- An unplayable lie can be declared at any time during the course of a
round. The relief procedure is as follows
- Play a ball as nearly as possible (within 2 club lengths) to the spot from which the last ball was played, while adding a penalty stroke.
- 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 on how far back you can go.
Out of Bounds, Lost Ball and Lateral Hazard.
- Course boundaries
Relief cannot be taken from an obstacle that defines the course boundary. An example of this is the fences that border #5 and #8 at Hickory Woods. You may not give yourself swing relief from this position (as you were allowed in the case of the electrical tower). You may take an unplayable lie and take a drop with a one stroke penalty.
- Out-bounds-stakes inside the course
At Hickory Woods (#9 and 18), the road over the green is OB.
Any shot past the OB stakes must be played the same as any other OB shot (see below). - The ball shall be dropped within two club lengths from where the ball crossed into the OB, lateral hazard or area where the ball was lost, but, no closer to the pin ! This point should be estimated by following the line of flight of the ball as it crossed into the problem area.
- The player is assessed a one stroke penalty for the out of bounds, relief from the hazard or replacement of a lost ball. For example, if the ball was hit out-of-bounds on the tee shot, a ball would be dropped within 2 club lengths from where the ball crossed over the out-of-bounds line (but, no closer to the pin) and you would now be hitting your third shot.
- When taking relief for a lost ball penalty you must either drop as near as
you can to where you and your opponents think you lost your ball, then take a
2-club lateral relief plus swing relief from where you and your opponent feel
the ball LAST CROSSED the margin of the hazard. In other words, you are
guaranteed a swing, but not necessarily a line to the green.
- Example Hole No 12: You slice your ball way right and it runs down the hill and into the creek between #13 green and #14 tee. You must take a 1-stroke penalty and go down to where you feel the ball last crossed the margin of the creek and take 2-club lengths plus swing relief. You may NOT just drop up in the fairway or right rough with a clear shot to the green.
- Example Hole No 9: You hook your ball into the woods on the left on your second shot. You must take a one stroke penalty and take two club lengths plus swing relief from where you and your opponent agree the ball LAST CROSSED the unmarked hazard (i.e., the tree line). This is typically loosely defined as where vegetation no longer grows or a point at which you can't walk due to excessive vegetation.
- For all shots over water after any player hits two golf balls into the water, they may drop their ball on the other side of the water. The drop should be in the rough and along a line drawn between the tee-box and the pin. At that point the player will be lying 4 (getting ready to hit their fifth shot.
- No more than 3 minutes should be spent looking for a lost ball.
- Electrical wires, telephone poles and towers
- If a telephone pole or electrical tower does not allow you to take a full swing, you may take swing relief by dropping at the nearest point of relief at a distance no greater than 2 club lengths and no closer to the hole.
- If the tower or pole is simply obstructing your shot to the green, you do NOT get any relief.
- If your ball hits the wires or tower, you must take your shot over regardless of whether or not you like the results. The shot must be replayed from the exact location of the previous shot.
- For the tower on #5 at Hickory Woods you need to find the ball in the ornamental grass before you can take the obstruction relief.
- Immovable obstruction
This would apply to man-made objects on the course which do not define the course boundary (defined as OB). If the object obstructs your swing, you may take a free drop at the nearest point of relief, but, no closer to the hole.
Local Rules are intended to over ride other rules that may not apply to a particular hole:
- Hickory Woods #18 - The drop area is located at the right corner of the fairway
- Hickory Woods #14 - See the following image/descriptions for where to drop. All of these options require taking a one stroke penalty for the drop.
We will NO LONGER be using the manhole cover as the drop area. There are no other rules in golf where a player is allowed to advance their ball 50-75 yards closer to the hole as well as getting a clear shot to the green after dropping.
The numbers on the image to the left correspond to the list below. They indicate the point where your ball entered the hazard, NOT its landing spot.
