tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78165821221652661372024-03-08T18:14:13.793-05:00Ask Linda: Golf Rules You Can UnderstandLinda Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01898415515558031420noreply@blogger.comBlogger231615tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816582122165266137.post-31395991978920366712019-12-04T10:00:00.000-05:002019-12-04T10:00:07.942-05:00The time has come…<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear readers,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The time has come for me to cease answering new questions on my Ask Linda blog. I have taken great pleasure in responding to your many challenging inquiries these past twelve years. I have come to think fondly of all of you. However, life changes (for the better, in my case, with the arrival of my grandson). I find myself with a minimal amount of spare time – not nearly enough to maintain my rules blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have no plans to remove Ask Linda from the Internet; it will remain online as a reference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish you all the best in life and golf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Regards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Linda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Linda Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01898415515558031420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816582122165266137.post-8101405771774407362019-09-02T03:00:00.000-04:002019-09-02T03:00:04.171-04:00Temporary Break from Ask Linda<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear readers,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next several months are shaping up to be extremely busy ones for me. My babysitting responsibilities will increase dramatically (looking forward to that), and the high school girl’s tennis season is about to begin (I am a tennis official). Add in a few rounds of golf each week and I’m not left with enough breathing room to answer your many questions. Accordingly (and regretfully) I am shutting down the blog until sometime in November. I will be in touch when I am ready to resume answering questions and posting columns. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Please do not send me any questions until you hear from me. </b> In the meantime, the answers you need may be found in the <i>Rules of Golf </i>and the <i>Official Guide to the Rules of Golf</i>, both of which are available for purchase from the USGA and the R&A and are also accessible online at the USGA/R&A websites. Those of you who live in the U.S. also have the option to call the USGA (908-326-1850) or send an email (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">rules@usga.org</a>) with your questions. If you email, be sure to include your name and full home address.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish all of you an enjoyable fall (or spring) season on the golf course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Linda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Linda Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01898415515558031420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816582122165266137.post-12800998901252878692019-08-30T03:00:00.000-04:002019-08-30T03:00:00.522-04:00Ask Linda 1988- Hit ball through legs <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi Linda,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for your valuable input and information, it’s great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday, one of our team members was close to a tree and wanted to play the ball as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rather than standing parallel to the tree and play the shot with one hand from the side of his foot, backwards, he stood parallel to the tree and hit the ball through his legs, backwards with the same movement, backswing and through swing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I said I will check with our specialist but I think it’s not a breach of a rule but obviously to be careful that his through swing doesn’t go too far. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lou from Germany </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Lou,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rule 10.1c does not permit you to make a stroke while you are standing across the line of play. If I understand your question correctly, the player deliberately placed his feet on each side of the line of play. The penalty is the general penalty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Linda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Copyright © 2019 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Linda Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01898415515558031420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816582122165266137.post-58287221597241262942019-08-29T03:00:00.000-04:002019-08-29T03:00:07.698-04:00Ask Linda 1987-Local Rule for Lost Ball <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Linda .. quick question for you today regarding the new USGA Local Rule regarding a lost ball. I play in a friendly group. No money changes hands but to the best we can, we do attempt to play by the Rules of Golf. In a recent round one member of our group of four lost a ball in some deep grass. After looking for a reasonable amount of time he dropped a ball in the general area that the ball was suspected to be in and played out the hole. The course was crowded and it was a long walk back to the site of the original stroke so simply dropping where he thought the ball might be was not unusual. However, at making the turn he announced his front nine score. I (perhaps foolishly) pointed out that he could not have shot that score as he had taken an "X" on the hole under question. Perhaps a surge of testosterone kicked in (although given our age that might be a stretch) but he insisted that the Rules of Golf allow this. After a quick iPhone Google search I did find where one of the 2019 changes is that a Local Rule allowing this can be adopted by a course or a committee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My question has to do with the difference between this new Local Rule "option" versus the Rules of Golf. Specifically, can you address when this new option can be invoked and if that answer is that it always applies why has Rule 18.2 not been altered to reflect the change?