USGA RULES SEMINAR 1. Are you playing in a USGA sanctioned golf tournament for the first time? Events like the Chapter Championship and the follow-on levels of the EWGA Championship series are sanctioned events and the rules of golf are strictly applied. This document will help you to know what to do in most common situations. 2. The USGA sets the Rules of Golf. There are 34 very complex and detailed rules that can be difficult to understand. It is always good to keep a copy of the USGA Rules of Golf in your bag in case something unusual happens and you don t know how to proceed. The alternative is to ask a rules official for a ruling, or play a second ball on the hole until you can get a ruling. 3. This document will focus on the MOST COMMON situations that you may encounter for which you need to know the rules and how to apply them: ~ obstructions on the course that interfere with your stance or swing; ~ water hazards and the options available to you; ~ balls that go to bad places other than hazards. 4. Golf is a game of honesty and ethics expectation is that each player will exercise these qualities on a personal level throughout the game. Knowing the rules will help you to exercise those qualities. - The rules can actually help you get out of difficult situations on the course, sometimes with no penalty at all. Knowing when to apply a rule and what, if any, penalty strokes are associated with it, is extremely important. Even if you don t remember exactly what your options are, just knowing that you may have options is very important. You can consult the Rules of Golf (or this document) to refresh your memory on what you are allowed to do, or ask for a ruling from a rules official. Recommendation: DO NOT rely on your playing partners to tell you what your options are. Many times they don t know either, or may think they know and tell you something incorrect usually to your disadvantage. It is YOUR responsibility to know what the rules are. 5. First, we will start with a few basics of the game: a. Number of Clubs in the Bag. You may not carry more than 14 clubs (includes putter). Penalty: 2 strokes for every hole played maximum of 4 strokes. If extra clubs are discovered in the bag, either remove them or declare them out of play. If you use a club declared out of play, you may be disqualified. b. Stroke. A stroke is counted when the player addresses the ball and intentionally attempts to hit the ball, whether or not she actually hits the ball. Whiffs count as a stroke. Accidentally bumping the ball off the tee with the club head at address is not a stroke. When taking a practice swing, make sure you are back far enough that you won t accidentally strike the ball. It could be interpreted as a stroke. c. Ball in Play. After you have taken your first stroke on the tee box and until the ball is in the hole, the ball is in play and may not be touched with anything except your club head during a stroke. If your tee shot resulted in the ball still being on the tee box, you cannot re-tee it. It
must be hit where it lies. Touching or moving a ball in play with your hand, foot, or with any equipment (other than during a stroke) incurs a one stroke penalty. Exceptions: - On the green, you may mark your ball, lift it, clean it, and when it is your turn to putt, replace the ball in exactly the same position before removing the marker. You cannot touch or lift your ball on the green until you have marked its position first. If you touch your ball on the green to align your ball to the line of putt, it must be done before you pick up the marker. One stroke penalty for touching or lifting a ball on the green without first marking its position. - Fairway, rough, fringe of green, if your ball will interfere with another player s ability to strike their ball or is on the path of their ball, they must ask you to mark your ball. If you mark and lift your ball without their requesting you to, you incur a one stroke penalty. You may not clean your ball so don t put it in your pocket. If you clean your ball after lifting it you incur a one stroke penalty. - If the rules officials advise before or during the round that you may lift, clean, and place, you may mark your ball anywhere on the course to do that. That ruling is usually employed when the course is very wet from heavy rain, or if you are playing during the rain. - To identify whose ball it is. You may lift a ball in order to identify it. Must announce to playing partners that you intend to pick up the ball for identification so they have the opportunity to observe the lifting MUST mark the ball before lifting. Ball cannot be cleaned except to the extent necessary to identify it; ball must be replaced exactly as found. One stroke penalty if any of these procedures are not complied with. Failure to replace your ball exactly as found incurs a two stroke penalty. 6. When you find your ball in a predicament that prevents you from taking a normal stance, or an object interferes with cleanly hitting the ball, you must ask yourself two questions: ~ Is it man made or made by nature a growing thing? You DO NOT get free relief from natural growing things, e.g., weeds, tall grass, trees, shrubs, overhanging branches, old tree stumps, etc. You DO get free relief from anything man made. (Exception: Most golf courses will make local rules that apply to mulched areas around new trees and flower beds that allow free relief. You should always check before a competition round to find out if you get free relief from those particular growing things.) ~ Is it movable? If it is not attached to the ground and can be moved, you may move it before you hit the ball. 7. Rule 24 OBSTRUCTIONS. - Movable Obstructions. Anywhere on the course except in hazards you may move anything that is movable if it interferes with your stance, swing, or path of the ball. Examples: Waste baskets, yardage stakes, benches, rocks, cans, rakes, fallen tree branches, leaves, etc. If your ball lands in or on the movable obstruction, you may lift the ball, move the obstruction and drop the ball in the same spot where the obstruction was. If your ball moves as a result of 2
