals in the world. However, in order to accurately compare your ability to others, you need to become acquainted with the Rules.

When you finally break through your scoring barrier (e.g., breaking 100, 90 or 80 for the first time), you can take pride in knowing you did so in the same way as those with whom you are comparing your results. The accomplishment can begin to lose its luster when the number of unaccounted-for Rules infractions rises.

The Rules also connect players across the world. Together, the USGA and The R&A write and administer a single set of Rules to apply worldwide to all golfers. When you have to proceed under penalty of stroke and distance when your ball is not found within three minutes of searching for it, you can take solace in knowing a player in China faced with the same situation will proceed in an identical manner.

Another benefit to knowing the Rules is the added comfort you have in knowing your rights or options on the course. A lot of us have probably found ourselves asking: Is it one club length or two club lengths? Is it a one-stroke or two-stroke penalty? What options are there for a red penalty area? The better you understand the Rules, the more of these questions you will be able to answer When you know all of your options, you will be better equipped to select the specific option that will be the most beneficial in an each situation.

There are not many games that depend upon the honesty and integrity of the player. In golf, it is normal for a player in breach of a Rule to notify his opponent or fellow competitor of the penalty. This type of behavior is expected on the course, whereas it may be the exception in other sports. Players who know the Rules want to play by them and enforce them, even when it means they have to add a penalty stroke to their score.

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Facts of the Case

You should identify:

The form of play (is it match play or stroke play, single, foursome, four-ball, etc.).
Who is involved (is it the player, partner or caddie, the opponent or their caddie, or an outside influence).
What area of the course did the incident occur (was it on the teeing area, in a bunker, in a penalty area, on the putting green, etc.).
What actually happened.
What were the player’s intentions (what was the player doing and what did they want to do).
The timing of the incident (is the player still on the course, has the player now returned their scorecard, has the competition closed, etc.).

�

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“Play the Ball as it lies,�play the course as you find it,�and if you cannot do either, �do what is fair.”

But to do what is fair...�you need to know the Rules of Golf.

There are three important principles to remember when playing golf:

There are 3 important Principles to remember when playing golf:

“Play the Ball as it lies,�play the course as you find it,�and if you cannot do either, �do what is fair.”

But to do what is fair...�you need to know the Rules of Golf.

At least, if you think that means you always get a break. “Free Relief” does NOT always make it better.

“Fair” really means that all golfers are treated alike in like circumstances, according to the Rules.

You get the same ruling as Tiger.

Every player is responsible to all other players in the field, and to the Game of Golf.

Ask any high caliber golfer,“On whom have you called the most penalties?”Answer is always: “ME”

Do the right thing. And don’t expect to be congratulated. It’s the MINIMUM expected.

Bobby Jones:“You might as well compliment a person for NOT robbing a bank.”

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Getting Started

Get a copy of the Rules of Golf
Acquaint yourself with the Definitions (in a section in the back)
Try to look up a question you may have (HINT: use the Table of Contents and/or the Index); use the search function on the app

Here are some things that I would encourage each of you to do if you haven’t already.

First, get a copy of the rules of golf. You can either have it as a free app on your phone OR you can order a paper copy from USGA ($10) OR, if you’re a nut like me, you can have both.

Secondly, know the definitions. There are over 70 defined terms (for example, abnormal course condition, general area, etc.) and these form the foundation around which the Rules are written. A good knowledge of the defined terms (which are italicized throughout the book and contained in one section near the back of the book) is very important to the correct application of the Rules.

Then, just familiarize yourself with the rules. Try to look up a question you may have (in the paper version, you would most likely go to either the Table of Contents or the Index to help find the right section but on the app you can do a simple search.

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Types of Penalties

One-Stroke Penalty

Minor Infractions where potential advantage is minimal

General Penalty

Potential for player to gain significant advance, but not enough to nullify a player’s score

Disqualification

Breaches significant that the player’s score should not be allowed to count

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Match Play vs Stroke Play

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Five Areas of the Course

The course is divided into five defined areas. Each area of the course has its own unique privileges and restrictions.

The teeing area�
Bunkers�
Penalty areas�
The putting green�
The general area

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Definition of a Stroke

�

The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.

But a stroke has not been made if the player:�

Decides during the downswing not to strike the ball and avoids doing so by deliberately stopping the clubhead before it reaches the ball.�
Accidentally strikes the ball when making a practice swing or while preparing to make a stroke.

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Conditions Affecting the Stroke

The lie of the player’s ball at rest,
The area of intended stance,
The area of intended swing,
The line of play, and
The relief area where the player will

drop or place a ball

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Key Rules for taking a Stroke

Rule 10.1

You must NOT push, scrape or scoop the ball.
You may NOT anchor the club.
If you ACCIDENTALLY hit the ball more than once, there has been only one stroke and there is no penalty
You may NOT make a stroke from a stance with a foot deliberately placed on each side of, or with either foot deliberately touching, the line of play.
You must not make a stroke at a moving ball, EXCEPT:

The ball moves after you begin your backswing
The ball is falling off the tee
The ball is moving in water

Penalty for Breach: General Penalty

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Questions??