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lou from Texas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Lou,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In order for the player to take the two-penalty-stroke relief for a lost ball, your club must adopt Local Rule E-5 (Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds). This option is not available to the player unless it has been adopted. It is not an option in the Rules of Golf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please click on this link to read the column I published last December explaining Local Rule E-5: <a href="http://lindamillergolf.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019local-rule-e-5-alternative-to.html" style="color: purple;">http://lindamillergolf.blogspot.com/2018/12/2019local-rule-e-5-alternative-to.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just between you and me, if all of your play is with this friendly group, and you are not using your handicap to enter tournaments, consider “adopting” this Local Rule within your group. It will make the round more enjoyable for everyone (including the group behind you, which most assuredly does not want to watch one of you traipse back to the location of your previous shot to play another ball under stroke and distance). You might also talk to the course manager and see if the course might want to officially adopt this Local Rule for all casual play at the course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Linda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Copyright © 2019 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Linda Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01898415515558031420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816582122165266137.post-68032134372028648022019-08-28T03:00:00.000-04:002019-08-28T03:00:08.858-04:00Ask Linda 1986-Hit another player’s ball <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear readers,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">My answers to this reader’s questions are in the body of her letter.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi Linda,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for your website which is very helpful in explaining clearly golf situations and how to apply the rules to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a situation which occurred at our club stroke-play competition yesterday and would be obliged if you could clarify all the queries it raised!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Players A, B & C play up the 1st hole. Player B cannot find her ball after hitting her second shot. She thereafter plays another ball under lost ball procedure with penalties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the 3rd hole the tee shots of Players A & C land in same area. Player C arrives at first ball, which is not hers. She shouts out make of ball and marking. Player A says that it is not hers. It is then established that Player A must have hit Player B’s ball on the first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Player A apologises to Player B and hands the ball to her and does not continue play of that hole, saying she will No Return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Discussion takes place: Player A would be disqualified for 2 reasons – playing wrong ball and failing to rectify error before play of next hole, and for failing to hole out on the 3rd hole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Questions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(1) Player A questions how can she rectify error when she did not know she had hit the wrong ball? Should she be DQ for this rule?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: green;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, the player is disqualified for hitting a wrong ball and not rectifying the mistake prior to teeing off on the next hole. There is no excuse (and no exemption from penalty) for not knowing that the ball she hit was not hers. She should have realized she hit a wrong ball when she picked it up out of the hole. At that point, she could have corrected the error, as she had not yet teed off on the next hole. She would get the two-stroke penalty for playing a wrong ball. If she could not find her original ball, she would have to return to the tee and play another ball under stroke and distance (for a total of three penalty strokes on the hole). There is no excuse for not identifying your ball before you hit it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(2) If during play of a hole and standing on the tee player realises that they must have hit a wrong ball as the ball in hand is not theirs, however cannot be sure where the error occurred in the round, what happens?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: green;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My answer:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: green;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every effort must be made to try to establish when the player hit the wrong ball. If there is not clear evidence that the wrong ball was hit in the middle of playing a hole, there is no penalty. It may be possible that the player picked another player’s ball out of the hole and returned a different ball to the player. All of this should be easy to establish, as a player would remember whether she handed a ball to another player, and the other player should remember receiving it. It seems relatively clear in your narrative that Player A must have hit Player B’s ball on the first hole, although I have trouble understanding how she managed to play the entire second hole without noticing that she was using another player’s ball, which she had an opportunity to observe when she teed up, marked on the green, picked up out of the hole, and teed up on the next hole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(3) What adjustments if any are made to the score of Player B in the situation above?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: green;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My answer:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: green;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">None. Player B’s ball was officially lost as soon as she played another ball under stroke and distance. This is an unfortunate but unavoidable result of another player mistakenly playing her ball. Perhaps this incident will serve as a good lesson to the three players involved that they should always make certain the ball they are about to hit is theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lulu from Scotland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Linda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Copyright © 2019 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Linda Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01898415515558031420noreply@blogger.com