"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life.
You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots
– but you have to play the ball where it lies." - Bobby Jones
Rules of Golf
(on this page anything underlined you may click on and it will send you to that link)
On this page you can click on the links that the USGA has compiled to help golfers better understand the Rules of Golf and all the new changes that occurred in 2019.
We have also added links to other rules that have either come up in our tournament play or members have had questions about.
NEW RULES OF GOLF
Rules of Golf Explained
Measuring the Size of the Relief Area Where a Ball Must Be Dropped and Played
Procedure for Taking Lateral Relief
Procedure for Taking Back-on-the-Line Relief
Playing from the wrong tee (Rule 11-5) – This may seem more unlikely, but it does happen, either from going to the wrong hole when tees are set close together on an unfamiliar course, or more likely when you absent-mindedly tee off from the yellows when the competition is being played from the whites.
In stroke play - It is a two-shot penalty, after which you must then play a ball from the correct teeing ground. You do not have to immediately go get the ball you incorrectly hit, you may use another ball. You may even use a different club when teeing off from the correct tee box.
But, you must do this before teeing off on the next hole, or state your intention to do so before leaving the putting green if you are on your last hole. If you fail to do this, the penalty escalates from two strokes to disqualification.
In Match Play - If a player, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke and play a ball from within the teeing ground.
How to continue play when a disagreement on a rule occurs - When a rule is unclear or there is a difference of opinion between members on what the rule is follow this rule for Stroke Play:
Rule 20 - C. Rules Issues in Stroke Play
No Right to Decide Rules Issues by Agreement. If a referee or the Committee is not available in a reasonable time to help with a Rules issue you have no right to decide a Rules issue by agreement and any such agreement you may reach is not binding on any player, a referee or the Committee.
You should raise any Rules issues with the Committee before returning your scorecard.
You Should Protect Other Players in the Competition. If you know or believe that another player has breached the Rules and does not recognize or is ignoring this, you should tell that player, the player’s marker, a referee or the Committee. You should do this promptly, and certainly before the player returns his or her scorecard. Your failure to do so could be serious misconduct resulting in disqualification.
Playing Two Balls. If you are uncertain about the right procedure while playing a hole, you may complete the hole with two balls without penalty:
· You must decide to play two balls after the uncertain situation arises and before making a stroke.
· You should choose which ball will count if the Rules allow the procedure used for that ball, by announcing that choice to your marker or to another player before making a stroke.
· If you do not choose in time, the ball played first is treated as the ball chosen by default.
· You must report the facts of the situation to the Committee before returning your scorecard, even if you score the same with both balls. You are disqualified if you fail to do so.
Ball Lost or Out Of Bounds - This rule does not apply when playing SSBGC golf tournaments unless you hit a provisional ball before moving forward to search for your original ball. Long and short of it there is no going back to hit a provisional once you have moved forward. See what rule we use below.
Local Rule: Alternative to Stroke and Distance
NOTE: THIS RULE IS IN PLAY IN ALL OF THE SSBGC TOURNAMENTS
How to put a provisional ball into play - Note if you decide not to hit a provisional ball after you hit a shot that may have gone out of bounds or been lost YOU MUST PLAY YOUR NEXT SHOT USING THE ALTERNATIVE RULE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE (SEE ABOVE RULE). This means you cannot go back and hit a provisional if you already advanced forward searching for your original ball. See Video above. This rule is in effect for all SSBGC events in order to keep the Pace of Play. If you do go back to hit a provisional you can incur penalty strokes and/or be disqualified from the competition.
Bunkers - Explaining impediments, unplayable lies, dropping, touching sand and more
Bunker Filled with Water
Q: The bunker is filled with water – what are my options?
A: When the bunker is filled with temporary water, you may play your ball as it lies or take free relief in the bunker. When taking free relief, you must find the nearest point of complete relief in the bunker and drop within the one club-length relief area (see Rule 16.1c(1)). If complete relief is not available, you may take free maximum available relief in the bunker and drop within the one club-length relief area from the point of maximum available relief (see Rule 16.1c(1)). Additionally, for one penalty stroke you may drop a ball outside the bunker by going back-on-the-line as far as you’d like keeping the point where your ball lies in the temporary water between you and the hole (see Rule 16.1c(2)).
In Lay terms : If you are unwilling to drop inside the bunker, then you can assess yourself a one-stroke penalty and drop outside the bunker, no nearer the hole (back-on-the-line relief).
So why penalize a golfer when the option to drop on dry sand within a bunker doesn't exist because the entire bunker is full of water?