1: Water Hazard - Drop behind the water hazard (or re-tee if preferred)
2: Lateral Hazard - Drop within 2 club lengths of the hazard line (or re-tee if preferred)
3: Water Hazard - Drop behind the water hazard (or re-tee if preferred)
4: Lateral Hazard - Drop within 2 club lengths of the hazard line (or re-tee if preferred)
5: Lateral Hazard - Drop within 2 club lengths of the hazard line. THIS IS THE TRICKY SCENARIO
Just because your ball ends up here does NOT mean that it crossed over the hazard line in play, allowing you to drop all the way up here. It may be the case that your ball was in fact slicing and bounced in play and crossed the margin of the hazard up closer to 5 and you can take your drop there. But it may also be the case that you hit your ball straight into the trees on the right and it just ended up by 5. In that case, see the description below about the spot marked with the X in the image.
The important thing is that you just need to agree with your opponent on the location where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard to decide where your appropriate drop should be.
It is not critical that you get that location down to the nearest inch, but it is important that if the ball crossed near 3 or 4 that you do not drop near 5.
6: Water Hazard - Drop behind the water hazard
7: Lateral Hazard - Drop within 2 club lengths of the hazard line
If you hit your ball directly into the trees to the right of the front tee box, you can either re-tee or drop to the right of the cart path at the spot marked with the X in the image. You can NO LONGER go to the manhole cover or all the way up to 5 and drop there.
As defined in a previous rule, if you hit two consecutive shots into the water, you may drop their ball on the other side (of course taking penalty strokes for each).
For example, if you hit your first tee shot in the water at 1, you must drop behind the water hazard. If you then hit your next shot into the water at 3, then you may drop on the OTHER side of the water beyond 3.
Another example, say you hit your second shot from the fairway into the water at 6, you must drop behind the water. If you then top your next shot into the water again, then you may drop on the OTHER side of the water beyond 6.
Improve your lie anywhere except in a sand trap or water hazard. The ball should only be moved approximately 6 inches in order to find a better grass area. This can only be done where the movement of the ball does not improve your position to the pin. An even greater distance can be used if there is no reasonable grass immediately available and it does not improve your position to the pin as long as your opponents agree. What this means is that if the ball is directly behind a tree you can NOT move the ball 6 inches if moving the ball allows you an improved shot that you did not have before moving the ball. Moving the ball would have improved your position which is not allowed.
The intent of this rule is to allow you to have a decent lie, but not to change the cut of grass for the shot. So, if you are in the rough... even if the fairway is within 6 inches of your ball, you MUST keep your ball in the rough.
A free drop is allowed if your ball ends up in a decorative bush, flowers or ornamental grass so as not to damage these landscape areas. This must also be done without improving your position to the pin. In this case, the ball should be moved 2 club lengths directly back along the line defined by the pin and the obstacle.
One of the few rules we try to strictly adhere to is in regards to sand traps. You cannot ground the club (touch the sand with the club) in a sand trap. You cannot touch the ball in any way. We realize that the traps at both courses may be in bad condition. If you are in a footprint or other bad area, you can ask your opponents for a free drop. It is their decision whether or not you can receive relief. The rules committee recommends that the opponents show a sense of fair play when asked for a judgment (you may be on the other side of this decision at some point). However, relief is not required just because the sand is not raked perfectly. Relief is meant to be from footprints and areas where a small move would allow the ball to be hit from sand instead of hardpan. And, a ball can always be removed from casual water in a trap (or anywhere on the course) and replaced at the nearest point of relief in the trap. If the entire trap is under water, the ball may be removed from the trap and placed at the nearest point of relief, while keeping the trap between the ball and the pin.
- If you swing with the intention of hitting the ball, and miss it, it still counts as a stroke. You cannot say "It was mostly a practice swing". It's a stroke !
- If the ball is accidentally knocked off a tee when you are setting up for a drive, the ball may be placed back on the tee without a penalty stroke. The difference in this case is that the ball was not in play.
- If you swing at the ball on the tee and barely hit it (or knock the ball off with your divot, so that the ball still remains in the tee area, the ball may not be placed back on the tee without taking a penalty stroke. However, this can be done with the assessment of a penalty stroke, in which case you place the ball back on the tee and you are now hitting 3.
