Latest list of rules from Fred starting at the beginning

Derek apologies that the 2 photos which should be below are missing due to technical problems. However if you go back to previous posts you will find them!

3^rd February 2016 on the green. Let’s have a closer look at our activity on the green many of which account for missed penalties applied during a round of golf. I am not sure if the Americans would call them a “Misdemeanour” or a “Felon” Let us start with the careless damage to the hole which results from fishing your ball out of the hole with the putter-head not in itself a golfing breach but a lack of consideration to the ground staff and fellow competitors.

Unfortunately many are not aware of situations when a penalty is to be applied such as: -

Straddling you line of putt whilst putting; (standing across with one foot either side of your line of putt and playing a croquet-style stroke)

Failing to mark your ball before touching it to align on your direction of putt, or prior to lifting the ball.

The rules may seem petty, but again, which rule do you wish to ignore today or tomorrow. What a chaotic game we would have if we all applied this approach. Please apply the rules regardless of your thoughts and maintain a level playing field.

Conversely, one area of play on the green where penalties are incorrectly applied and accepted without question is in Match-play. When putting on the green and your ball strikes another ball on the green and in play, the two shot penalty should be applied in Stroke-play only not in Match-play (Rule 19.5a). Sheriff

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23^rd January 2016 dropping the Ball.  Let’s have a look at the correct way to drop your ball. How often have you seen someone throw their ball out of a hazard or replacement ball casually to the ground, then proceed to play the ball as it lies. If rules allow a dropped ball a dropped ball shall be from shoulder height, shall strike the ground within the permitted marked position it may bounce and travel up to two clubs lengths not nearer the hole and is a valid drop except if it comes to rest as in the illustrations. Failure to comply is a penalty situation

When taking permitted free relief within the rules your ball shall be dropped to stick the ground with the nearest point of relief plus one club length. Where is the nearest point of relief you may ask.

The nearest point of relief is defined as the nearest position the ball would lay in order for the condition permitting relief would not exist.

Dropping your ball under this rule shall be as above you are not permitted to consider other conditions which could influence you next play.

The nearest point of relief is a reference to the issue enabling relief regardless of other influences.

On occasions you may see the nearest point of relief corrupted by a player because playing from the correct point of relief has a tree is in the way for the next stroke.

 Markers should point out this error which, if ignored the player has played from the wrong place and the appropriate penalty applies to hiss score for the hole.

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15^th January 2016. Which golfing rule would you like to ignore? And I do not necessarily mean your own play. The answer should of course be none.

So often little rules are overlooked by players and the point I am making is the fact that some players may make an innocent mistake but their markers who may be aware, fail to point out the mistake and advise the player he has erred and apply the penalty to the players score for the hole.

For example, take the following rule  Once your Ball is in play, except with your club at address and making the stroke, you are not allowed to touch your ball unless you have advised your marker you are implementing an appropriate Rule, you must then mark the position your ball before lifting and applying the rule.

This is also true when identifying your ball through the green, also when on the green, so many, having failed to mark their ball first, bend down and align the ball marking to their line of putt, you should apply a penalty shot for touching the ball. (Bear in mind marking the ball position with the putter head is permitted).

This action may seem petty but elsewhere somebody in a similar situation may be applying the rule and subsequent penalty, and in doing so your player effectively, now has a stroke advantaged compared the player who applied the penalty. Please apply ruling as they occur and not as you see fit. I have often heard “you would not have lost that shot if Fred was not with us,” let us hear instead what would we do in this situation if Fred (or Don) were with us. Sheriff

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9^th January 2016 Loose impediments. A member advised he was confused as to whether worm casts were loose impediments; each in our group had a different solution. Unfortunately the correct answer may be just as confusing.

Loose impediments are defined as natural objects including Stones; leaves; twigs and the like.

Dung and insects and also the casts and heaps made by them are loose impediments provided (and here is the crunch for your decision) they are not fixed or growing, solidly embedded or adhered to the ball.

Sand and loose soils are loose impediment on the putting green but not elsewhere. Snow and natural ice, other than frost are either Casual water or loose impediments, (the players Option). Sheriff

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December 2015 Pitch mark repair. A New Year resolution, why not “pitch mark” repairs. You may have noticed the brown spots on the greens, strangely close to the size of a golf ball.

My theory is they are Ball pitch marks left then flattened with the next mowing or incorrectly repaired.

Try for yourself, a ball pitch mark repaired by placing your fork into the pitch hole and lifting the centre as in “A” in the diagram after levelling with your putter you are left with an earthen spot.

                                                                                                                                                               Now try another Ball pitch mark repair by placing your fork into the surround of the Pitch mark as in “B” in the diagram and force the elevated surround back over into the depression, when completed tap down gently with your putter to level off and admire the difference, a green area unblemished. Sheriff. 

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2^nd December 2015 Bunkers and Hazards    It has been brought to my attention that some members are not aware that if you ball lies in a Bunker or Hazard you are subject to a penalty should you ground your club prior to the forward movement of the club when striking the ball.

In answer to another query, A ball coming to rest in its own pitch mark on the lip-edge of a water hazard is in the hazard. By definition a ball is in the hazard if it lies in or touches the hazard. Be mindful that the boundaries of a water hazard include the vertical extension area above the hazard.   Hence if your ball should come to rest against the marker post, your ball is in the hazard. Sheriff

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13^th November 2015 Preferred Lies.                        We are well into the season of preferred lies on the Golf Course. Often heard these days, a member shouting across “are we on Preferred Lies”? A message that should be posted on the notice board at the club is the finite answer. But do we understand what the message means?

