Rules of Golf
Rules of Golf Interpreted by Jill Briles-Hinton LPGA Tour Member LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Member
Golf Course Hazard
Green
Bunker Fairway
Tee Box Rough
Equipment • Ball – must conform to the USGA Rules of Golf. • You must use the same ball that you start each hole with unless the rules permit you to substitute a ball. • Clubs – need to conform with the USGA Rules of Golf. • The most clubs you can have during a round is 14. If you don’t start your round with 14 you can add (not borrow from a competitor) during the round as long as you do not slow up play and you do not go over 14 clubs.
Teeing Ground •
The depth of the teeing ground consists of the front outside edge of the tee markers extending two 2 clubs back.
•
The width of the teeing ground consists of the outside edge of the tee markers.
•
If any part of the ball touches the boundaries of the teeing ground the ball is within the legal limits.
•
If the ball falls off the tee and the player has not completed his/her downward swing, the player must start over and put the ball in play.
Putting Green
•
The closely mowed area designated to include a flag stick.
Hazards Bunker Is filled with sand. You can not ground your club. Water Hazard Is an area intended to hold water. You can not ground your club. The Water Hazard is identified by yellow stakes and defined by yellow lines. Lateral Water Hazard Is an area intended to hold water and is made available when the options of a water hazard are too difficult too apply. The Lateral Water Hazard is identified by red stakes and defined by red lines.
Bunkers
•
A bunker is an area on the golf course that is filled with sand. • Grass or a tree inside a bunker is not part of bunker. • A wall or lip not covered with grass is in the bunker. • The margin of the bunker extends vertically downwards. • Sand spills out of the bunker are not considered in the bunker. • You must not ground your club in a bunker – penalty is 2 stroke penalty. • You must not touch any sand on your back swing – penalty is 2 stroke penalty.
Water Hazard
• • • • • •
A water hazard is an area that is available to collect and/or contain water. Bridges that cross the water hazard are considered part of that hazard. The margin of a water hazard extend both vertically upward and downward. The margin is defined by the nearest inside points. Hazard stakes are moveable. If a player removes a stake and his/her ball moves he/she must put it back.
Options for Water Hazard Green
1. Hit it where it lies (no penalty). 2. Go back to the original spot (stroke and distance). 3. Keep the spot where it last crossed between you and the hole and go back as far as you want (add 1 stroke).
1
X
1
A 3
B
X Notice the stakes and lines are yellow! 3
2 2
Options for Lateral Water Hazard 4
3
X
5
1 Green 5
1
1. Hit it where it lies (no penalty). 2. Go back to the original spot (stroke and distance). 3. Keep the spot where it last crossed between you and the hole and go back as far as you want (add 1 stroke).
X 4. Measure two club lengths no closer to the hole at the point the ball last crossed the hazard. 5.
Measure two club lengths no closer to the hole at an equal distant point on the other side of the hazard where the ball last crossed the hazard.
4
3
B A
2 2
Notice the stakes and lines are red!
Ball in Hazard If your ball is in the hazard you can not do the following: • • • • • • • • • •
Test the condition in any hazard. Test the surface in hazard by probing or swinging. Dig extra with your feet. Fill in foot steps. Pre rake. Stick a club straight up. Kick the ground in the hazard. Can not ground your club. Remove loose impediments. Kick rocks out of way.
Water Hazards • To take relief under the Water Hazard Rule you must be “Virtually Certain” that your ball went into the water hazard. • A splash is virtually certain if the splash is not around the edge. • A ball rolling towards the water hazard is “Virtually Certain” if it had enough velocity to get there and there is no heavy rough to slow the progress of the ball down. unless it on the edge and a splash takes it out of the hazard. • You can not assume it is in the hazard just because it is heading towards the hazard. A tree can send it anywhere. Extreme condition can impede the progress of the ball. • You need to use all the evidence.
Through the Green
is considered the whole area of golf course except the teeing ground of the hole you are playing, hazards, and the putting green of hole being played.
Out of Bounds Stakes Notice they are white stakes.
