THEYDON BOIS GOLF CLUB LTD

PROSHOPNEWS.CO.UK

RULES QUIZ

Welcome to our virtual round of golf at Theydon Bois Golf Club. The idea of this page is to play our virtual game and ask questions relating to each hole as we progress. As we have no desire to offend anyone, we’ll call our virtual golfer and persistent rule breaker, player A.

1ST TEE THEYDON BOIS GOLF CLUB (1/3/10)

Player A is playing in the Essex County Championship and has a tee time of 9:00am. He arrives on the first tee at 9:00:45 and claims it is still 9:00am and he is not late for his starting time. What is the ruling ?

ANSWER

When a starting time is listed as 9:00am, the starting time is deemed to be 9:00am, so the player is subject to a penalty under rule 6-3a if he is not present and ready to play at 9:00am. Therefore, the player is disqualified unless circumstances warrant waiving the penalty under Rule 33-7.

1ST TEE (1/4/10)

He’s made it on time for the club medal and teed his ball within the teeing ground. He made a stroke at the ball but missed it. He addressed the ball again and accidentally knocked it off the tee. What is the ruling?

ANSWER

When the player made a stroke at the ball it was in play and Rule 11-3 no longer applied. When the ball in play moved after it was addressed, the player incurred a penalty stroke and was obliged to replace the ball (Rule 18-2b)

1ST FAIRWAY (1/5/10)

Player A finds his ball touching the margin of the lateral water hazard which runs down the right side of the first fairway. As not all the ball is touching the line is the ball considered to be in the hazard or not?

ANSWER

The players ball is considered to lie in the water hazard. (Definitions Pages 42 & 43 Rules of Golf)

2ND HOLE, SHOT FROM FAIRWAY (1/6/10)

Player A plays his second shot, searches for his ball briefly and then goes back and drops another ball under under Rule 27-1. Before he plays the dropped ball, and within five minutes search period, the original ball is found. Is the player required to continue with the dropped ball?

ANSWER

Yes. When the player put the substituted ball into play at the spot of the previous stroke with the intent to play a ball under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1), the original ball was lost (see definition of “Lost Ball”). Therefore, Rule 20-6 does not apply, and he must continue with the substituted ball.

3RD HOLE, SHOT FROM GREEN SIDE

While playing the 3rd hole, player A’s ball comes to rest on the fringe of the green and next to the green side bunker. The ball is surrounded by sand from a bunker shot played earlier. As player A sweeps the sand away from his ball his opponent informs him that he is being penalised by two shots for a breach of the rules, is he correct?

ANSWER.

Yes, sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere. The penalty for breach of this rule is two shots. (Def. Loose Impediment Page 37)