Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club

1. Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club Rules Sub-Committee Colin Ramsay Neil Foggo Keith Carruthers Presentation on the 2019 Golf Rules Modernisation Changes

2. OVERVIEW • Changes to Our Local Rules • New Players Edition of Rules Book • New Terminology Explained • New Playing Rules • Areas of the Course Relief Options

3. Our Revised Local Rules • Stones In Bunkers • Local Rules no longer required • Distance Measuring Devices • Local Rule no longer required • Accidental Movement of Ball or marker on Putting Green • Local Rules no longer required • No Play Zones • Any Area marked as GUR • Staked Trees if interference with stance or area of intended swing • Penalty Areas • The burn at the south end of the course

4. Local Rules NOT being Adopted • Modified Stroke and Distance Rule • Not Permitted by CONGU for handicap competitions • New Alternative form of Stroke play • Maximum Score as defined by CONGU is 5 over PAR • Expanded use of Penalty Areas • Not considered necessary as it would cause confusion

5. Player Edition on Rules of Golf • Rules 1 – 4 Fundamentals of the Game • Rules 5 – 6 Playing the Round and a Hole • Rules 7 - 11 Playing the Ball • Rules 12 – 13 Specific Rules for Bunkers and Greens • Rule 14 Lifting and Returning a Ball to Play • Rules 15 – 16 Free Relief • Rules 17 – 19 Penalty Relief • Rule 20 Procedures when Issues arise in Applying the Rules • Rules 21 – 24 Other Forms of Play

6. New Terminology OLD Description NEW Description General Area Teeing Area Yellow / Red Penalty Area Wrong Green Outside Influence Abnormal Course Condition Temporary Water No Play Zone Nearest Point of Complete Relief Terms of Competition Through the Green Teeing Ground Water / Lateral Hazard Wrong Putting Green Outside Agency Abnormal Ground Condition Casual Water Play Prohibited or ESA Nearest Point of Relief Conditions of Competition

7. New Rules – Dropping Procedure • MUST be dropped from knee height • MUST be dropped straight down without touching player or equipment before hitting ground • MUST be dropped in and come to rest in the relief area

8. New Rules – Relief Area • Reference Point – The point from which the size of the relief area is measured • Relief Area – The area where a player MUST drop a ball when taking relief under a rule Note; Once dropped the ball MUST come to rest within this Relief area. Reference Point which should be marked by a tee peg, coin etc.

9. New Rules – Measuring Areas • A club length is used to measure an area required by the rules • This is the length of the longest club the player has in their bag during the round, OTHER than a putter • It is used to establish the players teeing area on each hole and in determining the size of the players available relief area where necessary • Generally, You are allowed one club length for free relief and two club lengths for penalty relief

10. New Rules – Searching For and Identifying your Golf Ball • Time allowed in searching for a ball reduced to 3 minutes • Time starts from when player has reached the estimated position of ball • No penalty if a player causes the ball to move during search. The ball needs to be replaced, even if its original spot is not known • YOU are no longer required to announce intention to lift a ball for identification purposes

11. New Rules - Bunkers • A player may now remove loose impediments ( leaves, branches, sticks etc.) from a bunker • However, If ball moves it incurs a one shot penalty and the ball MUST be replaced • HOWEVER BE AWARE a Player may NOT touch the sand in a bunker with a club in making a practise swing or in making the backswing for a stroke

12. New Rules – Repairs to Putting Green • A player may repair damage to the putting green such as ball marks, shoe damage, scrapes and indentations caused by equipment or the flagstick • A player may NOT repair normal maintenance practises such as aeration holes and mowing marks or natural surface imperfections such as weeds, bare patches or uneven growth

13. New Rules – Actions on Putting Green • A player may now elect to make a stroke with the flagstick left in the hole OR have it attended • A ball is now deemed to have been holed if any part of the ball is below the surface of the putting green • What is important to know is that when your ball or marker is accidentally moved on a putting green whether by you or natural forces, AFTER the ball has been marked, lifted and replaced, it is returned to its original position without penalty. A ball that is moved by natural forces BEFORE it has been marked is now played from where it comes to rest without penalty

14. New Rules – Penalty Areas • Any area on the course identified by either Red or Yellow lines or stakes • Yellow penalty areas permit only back on the line relief • Red penalty areas provide for additional lateral relief options • A player may remove loose impediments • A player may ground their club

15. New Rules- Miscellaneous • Substituted Ball • Whenever taking relief, a player may use either the original ball or another ball • Double Hit • If in a single stroke the ball makes multiple contact with the club face it counts as only one shot • Damaged Clubs • Regardless of how a club was damaged it is treated as conforming for the rest of the round • The player may continue with the damaged club or have it repaired providing they do NOT unduly delay play

16. New Rules - Miscellaneous • Reasonable Judgement is Accepted • Whenever estimating or measuring a players reasonable judgement is accepted even if evidence shows errors • Caddie Assistance • Not permitted to assist in alignment. Penalty if still behind player when player takes stance • Resolution of Match Play ties • If a match is all square after 18 holes it MUST be extended one hole at a time until there is a winner • If the match needs to be suspended due to poor light or unplayable conditions it must be resumed from the point at which it was suspended

17. New Principles – Ready Golf • Applies to Stroke Play events only • Designed to encourage a faster pace of play • Shorter hitters should play first when they cannot reach a green • Putt out instead of marking your ball, if possible • Assess your own shot while your partners are playing theirs • Apply common sense and above all else only play when its safe to play

18. The Teeing Area – Formerly Known as the Teeing Ground

19. General Area – Formerly known as Through the Green

20. General Area - Embedded Ball New Rule : You may now take relief from an embedded ball anywhere in the general area…….Just be sure it is embedded

21. Taking relief from an Embedded Ball

22. Penalty Relief Options – General Area

23. Penalty Relief Options - Bunkers

24. Penalty Relief Options - Bunkers

25. Penalty Relief Options – Yellow Penalty Area

26. Penalty Relief Options – Red Penalty Area

27. Last Chance For Any More Questions