Well, bunkers are hazards. You're supposed to avoid them, even when they are in perfect condition. Dropping outside the bunker would be an advantage for most golfers, so you don't get to do it scot-free. Moral of the story - Stay out of bunkers especially after heavy rains.
Definition of Temporary Water
The official definition of temporary water as it appears in the Rules of Golf, as written by the USGA and R&A (this is the abridged definition from the Player's Edition of the rule book):
Any temporary accumulation of water on the surface of the ground (such as puddles from rain or irrigation or an overflow from a body of water) that is not in a penalty area, and can be seen before or after you take a stance (without pressing down excessively with your feet).
It is not enough for the ground to be merely wet, muddy or soft or for the water to be momentarily visible as you step on the ground; an accumulation of water must remain present either before or after your stance is taken. This includes hazards such as a bunker.
Special cases:
*Dew and frost are not temporary water.
*Snow and natural ice (other than frost) are either loose impediments or, when on the ground, temporary water, at your option.
*Manufactured ice is an obstruction.
What to Do When You Hit Into Temporary Water
Under the rules of golf, temporary water is classified an abnormal course condition. If a golfer determines his golf ball rests in temporary water, or such a condition interferes with his stance or swing, he is entitled to relief. Rule 16 covers relief from temporary water, and breaks down the course of action depending on where your ball sits on the golf course: in the general area, in a bunker, or on the putting green. In each case, free relief is available.
Rule 16.1 is the specific section in the rule book that goes over what to do in each case. In each case, there is also a diagram in the rule book that illustrates how to find the nearest point of complete relief. So be sure to check out Rule 16.1's text for the specifics of taking free relief due to temporary water.
Penalty areas - No longer called hazards watch video for explanation of what to do if you find yourself in one. Also explains relief options for a one stroke penalty.
Yellow Penalty - Explained procedure for drops and penalty strokes.
Equipment
Two-sided club -Being two-faced is never a good thing, right? But if you need more proof, just check Decision 4-1/3, which informs us that a single-faced chipper can be A-OK (not to mention delightfully retro), but a chipper with two striking faces is nonconforming.
Make just one stroke with this or any nonconforming club, and the offending player is disqualified. If it remains unused in the bag? In stroke-play, that’s a two-stroke-per-hole penalty, with a maximum of four strokes total. In match play, an adjustment is made to the state of the match — one hole is deducted for each hole where the club was present, maximum of two holes. Talk about facing the music.
Rule 4 covers the equipment that you may use during your round.
Based on the principle that golf is a challenging game in which success should depend on your judgment, skills and abilities, you:
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Must use conforming clubs and balls,
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Are limited to no more than 14 clubs and normally must not replace damaged or lost clubs, and
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Are restricted in the use of other equipment that gives artificial help to your play.
Ball is stuck in a tree:
Sergio Garcia what a shot! click here
Consider this scenario: You play your drive, but your golf ball hits a tree next to the fairway. And it didn't come down — your golf ball is still up there, stuck in the branches. How do you proceed?
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The three options when a golf ball is stuck in a tree are to hit it out of the tree, declare an unplayable ball, or accept a lost ball penalty.
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Playing it out of the tree is the only option that doesn't carry a penalty, but is the least likely option because it means climbing the tree. And probably killing yourself.
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Invoking the unplayable ball rule incurs a one-stroke penalty, and a lost ball results in the stroke-and-distance penalty but in our club it is the alternate to stroke and distance rule if you do not hit a provisional before moving forward to search for your ball.
As a note for option 1 of hitting it out of the tree don't be like the guy in the picture.
Option 2 of "Declaring Your Ball Stuck Up in the Tree is Unplayable" remember this:
You can declare the ball unplayable under Rule 19, take a one-stroke penalty and, most likely, drop within two club-lengths of the ball (there are other options for continuing under the unplayable rule, but this is the most likely to be used in this scenario). The spot from which you measure the two club-lengths is that spot on the ground directly under where the ball rests in the tree.
But in order to use the unplayable option, you must be able to identify your ball. And you have 3 minutes to do so. You can't just assume that it's up there somewhere, and you can't just assume that a ball you see in the tree is yours. You must positively identify your ball in the tree.
That might mean trying to shake it loose from the tree or climbing the tree simply to retrieve the ball for ID purposes. Before you do either, make sure you've announced your intention to treat the ball as unplayable. If you dislodge the ball without having made your intentions clear (to continue under the unplayable rule), you'll incur a penalty stroke under Rule 9.4 (Ball Lived or Moved By You) and will be required to put the ball back in the tree! (Failure to replace a ball such moved would result in an additional one-stroke penalty.)
So make sure you identify your ball before continuing under the unplayable option and make sure you declare your intentions before retrieving or dislodging the ball from the tree.