White stakes identify OB and white lines define OB. The OB line extends both upward and downward. The inside edge of white stakes is considered in bounds. The stake itself is OB and is a fixed object. You can not remove an OB stake. Any part of the ball that touches the OB line is in bounds. If an obstruction (fence) is identified as OB or if there is a fence off the course and interferes with the swing there is no relief.
Obstructions • Obstructions – are anything man-made and anything that is not declared an integral part of the course. OB Stakes are not obstructions.
X
Movable Obstructions • are obstructions that can be easily moved without undue delay.
Ball in Play Ball remains in play until ball is lost, hit out of bounds, lifted, substituted, or holed out.
If a player plays a ball outside of the intended teeing ground or hits from the wrong tee markers he/she must correct his/her mistake by re-teeing the ball and adding a 2 stroke penalty to his/her score.
Only the player or competitor who marked and lifted the ball on the putting green should replace the ball where it was marked. The player is ultimately responsible for the position of his/her ball.
Status of the Ball Lost Ball occurs: • When a 5 minute search by the player has ended. • Playing a provisional ball and not announcing this fact to your playing partner. • Not searching and playing a substituted ball (stroke and distance). • Making a stroke at a substituted ball.
Substituted Ball • Is a ball that is substituted for a ball that was in play, lost, ob or lifted.
Wrong Ball
• Hitting a ball that was not put in play by the player.
Abnormal Ground Conditions
• Ground Under Repair • Casual Water • Hole (cast or runway) made by a burrowing animal, reptile, or bird.
Ground Under Repair (GUR) • • • • •
Items piled for removal by the grounds keeper is GUR. A hole made by the grounds keeper is GUR. If only stakes identify GUR then the outside edge of the stakes define GUR. Beautification areas and turf nurseries can be deemed GUR by the rules committee. Look at the Notice to Competitors, the local rules sheet, and the hard card to see if noted. Relief may be taken if the GUR interferes with the players stance or area of intended swing.
Relief Except in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, if taking relief, the player must
take full relief from the condition by identifying his/her nearest point of relief (not in a hazard or on a putting green) and dropping his/her ball within one club length not ahead of the nearest point of relief.
Casual Water • Is any temporary collection of water that is on the golf course but not in a water hazard and that a player can see before or after he/she takes his/her stance. • Snow and Ice can either be casual water or an obstruction. Players choice. • Dew and frost are not casual water. • Relief may be taken if the Casual Water interferes with the players stance or area of intended swing.
Relief Except in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, if taking relief, the player must take full relief from the condition by identifying his/her nearest point of relief (not in a hazard or on a putting green) and dropping his/her ball within one club length not ahead of the nearest point of relief.
Burrowing Animal Hole • Is a hole (cast or runway) made by a burrowing animal, reptile, or bird; other than worm or insect. • Relief may be taken if the Burrowing Animal Hole interferes with the players stance or area of intended swing.
Relief Except in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, if taking relief, the player must take full relief from the condition by identifying his/her nearest point of relief (not in a hazard or on a putting green) and dropping his/her ball within one club length not ahead of the nearest point of relief.
Loose Impediments • Are Natural Objects provided they are not fixed or growing, solidly embedded or adhering to the ball.
Sand and loose soil that is on the putting green is considered a loose Impediment. Sand and loose soil found off the putting is “through the green”. Don’t move!
Loose Impediments • You can move Loose Impediments anywhere Through the Green. • If your ball moves as a result of moving a Loose Impediment add a 1 stroke penalty to your score and put your ball back in its original position. If you do not put your ball back in its original position you will get an additional penalty. • Except in a hazard, you are permitted to move Loose Impediments from any area you are dropping to.
Lifting and Marking • A ball may be lifted by the player, partner, or another person authorized by the player. • The Player is responsible for breach of rules. • The Player is allowed to lift the ball if he/she needs to identify the ball, see if the ball is unfit for play, or interferes with a competitors line of play. In these cases the ball must be marked and must not be cleaned. The player will receive a one stroke penalty if the ball was not marked and/or if the ball was cleaned. • If the ball or ball marker moves in attempt to mark it, then the ball must be replaced. There is no penalty in this case.