moving the obstruction, it must be replaced. No penalty. This does NOT include growing things like tall grass or weeds, tree branches or shrubs. - Immovable Man Made Obstructions. Examples: Cart paths, drinking fountains, buildings, porta-potties, electrical boxes, sprinkler heads, interior fences - anything put on the course that is man-made. If the object cannot be moved, and it interferes with your stance or swing, you get free relief. If there is an immovable obstruction on the green that is on your line of putt (i.e., sprinkler head), you get free relief. No penalty. If your ball is off the green and there is an immovable object (like a sprinkler head, cart path, fence, etc.) between you and the hole, but it is far enough away that it won t interfere with your stance or swing, you do not get free relief. Free relief: Drop the ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole and at a place that would not put the ball on the green or in a hazard. Determine the direction where you can take relief without going closer to the hole. Look at the ground in the area you may drop and select the most favorable spot. Position yourself in a swing stance with the club on the ground. Place a marker or tee at the spot where the ball would be. Make sure neither your feet nor the path of your swing will be affected by the obstruction (or on the cart path for example). Measure one club length from the first marker and place another marker at the end of the club being used to measure*. Pick up the club and, with your arm fully extended and level with your shoulder, drop the ball on the line between the two markers. If it rolls closer to the hole you must re-drop. You are not required to take relief. You may hit the ball where it lies if you choose to, however, if you take relief, you must take full relief, if you don t, you will incur a penalty of two strokes. * Club used to measure whenever you are measuring with a club for a drop (whether it is one or two club lengths) you may use ANY club in your bag. So, if you need to get as far as possible from an obstruction or from a hazard, pull out your driver to use for measuring. It s the longest club in your bag! Easy way to remember when you get one or two club lengths: one if its free, two if you pay. 8. Rule 26-1 WATER HAZARDS - Yellow Stakes Water Hazard. Usually for bodies of water that cross any portion of the fairway. You may hit your ball out of the water if it is playable. No penalty. If not playable, these are your options and you incur a one stroke penalty: 1) Hit again as nearly as possible from the spot of your last stroke. OR 2) Drop a ball behind the water hazard on the extension of a line between the spot your ball crossed into the hazard and the hole. No limit to how far back on that line you may go. (You must count all strokes and the penalty. Ball may be cleaned when you lift.) - Red Stakes Lateral Water Hazard. Usually indicates water or drainage ditch that runs along the side of the fairway but does not cross the fairway. You may hit your ball out of the hazard if it is playable, BUT you may not ground your club, touch or remove any loose impediments, move or remove branches or grass, etc. You have to hit it as it lies. No 3
penalty. You may, at address or during the stroke, touch obstructions, grass, shrubs, etc. without penalty. (Note: You are allowed to take a practice stroke in a hazard, BUT if you do, and it touches the ground or anything else in the hazard, you incur a two stroke penalty (Rule 13-4), so it s best not to take practice swings inside a hazard. If you should have to use a club to prevent yourself from falling, there is no penalty.) If your ball is not playable in the hazard or is lost in the hazard, choose one of the following four options and give yourself one stroke penalty: 1) Hit again as nearly as possible from the spot of your last stroke, or 2) Drop a ball behind the hazard on a line between the spot your ball crossed into the hazard and the hole. No limit to how far back on that line you may go, or 3) Drop your ball outside the hazard within two club lengths of the spot the ball crossed the hazard line, any direction but no nearer the hole. (Look for a favorable spot to drop), or 4) Drop the ball on the opposite side of the lateral water hazard, at an equal distance from the spot you went into the hazard, so long as it is not closer to the hole (this one seldom used). (You must count all strokes and the penalty. Ball may be cleaned when you lift.) - Sand Traps (Bunkers) are also Hazards, but they are not marked with stakes. Most of the same rules apply however you cannot touch the sand with your club before making your stroke, and you cannot remove loose impediments 2 stroke penalty if you do. You may declare your ball unplayable in a sand trap and for a one stroke penalty, you may: 1) Hit again as nearly as possible from the spot of your last stroke, or 2) Drop a ball on the extension of a line between the ball and the hole, but it must stay in the bunker, or 3) Drop a ball in the bunker within two club lengths of the ball, any direction but no nearer the hole. (Ball may be cleaned before dropping) NOTE: When you know for sure that your ball went into a hazard marked with either red or yellow stakes, playing a provisional ball is not an option. If you are unable to see whether your ball went into a hazard, you can hit a provisional ball until it is determined whether or not your ball went into a hazard. If you determine it is in a hazard, the provisional ball must be abandoned and you must proceed with one of the options listed above. 