Most Abused Rules of Golf

1. Most Abused Rules of Golf

2. Clubs

3. Rule 4-4. Maximum or 14 Clubs Count your clubs. The player must start a stipulated round with not more than 14 clubs.

4. Advice

5. Rule 8. Advice, Indicating Line of Play Asking what club a fellow-competitor or opponent used or telling another player how to execute a swing, is not allowed. General Penalty What club did you hit?

6. Rule 8. Advice, Indicating Line of Play Touching the putting surface to indicate the line of play when the player’s ball is on the green is not allowed. The caddie or partner may point to a part of the green but must not touch it with a hand or any kind of object. General Penalty

7. Obstructions and Abnormal Ground Conditions

8. Rule 24. Obstructions Many players believe they can take relief on either side of the path. Actually, the player has no choice.

9. Rule 24. Obstructions A player must drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, on whichever side of the path that is – even if it would mean dropping into an unplayable lie in a hedge or bush. If that were the case most golfers would elect to play the ball from off the path.

10. Rule 24. ObstructionsRule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions A common notion is that golfers are granted two club-lengths from the nearest point of relief in these situations. Actually, you are allowed only one club-length once the nearest point of relief has been determined.

11. Definition – Nearest Point of Relief The “nearest point of relief” is the reference point for taking relief without penalty from interference by an immovable obstruction, an abnormal ground condition or a wrong putting green. Cart Path Right Handed Player

12. Definition – Nearest Point of Relief It is the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies: • that is not nearer to the hole, and • where, if the ball were so positioned, no interference by the condition from which relief is sought would exist for the stroke the player would have made from the original position if the condition were not there. Right Handed Player Control Box

13. Definition – Nearest Point of Relief Note: In order to determine the nearest point of reliefaccurately, the player should use the club with which he would have made his next stroke if the condition were not there to simulate the address position, direction of play and swing for such a stroke.

14. Rule 24. ObstructionsRule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions Interference by an immovable obstruction or abnormal ground condition occurs when a ball lies in or on the condition, or when the condition interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing.

15. Rule 24. ObstructionsRule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions Intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule.

16. Rule 24. ObstructionsRule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions Exception: A player may not obtain relief under Rule 24-2b or Rule 25-1 if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for the player to play a stroke because of interference by anything other than an immovable obstruction or

17. 24-2 Immovable Obstruction Exception: A player may not obtain relief under Rule 24-2b or Rule 25-1 if (b) interference by an immovable obstruction would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.

18. Water Hazards

19. Rule 26-1. Relief for Ball in Water Hazard The expression “line of flight” does not exist the Rules of Golf book. Golfers frequently will drop a ball along this imaginary line after hitting their ball into a hazard, but such a procedure is not among the options for a ball in a hazard.

20. Water Hazard (3 options) 1. Play the ball as it lies 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 3 2

21. Water Hazard Options (Example) 1. Play the ball as it lies, 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 last crossed the margin of the hazard between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 1 3 2

22. Water Hazard Options (Example) 2 1. Play the ball as it lies, 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 last crossed the margin of the hazard between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. 1 3

23. Lateral Water Hazard(5 options) 1. Play the ball as it lies. OR 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. 1 3 4 5 2

24. Lateral Water Hazard Options (Example) 5 1. Play the ball as it lies, OR 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. 1 3 4 2

25. Lateral Water Hazard Options (Example) 4 1. Play the ball as it lies, OR 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. In this example there is no opposite margin, equidistant from the hole. 1 3 2

26. Ball Played as It Lies

27. Rule 13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing or Line of Play You must not improve the position or lie of your ball, the area of your intended swing, or your line of play by moving or bending anything growing or fixed, or moving or pressing anything down.

28. Rule 13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing or Line of Play The only exceptions are when you are fairly taking your stance or actually making a stroke.

29. Rule 13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing or Line of Play Also, you cannot step behind your ball to improve your lie, except on the teeing ground.

30. Putting Green

31. Rule 16-1c. Repair of Hole Plugs, Ball Marks and Other Damage On the putting green, you are not permitted to repair everything on the line between your ball and the hole. You may repair ball marks and move loose impediments, but you cannot repair spike marks.

32. Lost Ball;Provisional Ball

33. Rule 27-1. Ball Lost Some golfers will drop a ball in the vicinity where they think the ball is lost and add a penalty stroke – that is wrong. When the ball is lost, the player MUST go back and hit again from the point where he last made a stroke, incurring a one-stroke penalty, e.g., if you lose your drive on a hole, you must return to the tee and are hitting three.

34. Undue delay in looking for a lost ball. “You have one more minute to search.” Golfers commonly look for a lost ball longer than the five minutes allowed. The timing begins when the golfer or his partner or caddie start looking for the ball.

35. Rule 27-2. Provisional Ball When a golfer makes a stroke and feels the ball may be lost or out-of-bounds, he should play a provisional ball before going forward to search. Wait for your opponent or fellow-competitor to play his first stroke (Rule 10-3).

36. Rule 27-2. Provisional Ball I’m playing a provisional ball. Golfers are sometimes careless about announcing their intention of playing a provisional ball. They might say, “I think I’ll reload.” That is not good enough. The player must make his intention clear, stating that he intends to play a “provisional ball.”

37. Ball Unplayable

38. Rule 28. Ball Unplayable When a ball comes to rest under a large bush, some golfers think they are allowed two club-lengths from a point of relief determined by the outer edge of the bush. This is wrong – if the player elects this option (Rule 28c), he must measure two club-lengths from where the ball lay unplayable.

39. Rule 28. Ball Unplayable If the player deems the ball to be unplayable, the player shall, under penalty of one stroke: a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. (see Rule 20-5); Tee

40. Rule 28. Ball Unplayable If the player deems the ball to be unplayable, the player shall, under penalty of one stroke: b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped. Tee

41. Rule 28. Ball Unplayable If the player deems the ball to be unplayable, the player shall, under penalty of one stroke: c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole; Tee

42. Play by the Rules It’s the right thing to do.