Ball Fit for Play?
Just Because Scrape
Yes
YES
Cut
NO
Dropping and Re-dropping • • • •
The ball must be dropped by the player. The ball must be dropped properly. The ball can have no spin from the player. During the drop if the ball hits the ground then hits anyone or their equipment; the drop is considered a no-drop. Start over. • The ball must be dropped the way the rules indicate. • After dropping, if the ball comes to rest in a bush and the ball did or did not hit the ground, the ball is in play.
Proper Dropping • • • •
Stand tall. Face the green. Extend your arm out and parallel to the ground. Remain in position until the ball drops from your hand. • Once the ball hits the ground, it can not roll more than 2 clublengths from where the ball originally hit the ground. • Ball must land within the rules.
Famous Eraser Rule 20-6 • If you dropped or replaced a ball and have not made a stroke and you realize that the ball was not dealt with correctly you can refer to • Rule 20-6 and proceed properly. There is no penalty in this case.
Lost Ball Invoke Stroke and Distance Go back to original location Substitute a ball and put it in play Add a stroke to your score
Provisional Ball • To play a provisional ball the player must have a cause to evoke it. Causes include that the ball might be lost or out of bounds. • Hitting a provisional ball helps to save time. • You must make it clear that you are hitting a provisional ball. • You must declare before you go forward of the tee box to search for your original ball.
Provisional Ball is the Ball in Play • When – You can not find your original ball. – After your 5 minutes of searching has expired. – Until you believe you have reached your original ball’s location. If you find your original ball, all strokes made with the provisional ball are negated and the original ball is in play. – If the original ball is obviously in play and can be seen and easily walked to but the player hits his provisional ball anyway, the provisional ball is in play.
Embedded Ball • Is a local rule • Make sure it is on your rules sheet or hard card. • If your ball is embedded (broke through the surface of the dirt) you may lift your ball, clean your ball, and then you must drop it as close to the condition as possible. • If your ball returns to the condition you may drop it again.
Golf Course Hazard
Green
Bunker Fairway
Tee Box Rough
Equipment • Ball – must conform to the USGA Rules of Golf. • You must use the same ball that you start each hole with unless the rules permit you to substitute a ball. • Clubs – need to conform with the USGA Rules of Golf. • The most clubs you can have during a round is 14. If you don’t start your round with 14 you can add (not borrow from a competitor) during the round as long as you do not slow up play and you do not go over 14 clubs.
Teeing Ground •
The depth of the teeing ground consists of the front outside edge of the tee markers extending two 2 clubs back.
•
The width of the teeing ground consists of the outside edge of the tee markers.
•
If any part of the ball touches the boundaries of the teeing ground the ball is within the legal limits.
•
If the ball falls off the tee and the player has not completed his/her downward swing, the player must start over and put the ball in play.
Putting Green
•
The closely mowed area designated to include a flag stick.
Hazards Bunker Is filled with sand. You can not ground your club. Water Hazard Is an area intended to hold water. You can not ground your club. The Water Hazard is identified by yellow stakes and defined by yellow lines. Lateral Water Hazard Is an area intended to hold water and is made available when the options of a water hazard are too difficult too apply. The Lateral Water Hazard is identified by red stakes and defined by red lines.
Bunkers
•
A bunker is an area on the golf course that is filled with sand. • Grass or a tree inside a bunker is not part of bunker. • A wall or lip not covered with grass is in the bunker. • The margin of the bunker extends vertically downwards. • Sand spills out of the bunker are not considered in the bunker. • You must not ground your club in a bunker – penalty is 2 stroke penalty. • You must not touch any sand on your back swing – penalty is 2 stroke penalty.
Water Hazard
• • • • • •
A water hazard is an area that is available to collect and/or contain water. Bridges that cross the water hazard are considered part of that hazard. The margin of a water hazard extend both vertically upward and downward. The margin is defined by the nearest inside points. Hazard stakes are moveable. If a player removes a stake and his/her ball moves he/she must put it back.