- If you make a putting stroke at the ball and miss it by going over the top, it still counts as a stroke also.
- Ball Landing on Wrong Tee or Green
If your ball lands on the wrong green, you MUST take a drop at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole and without improving your position to the green. If your ball lands on the wrong tee
- Sportsmanship
We have made a sincere effort to cover every situation that may come up during the year regarding odd playing situations. However, I am sure that we have not covered them all and that the current system could be abused by the same type of person that gets a thrill out of developing viruses that no one can catch. BUT, If we find that a person intentionally manipulates the rules to extract an advantage for themselves, the Rules Committee reserves the right to take whatever action is necessary to rectify the situation. For example : A person could walk off the course because they figure they can score better by letting their opponent play with handicap plus 3 strokes than by finishing the round. If this happens, that person will be assigned a score of 3 more than their opponent for each of the holes missed.
Non-Conforming Clubs are allowed.
Range Finders are allowed.
Honors on the first tee are determined by lot (flipping a tee, flipping a coin, or mutual consent among all competitors).
Honors from the second tee onwards are determined by Team Points.
- If your team wins more points on a hole than your opponent then your team tees off first regardless of your individual NET or GROSS score.
- If both teams win one point then the team with the honors from the previous hole retains the honors.
- In the event of an un-established handicap (new player or sub) you should use individual NET scores for competitors with established handicaps to determine honors. If either team has both players WITHOUT a handicap you should use GROSS scores for determining honors.
- In the interest of avoiding slow-play foursomes can always mutually agree to play ready golf. However, if one competitor feels the teeing order must be maintained for strategy reasons they can insist honors be kept according to the rules above.
This is an obvious grey area, but the committee feels we must remind everyone it's your responsibility to protect the integrity of the low net/low gross weekly (and yearly) competitions by making sure you ONLY concede strokes when BOTH the following conditions are met:
- Your opponent is OUT of the hole (i.e., they have no shot of winning) AND
- Their score is NOT impacting the net/gross competitions nor impacting their NET adjusted handicap for the year.
The committee felt this decision should be between the player and the sub. The program will give closest-to-pin and low net/gross awards to subs, but technically to whom the money belongs is a mutual agreement between players and their subs.
IV. ETIQUETTE
- Slow Play
Historically, the league has been plagued by a limited number of slow players. This has made it difficult to finish play before dark for the later tee times. Slow play can ruin the evening for everyone behind the slow group (we have seen 3 1/2 hour nines !). Slow play will be heavily discouraged this year. The following is the definition for slow play :
- Definition :
- If there is 1 or more holes open in front of your foursome and there
is a group waiting behind you for more than one hole, you are playing
too slowly. As it turns out, some people don't know that they
play slow. If in doubt, look at the next tee. Is the foursome in front
of you already on the next green or further ? Look behind you; is
there always someone waiting for your group from the tee or fairway?
If so -
YOU ARE PLAYING TOO SLOWLY !
Teammates and opponents are encouraged to tell the offending party that they are slowing down play for everyone behind them.
- Penalties for Slow Play
- In order to help reduce slow play, the rules committee has decided
to assess the following penalty for slow play :
- If there is one hole open ahead of your foursome, and another group is waiting on your match for at least 2 holes, the team numbers will be recorded and both teams issued a warning from the rules committee. The second time this happens, the repeat offending team will be required to tee off last for the remainder of the season.
- The rules committee members will be on watch for slow play. Other teams are encouraged to report teams that are consistently slowing down play.
- Please be on time for your scheduled tee time. If you know you are going to be late, swap times with another match.
- Try to be quiet and not move around while another player is preparing to hit the ball (any shot).
- Give your opponent plenty of room to swing the club.
- Do not stand directly in front of or behind another golfer (except your partner) when he is taking a shot. This particularly applies when your opponent is putting. While we are all interested in seeing how the opponent's putt breaks, it is rude to stand along the line of the putt. This is particularly annoying to almost every golfer at any ability level. If someone does this to you, stop and politely ask them to move.
- When on the green, do not step anywhere on the line between any ball and the pin.