Rule 5: Playing the Round
R. 5.2b: Stroke play: You may practice on the competition course after you complete your final round for that day. You may not practice if you will participate in a play-off later that same day. And if a competition is scheduled, for example, for Saturday and Sunday, and you are not scheduled to play until Sunday, you may practice on the competition course on Saturday.
Match play: You may practice on the course before your round and between rounds.
(Note: The Committee may adopt a Local Rule to amend this Rule in stroke or match play.)
R. 5.3a: If you arrive at the tee late, but within five minutes of your scheduled start time, you get the general penalty (loss of hole in match play; two strokes in stroke play). If you start early, but no more than five minutes early, you get the general penalty. Any later or earlier and you will be disqualified.
R. 5.4b: If you leave the group you are assigned to, without prior or post approval by the Committee, you are disqualified.
R. 5.5a and Int. 5.5a/1: The following are not considered practice strokes: a practice swing with no intent to hit the ball; hitting a practice ball back onto the range or to return a ball to another player; strokes when you play out a hole whose result has already been decided; hitting a tee or a natural object (such as a stone or a pine cone). However, you will get the general penalty if you make a practice stroke with a plastic practice ball.
R. 5.6a and Int. 5.6a/1: The penalty for unreasonable delay is one stroke for the first breach, the general penalty for the second breach, and disqualification for the third breach. Searching for a lost ball for several minutes after the three-minute limit has passed is one example of unreasonable delay. The Committee should allow a suddenly ill or injured player up to 15 minutes to recover.
R. 5.6b(1): Players should make a stroke within 40 seconds, but it is expected that most of the time they will hit in a shorter amount of time.
R. 5.6b(2): Players in a match may agree to play out of turn to speed up the pace of play. (I would suggest you not do this when it means giving up an advantage.) In stroke play, players may play “ready golf” when it can be done safely and responsibly.
Rule 6: Playing a Hole
R. 6.2b(4): If you move a tee marker before you play from the teeing area because it’s location is inconvenient for you (i.e., you move it to improve the conditions affecting the stroke), you get the general penalty.
Int. 6.2b(6)1: Whenever you play your ball from the teeing area of the hole you are playing, you may move it to another spot and you may tee it up. For example, if you whiff your tee shot, and the ball either remains up on the tee or falls off, you may re-tee, play it as it lies, or move it elsewhere within the teeing area.
R. 6.3b(1): Whenever you take relief under a Rule (e.g., ball in penalty area, unplayable ball, etc.), or play again from where the previous stroke was made (stroke and distance), you may play the original ball or substitute another ball. Whenever you replace a ball on a spot (e.g., ball lifted from putting green), you must use the original ball.
R. 6.3b(2): Whenever you put another ball in play under stroke and distance, you must continue play with that ball even if your original is subsequently found within three minutes.
Note: If you substitute another ball without authority, you can correct the error under R. 14.5 before you play the ball, avoiding the general penalty for playing an incorrectly substituted ball.
Int. 6.3c(1)1: Most of you know that if you hit a wrong ball (see the definition of wrong ball) you get the general penalty and, in stroke play, you do not count any strokes or penalty strokes while playing that wrong ball (you only count a two-stroke penalty). However, you do have to count any penalties that you get while playing the wrong ball that could also apply to your ball in play. For example, if you make a practice stroke, play another wrong ball, or ask for or give advice, you must count those penalties in your score for the hole.
R. 6.3c(2): If it is known or virtually certain that another player played your ball, you must replace the original ball or another ball on the original spot. If you don’t know the original spot, you must estimate it.
R. 6.4a(2): If you invite your opponent (match play) to play out of turn, or agree to his request to do so, you may not subsequently cancel that stroke.
R. 6.4b(1): Honour on the tee is based on gross scores, even if you are playing in a handicap competition.
R. 6.4b(1): In stroke play, if two or more players agree to play out of turn in order to give one of them an advantage, all of the players involved get the general penalty. (In the past, the penalty was disqualification.)
R. 6.4(c): When your group is teeing off, if you decide to hit a provisional ball, correct order is to wait until everyone in your group has teed off.
Copyright © 2018 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