Options for Water Hazard Green
1. Hit it where it lies (no penalty). 2. Go back to the original spot (stroke and distance). 3. Keep the spot where it last crossed between you and the hole and go back as far as you want (add 1 stroke).
1
X
1
A 3
B
X Notice the stakes and lines are yellow! 3
2 2
Options for Lateral Water Hazard 4
3
X
5
1 Green 5
1
1. Hit it where it lies (no penalty). 2. Go back to the original spot (stroke and distance). 3. Keep the spot where it last crossed between you and the hole and go back as far as you want (add 1 stroke).
X 4. Measure two club lengths no closer to the hole at the point the ball last crossed the hazard. 5.
Measure two club lengths no closer to the hole at an equal distant point on the other side of the hazard where the ball last crossed the hazard.
4
3
B A
2 2
Notice the stakes and lines are red!
Ball in Hazard If your ball is in the hazard you can not do the following: • • • • • • • • • •
Test the condition in any hazard. Test the surface in hazard by probing or swinging. Dig extra with your feet. Fill in foot steps. Pre rake. Stick a club straight up. Kick the ground in the hazard. Can not ground your club. Remove loose impediments. Kick rocks out of way.
Water Hazards • To take relief under the Water Hazard Rule you must be “Virtually Certain” that your ball went into the water hazard. • A splash is virtually certain if the splash is not around the edge. • A ball rolling towards the water hazard is “Virtually Certain” if it had enough velocity to get there and there is no heavy rough to slow the progress of the ball down. unless it on the edge and a splash takes it out of the hazard. • You can not assume it is in the hazard just because it is heading towards the hazard. A tree can send it anywhere. Extreme condition can impede the progress of the ball. • You need to use all the evidence.
Through the Green
is considered the whole area of golf course except the teeing ground of the hole you are playing, hazards, and the putting green of hole being played.
Out of Bounds Stakes Notice they are white stakes.
White stakes identify OB and white lines define OB. The OB line extends both upward and downward. The inside edge of white stakes is considered in bounds. The stake itself is OB and is a fixed object. You can not remove an OB stake. Any part of the ball that touches the OB line is in bounds. If an obstruction (fence) is identified as OB or if there is a fence off the course and interferes with the swing there is no relief.
Obstructions • Obstructions – are anything man-made and anything that is not declared an integral part of the course. OB Stakes are not obstructions.
X
Movable Obstructions • are obstructions that can be easily moved without undue delay.
Ball in Play Ball remains in play until ball is lost, hit out of bounds, lifted, substituted, or holed out.
If a player plays a ball outside of the intended teeing ground or hits from the wrong tee markers he/she must correct his/her mistake by re-teeing the ball and adding a 2 stroke penalty to his/her score.
Only the player or competitor who marked and lifted the ball on the putting green should replace the ball where it was marked. The player is ultimately responsible for the position of his/her ball.
Status of the Ball Lost Ball occurs: • When a 5 minute search by the player has ended. • Playing a provisional ball and not announcing this fact to your playing partner. • Not searching and playing a substituted ball (stroke and distance). • Making a stroke at a substituted ball.
Substituted Ball • Is a ball that is substituted for a ball that was in play, lost, ob or lifted.
Wrong Ball
• Hitting a ball that was not put in play by the player.
Abnormal Ground Conditions
• Ground Under Repair • Casual Water • Hole (cast or runway) made by a burrowing animal, reptile, or bird.
Ground Under Repair (GUR) • • • • •
Items piled for removal by the grounds keeper is GUR. A hole made by the grounds keeper is GUR. If only stakes identify GUR then the outside edge of the stakes define GUR. Beautification areas and turf nurseries can be deemed GUR by the rules committee. Look at the Notice to Competitors, the local rules sheet, and the hard card to see if noted. Relief may be taken if the GUR interferes with the players stance or area of intended swing.
Relief Except in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, if taking relief, the player must
take full relief from the condition by identifying his/her nearest point of relief (not in a hazard or on a putting green) and dropping his/her ball within one club length not ahead of the nearest point of relief.