9. Rule 27-1 BALL LOST OR OUT OF BOUNDS. White stakes or perimeter fences mark areas that are Out of Bounds. If your ball is lost or out of bounds, your only choice is to hit another ball from the spot of your last shot and take a one stroke penalty. To save time, if you think you may have gone out of bounds or you may not be able to find your ball, you may hit a provisional ball. If you are out of bounds, pick up the original ball, or if you are unable to find your ball then the provisional ball becomes the ball in play. Count all strokes and one stroke penalty. If it turns out you are not out of bounds, pick up the provisional ball and continue play with the original ball. No penalty and you do not count the stroke(s) with the provisional ball. - If you find the ball you thought could be lost, you MUST pick up the provisional ball. You don t have the option of playing the provisional ball and you don t count the strokes taken with it. You must either play the original ball as it lies, or declare it unplayable and proceed in one of the three ways described below. - If it turns out your ball was actually in a hazard and you play a provisional ball, you are playing a Wrong Ball and incur a two stroke penalty. 4
10. Rule 28 UNPLAYABLE BALL. You can declare your ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a water hazard (see rules for water hazards). Examples: Ball surrounded by tree roots; ball lands in wooded area or tall grass/weeds (which is not a hazard), ball remains in the crook of a tree. You are the judge of whether or not your ball is playable and if you are willing to take the one stroke penalty, you may do one of the following: 1) Hit again as nearly as possible from the spot of your last stroke, or 2) Drop a ball on the extension of a line between the spot where your ball lies and the hole. No limit to how far back on that line you may go, or 3) Drop your ball within two club lengths of the spot the ball lies, in any direction but no nearer the hole. (Look for a favorable spot to drop, ball may be cleaned before dropping.) NOTE: When you hit your ball and it appears to have gone into an area that looks unplayable (other than a hazard), before you leave the tee or the spot where you hit the ball, you need to consider the options above and decide whether you want to play a provisional ball and go look for the first ball, OR declare the ball LOST and hit again. Remember, if you hit a provisional ball and you (or anyone else) finds the first ball, you may not play the provisional ball. If option 2 or 3 above isn t going to help you at all, your best option may be to declare the ball lost and hit again counting all strokes and one penalty and not even go looking for the first ball. Any time you decide to hit another ball from the spot you just hit the ball in play, you must let your playing partners know what you are doing. You must announce either that your original ball is lost or is out-of-bounds and you are putting a new ball in play, or announce that you are hitting a provisional ball and intend to look for the first one. If found, you cannot play the provisional ball, but you still have the three options above, including going back to the spot where you last hit your ball and hitting again. The ONLY time you can use the provisional ball is if your ball cannot be found, or if your original ball went out-of-bounds. A FEW OTHER RULES TO NOTE: Rule 15-2b Wrong Ball. If you play a ball that is not your own 2 stroke penalty. Hint: always mark your ball so that you can easily identify it as your own. Rules 17-3 and 19-2. Ball hitting things on the green. If your ball is on the green when you take your stroke and it hits the flag stick, another ball, or any equipment on the green, you incur a one stroke penalty. You must play your ball wherever it comes to rest. It is the player s responsibility to ask that those things be moved or a ball marked. Rule 18-5 Ball struck by another ball. If a ball at rest is hit by a ball in motion, the ball that was at rest must be replaced as near as possible to its original spot. There is no penalty for either player unless both balls were on the green (see above). The ball that was in motion must be played wherever it comes to rest. If the ball at rest, that was moved by a ball in motion, is not replaced to its original spot, that player incurs a two stroke penalty. 5
Rule 25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions: Casual water, ground under repair, or a hole or runway made by a burrowing animal. (Does not apply in water hazards.) You may take free relief one club length from the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. No penalty. Fallen Trees or Limbs: Automatically considered ground under repair. Take free relief. However, there is no free relief if in a hazard and the natural obstructions laying in a hazard cannot be removed. Tree Stumps: If in the process of removal, you get free relief. If there is no sign that the stump is being removed, you may declare the ball unplayable, for a one stroke penalty, you can drop two club lengths from where you ball lays, any direction, no nearer the hole. Rule 25-2. Embedded Ball. If your ball is embedded in its own pitch-mark in any closely mown area (fairway), you may mark the ball, lift and clean it, and drop it as near as possible to the spot where it was but no closer to the hole. No penalty. This option is not available in the rough or in hazards ball must be played as it lies. On the green you are allowed to repair ball marks, so if your ball is embedded on the green, mark your ball and lift and clean it, repair the ball mark and replace your ball in that spot. Rule 25-3 Wrong Putting Green. If your ball lands on a green other than the one you are playing to, you get free relief. You may not play your ball from a wrong putting green. Drop your ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer your hole. No penalty. 6