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Ball Handling (Rule 14)

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Cleaning the Golf Ball

A ball lifted from the putting green may always be cleaned

A ball lifted from anywhere else may always be cleaned except when it is lifted:

To see if it is cut or cracked (Rule 4.2c(1))
To identify it (see Rule 7.3)
Because it interferes with play (Rule 15.3b(2))
To see if it lies in a condition where relief is allowed (see Rule 16.4)
One Penalty stroke if cleaned when not allowed

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Dropping Ball Procedure

“Knee height” means:

- the height of the player’s knee

when in standing position

The player may be inside or outside the relief area when dropping the ball.

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Dropped Ball Comes in Rest

Outside the Relief Area

The player must make a second drop in the right way.

If that ball also comes to rest outside the relief area, the player must PLACE a ball on the spot where the ball dropped the second time first touched the ground.

If the placed ball does not stay at rest on the spot, the player must place a ball on that spot a second time.

If the ball placed a second time does not stay, the player must place the ball on the nearest spot where the ball will stay at rest (could be outside the relief area)

General Penalty for Playing a Ball from a Wrong Place

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Dropping Ball

Procedure

Original Ball OR Another Ball May Be Used

The player may use any ball each time they drop or place a ball under a Rule.

This is true for both free relief rules and penalty relief rules.

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Questions??

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Play the Ball As It Lies

Rule 9

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Definition of Moved

When a ball at rest

Has left its original spot and
Come to rest in another spot,
And this can be seen by the naked eye

(whether or not anyone actually see it do so)

This applies whether the ball has gone

Up,
Down, or
Horizontally

In any direction from its original spot

If the ball at rest only wobbles

(sometimes referred to as oscillating)

And stays on or
Returns to its original spot,

The ball has NOT moved.

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Deciding Whether

Ball Moved

A Player’s ball at rest is treated as having moved If it is KNOWN or VIRTUALLY CERTAIN that it did.

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What to Do &

Possible Penalties

Natural Forces

No penalty, play the ball from its new spot
Two Exceptions:

Ball on Putting Green Must be replaced if it moves after having already lifted and replaced.
Ball at Rest Must be replaced if it moves to another area of the course or Out of Bounds after being dropped, placed or replaced.

General Penalty for Playing from Wrong Place

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What to Do &

Possible Penalties

2. The Player

One penalty stroke, must replace the ball on its original spot
Five Exceptions:

Player lifts the ball under a Rule to take relief or to replace the ball on a different spot
Accidental movement in Trying to Find or Identify Ball
Accidental movement on the Putting Green
Accidental Movement Anywhere Except on Putting Green while applying Rule
Ball Moves after Coming to Rest Against Player or Equipment

General Penalty for Playing from Wrong Place

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What to Do &

Possible Penalties

3. The Opponent

One penalty stroke, must replace the ball on its original spot
Three Exceptions

The Opponent is allowed to Lift a Player’s Ball

When conceding next stroke, or
At the Player’s request

Marking and Lifting Player’s ball on Putting Green by mistake
Same exceptions as for the player

General Penalty for Playing from Wrong Place

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What to Do &

Possible Penalties

4. Outside Influence

There is no penalty, and
The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated)

But, if it is not KNOWN or VIRTUALLY CERTAIN that the ball was lifted or moved by an outside influence and the ball is lost, the player must take stroke-and-distance relief.

General Penalty for Playing from Wrong Place

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What is an Outside

Influence??

Any person (including another player), except the player or their caddie or the player’s partner or opponent or any of their caddies

Any animal

Any natural or artificial object or anything else (including another ball in motion), except for natural forces, and

Artificially propelled air and water, such as from a fan or irrigation system

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Questions??

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Question (T/F):

The back-on-a-line relief option may be used for yellow or red penalty

areas and allows a player to drop anywhere outside the penalty

area within two club lengths from where the ball crossed into the

hazard and no closer to the hole.

FALSE

Why???

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Question (T/F):

If the player has interference from an animal hole when playing a

ball inside a penalty area, he or she may take free relief but must

drop the ball in a relief area inside the penalty area.

FALSE

WHY ???

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Question (T/F):

The ball comes to rest on a discarded paper candy wrapper in tall

grass in the general area just off the fairway. The player may lift

the ball and remove the wrapper and must drop a ball within one

club-length of the spot directly below where the ball came to rest

on the wrapper. If the fairway is within one club-length of this

reference point, and not closer to the hole, the player may drop a ball

in the fairway.

TRUE

WHY ???

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Question (T/F):

The course has placed large rocks on the sides of fairways to

indicate yardage to the green. If a player’s ball comes to rest near

a yardage indicator rock and there is interference to the player’s

swing, the player may take free relief.

FALSE

WHY ???

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Question (T/F):

A player’s downhill putt from the putting green misses the hole and

continues to roll to the bottom of the green where it accidentally

hits a paper lunch bag left on the putting green by another player

in the group. After the deflection the ball rolls off the putting green.

The ball is played as it lies.

FALSE

WHY ???

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Question (T/F):

After declaring your ball unplayable near a large rock, you drop a

ball using the lateral option. It comes to rest in the relief area but

in a spot that your club will strike the rock during your stroke. Since

interference from the rock still exist, without penalty, the ball must

be dropped again.

FALSE

WHY ???