Casual Water • Is any temporary collection of water that is on the golf course but not in a water hazard and that a player can see before or after he/she takes his/her stance. • Snow and Ice can either be casual water or an obstruction. Players choice. • Dew and frost are not casual water. • Relief may be taken if the Casual Water interferes with the players stance or area of intended swing.
Relief Except in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, if taking relief, the player must take full relief from the condition by identifying his/her nearest point of relief (not in a hazard or on a putting green) and dropping his/her ball within one club length not ahead of the nearest point of relief.
Burrowing Animal Hole • Is a hole (cast or runway) made by a burrowing animal, reptile, or bird; other than worm or insect. • Relief may be taken if the Burrowing Animal Hole interferes with the players stance or area of intended swing.
Relief Except in a water hazard or lateral water hazard, if taking relief, the player must take full relief from the condition by identifying his/her nearest point of relief (not in a hazard or on a putting green) and dropping his/her ball within one club length not ahead of the nearest point of relief.
Loose Impediments • Are Natural Objects provided they are not fixed or growing, solidly embedded or adhering to the ball.
Sand and loose soil that is on the putting green is considered a loose Impediment. Sand and loose soil found off the putting is “through the green”. Don’t move!
Loose Impediments • You can move Loose Impediments anywhere Through the Green. • If your ball moves as a result of moving a Loose Impediment add a 1 stroke penalty to your score and put your ball back in its original position. If you do not put your ball back in its original position you will get an additional penalty. • Except in a hazard, you are permitted to move Loose Impediments from any area you are dropping to.
Lifting and Marking • A ball may be lifted by the player, partner, or another person authorized by the player. • The Player is responsible for breach of rules. • The Player is allowed to lift the ball if he/she needs to identify the ball, see if the ball is unfit for play, or interferes with a competitors line of play. In these cases the ball must be marked and must not be cleaned. The player will receive a one stroke penalty if the ball was not marked and/or if the ball was cleaned. • If the ball or ball marker moves in attempt to mark it, then the ball must be replaced. There is no penalty in this case.
Ball Fit for Play?
Just Because Scrape
Yes
YES
Cut
NO
Dropping and Re-dropping • • • •
The ball must be dropped by the player. The ball must be dropped properly. The ball can have no spin from the player. During the drop if the ball hits the ground then hits anyone or their equipment; the drop is considered a no-drop. Start over. • The ball must be dropped the way the rules indicate. • After dropping, if the ball comes to rest in a bush and the ball did or did not hit the ground, the ball is in play.
Proper Dropping • • • •
Stand tall. Face the green. Extend your arm out and parallel to the ground. Remain in position until the ball drops from your hand. • Once the ball hits the ground, it can not roll more than 2 clublengths from where the ball originally hit the ground. • Ball must land within the rules.
Famous Eraser Rule 20-6 • If you dropped or replaced a ball and have not made a stroke and you realize that the ball was not dealt with correctly you can refer to • Rule 20-6 and proceed properly. There is no penalty in this case.
Lost Ball Invoke Stroke and Distance Go back to original location Substitute a ball and put it in play Add a stroke to your score
Provisional Ball • To play a provisional ball the player must have a cause to evoke it. Causes include that the ball might be lost or out of bounds. • Hitting a provisional ball helps to save time. • You must make it clear that you are hitting a provisional ball. • You must declare before you go forward of the tee box to search for your original ball.
Provisional Ball is the Ball in Play • When – You can not find your original ball. – After your 5 minutes of searching has expired. – Until you believe you have reached your original ball’s location. If you find your original ball, all strokes made with the provisional ball are negated and the original ball is in play. – If the original ball is obviously in play and can be seen and easily walked to but the player hits his provisional ball anyway, the provisional ball is in play.
Embedded Ball • Is a local rule • Make sure it is on your rules sheet or hard card. • If your ball is embedded (broke through the surface of the dirt) you may lift your ball, clean your ball, and then you must drop it as close to the condition as possible. • If your ball returns to the condition you may drop it again.