 First we have “Preferred lies in operation today”

This means that if your ball comes to rest on any close mown area you may (once only) prefer your lie by marking your ball lifting, cleaning and replacing within 6 inches not nearer the hole. The close mown area is in principle the fairway but may include areas close mown such as a pathway cut from tee to fairway etc.

“Winter Rules apply today” means you may prefer your lie in close mown areas as above and also mark, lift and clean your ball if it is plugged in the rough, then dropped as coce as possible to its original position but no nearer the hole

“Preferred Lies through the green” means as it says through the green is the playing area of the course excluding hazards, tees and greens, you may prefer you lie. Hope this helps.

So to a new question, you may have noticed that for valid reasons, the orientations of some fairway have changed, we now have rough encroaching into the fairway and in front of some bunkers and also the ditches on the 14^th and 15^th.  A reminder that these areas are not close mown, before going out on the course check which sign is posted to ensure preferring your lie is allowed. Sheriff

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6^th November 2015 Improving your Lie       We have all been there, a ball pulled or pushed into the tree line. Finding our ball under the trees with a dubious back swing and passing a comment to your colleagues “If it was your ball it would not have ended up in this position”. And so to the point, which is that during this time of the year in particular, a reminder to take more care and attention to avoid improving your stance or lie as I witnessed last week.

Upon taking his stance and addressing his ball a player took his back swing and caught the branches a shower of leaves fell off the branch and he checked his back-swing. Re addressed the ball and played the ball. It may seem unfair but he had improved his Lie and two penalty shots should be applied by his marker in this situation.

After dislodging the leaves, had the player continued with the stroke, and played the ball then no penalty can be applied. Reference Rule 13

Provisional ball or not, another player played his 2^nd shot on the 15^th and pulled the ball left into the tree line; he walked forward and had a brief look in the leaf covered area, then declared he would play a provisional ball and walked back and played a second ball. He then walked forward again, this time leaves had moved in the breeze and his ball was visible. He continued play of the hole with the original ball.

By walking forward to search he was not entitled to return and correctly play a provisional ball, in doing so he played the wrong ball and incurred a two shot penalty. - Sheriff

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29^th August 2015 Lost Ball?  Sheriff writes. Perhaps it is splitting hairs but I often hear players say that “I declare the ball lost”. I don’t know of this expression being in the rule book, The correct statement has the same result “I declare the ball unplayable”.

When then is a ball lost? by definition a ball is lost if it is not found and identified within 5 Minute of a search. Stroke and distance being the option for a lost ball. If a provisional ball had been played this becomes the ball in play.

A player may declare his ball unplayable at anytime on the course. He may then proceed with the following option (1)“stroke and distance” (play from where last played): (2) Penalty Drop a ball within two club length of the ball’s position when declared unplayable or (3) on an imaginary line from the flag through the ball position and drop a ball on that line, In all cases not nearer the hole. 

This procedure is often misused on the 8th where a ball flights into the hedge on the left and comes to rest well down the bank. From such a position it is virtually impossible to drop a ball within two club length on the 8th side of the hedge. To avoid walking back for stroke and distance the only options left are (2) on the 7th side of the hedge should conditions be met or (3) playing on a line from somewhere on the 7th fairway.

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16^th August 2015 Sheriff blogs 3:- the last information  referred to hole 17, an issue has been  raised suggesting the possibility of a local rule which may relax the situation, however the possibility is open to interpretation, therefore I have sort clarification, my only response so far is that they will review my email.

Enough said for the moment, let’s move back on the course to hole no 7. You play your 2nd shot toward the green and the ball entered the ditch on the right of the pond and continued up the bank into the wood.

The wood is Out of Bounds therefore you are required to “play stroke and distance” you should not walk forward and drop a ball near the hazard, using Rule 26 for justification.

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28^th July 2015. Sheriff asks:- what is a provisional ball?

Answer, a ball played under rule 27-2 for a ball that may be lost outside a hazard or out of bounds.

Often noted, players playing our 17^th at Clays their tee shot played to the green is sometimes difficult to see that plash of a ball entering the pond. Player walks forward to the pond and announce they will play a provisional ball then walk around to check if their ball has in fact cleared the pond.

Any player following this procedure then finding their ball clear of the pond is subject to a two stroke penalty for playing the wrong ball (the ball incorrectly played as a provisional). In this situation a provisional ball should not be played. You must be virtually certain your ball entered the pond, if there is doubt the best procedure at the 17^th is to walk around and search making sure your ball is in the pond then back and take your penalty drop.

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10^th July 2015.            The sheriff writes:-      So your tee shot from the 15^th finds the ditch near the bridge. Most retrieve their ball and drop on a line closer to the tee. Not strictly correct, but why not use the rule correctly and give yourself a better chance:-

Take an imaginary line from the 15^th pin, drawn through the point at which your ball crossed into the hazard then follow this line back, diagonal to the fairway then, under a penalty, drop on this line. This gives a better chance to clear the corner and save a shot with subsequent play of the hole.

28^th July 2015. Sheriff asks:- what is a provisional ball?

Answer, a ball played under rule 27-2 for a ball that may be lost outside a hazard or out of bounds.

Often noted, players playing our 17^th at Clays their tee shot played to the green is sometimes difficult to see that plash of a ball entering the pond. Player walks forward to the pond and announce they will play a provisional ball then walk around to check if their ball has in fact cleared the pond.

Any player following this procedure then finding their ball clear of the pond is subject to a two stroke penalty for playing the wrong ball (the ball incorrectly played as a provisional). In this situation a provisional ball should not be played. You must be virtually certain your ball entered the pond, if there is doubt the best procedure at the 17^th is to walk around and search making sure your ball is in the pond then back and take your penalty drop.