5. PUBLIC FOOTPATHS

PUBLIC FOOTPATHS are deemed as INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE COURSE. The ball must be played as it lies.

Priority must be given to walkers on the Public Footpaths.

Extreme care to be taken when driving to or over the footpaths. Footpaths cross the 2nd, 3rd, 13, 14th, 17th and 18th and between the 14th green and 15th tee.

6. STONES IN BUNKERS

Stones may be removed from bunkers without penalty (Rule 24-1)

The following course items are defined as IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS and therefore relief can be obtained under Rule 24-2:

• Green 150 yard markers.
• Bells on the 4th, 6th & 15th.
• Footpath signs between 14th & 15th.
• All tee marker boards.
• White, yellow, red and black tee blocks.
• Ball cleaners.
• Bench seats
• Waste paper bins.
• Sprinkler & valve covers.
• White plastic strips (No trolleys)
• Internal pathways (excluding public footpaths).

 The following course items are defined as MOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS and relief can be obtained under Rule 24-1:

• Posts and ropes.
• Next tee this way signs.
• White metal hoops.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULES

Match play - Loss of Hole | Stroke play - Two strokes

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1. OUT OF BOUNDS

A ball is out of bounds (Rule 27)

Any line, white posts, fences or walls defining the out of bounds are within the out of bounds.
a) Beyond any wall or fence bounding the course.
b) On or Beyond any line or line of white stakes bounding the course.
c) Beyond the inside face of any fence or on or Beyond any white lines to the right of the 5th hole and beyond the inside face of the fence to the left of the 7th hole.
d)The practice area to the left of the 7th hole.
e)The Clubhouse, its surrounds, Car Park areas, and the practice Putting Green and surrounds.

2. TREES

Trees staked, or with a tree guard or with a white band. If such a tree interferes with a players stance or intended swing, the ball must be lifted and dropped within one club's length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole. No Penalty.

3. WATER HAZARDS

The pond to the right of the 8th fairway, the pond to the left of the 14th fairway and the pond in front of the 18th green are all defined as water hazards.

4. PLUGGED BALL

During the period when preferred lies are in operation a plugged ball through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to the spot where it lay, but not nearer the hole. No Penalty.

A player hit his bunker shot which remained in the bunker. 

Can he or his partner rake the bunker?

Whereas Rule 13-4 states that a player must not test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard; or touch the ground in the hazard with his hand or a club, exception 2 states that after making a stroke, if the ball is still in the hazard, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard, provided nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 with respect to his next stroke. If the ball is outside the hazard after the stroke the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction.

If the action of raking the bunker does not improve the player's lie of the ball, the area of his intended swing or his line of play, he may do so.

So if the ball has been moved to another area of the same bunker he may rake the sand by his original shot.

If the ball is still in the same area he may not.

His partner may rake the bunker for him as long as his (i.e the partner) ball is not in the same bunker, as this would constitute testing the condition of the hazard.

A player realised on the 3rd hole that he had more than 14 clubs in his bag.

What is the penalty?

A player must not start a stipulated round with more than 14 clubs.He is limited to the clubs thus selected for that round, except that if he started with fewer than 14 clubs, he may add any number provided his total number does not exceed 14.

Penalty for Breach of rule 4-4 regardless of number of excess clubs carried:

MATCH PLAY- At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is discovered the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred: maximum deduction per round - two holes.

STROKE PLAY - Two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred: maximum penalty per round - four strokes.

A player must not start a stipulated round with more than 14 clubs. In the above example the breach was discovered at the 3rd hole so the player would incur a penalty of four strokes in stroke play or loss of two holes in match play.

A player's ball landed near to a white Out of Bounds stake.

As it interferred with his swing he asked if he could remove it.

Objects defining out of bounds are fixed. Improving the position of a ball by moving anything fixed is a breach of rule 13-2.

Penalty for breach of rule: Match Play - Loss of Hole: Stroke Play - 2 strokes.

A player may not take relief from objects defining Out of Bounds.

If he does so, he incurs a penalty of two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.

Player A plays his 2nd shot to the 13th green.

The ball finishes just outside the bunker on the left front of the green.

Player B plays his ball and it hits the ball of Player A into the bunker.

What is the ruling?

If a ball in play and at rest is moved by another ball in motion, the moved ball must be replaced.

Player A replaces his ball and plays it from where it was at rest before being hit by Player B's ball.

Player B plays his ball from where it has come to rest after hitting Player A's ball.

There is no penalty to either player.

A Player searches for his ball in the rough; finds a ball but can't see his identification marks. The player then lifts the ball without marking its position and fails to inform his playing partner of his action. Is there an issue?

A player is allowed to lift his ball to check if it is his, but before lifting he must announce his intention to his opponent in match play or a fellow competitor in stroke play, and then must mark the position of the ball before lifting. He may then lift the ball and identify it providing he gives his opponent, marker or fellow competitor and opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. The ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification.

If the player fails to comply with all or any part of this procedure he incurs a penalty of one stroke.

If the lifted ball is the player's ball he must replace it.

If he fails to do so he incurs a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.

The player must inform his opponent, fellow competitor or marker of his intention to lift the ball and give them an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. The position of the ball must be marked.

As long as the ball is replaced failure to do any of these actions results in a penalty of only one stroke.

If the ball is not replaced the penalty is two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.

A players ball ended up on the 11th green when playing a shot into the 14th hole. He was about to putt his ball from the 11th green over the mound onto the 14th green. A fellow competitor stopped him from putting and told him he could not play from a putting green of the hole not being played and if he did proceed he would incur a 2 shot penalty!

If a player’s ball lies on the wrong putting green, he must not play the ball as it lies. He must take relief, without penalty as follows.

The player must lift the ball and drop it within one club length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When dropping the ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference from the wrong putting green and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green. The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this rule.

Penalty for breach of rule:

Match play – Loss of hole;    Stroke play – Two strokes.

If the ball ends up on the wrong putting green. You must take relief, it is not an option to play the ball as it lies. Take relief as explained above. It is recommended (although not essential) that you mark the ball before you lift it this gives you a reference point when deciding where to drop.

A Player putted, which resulted in his ball heading towards the removed flagstick lying on the green. Can the flagstick be moved while the ball is in motion?

When a ball is in motion, an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball, other than equipment of any player, or the flagstick when attended, removed or held up, must not be moved.

A flagstick which has been removed and is lying on the green may be moved when a ball is in motion.

A player took relief from a staked tree, using  practice swings to determine his point of relief. When he played his shot he caught the lower branches of the tree. Does he incur a penalty?

Local Rule. 2. TREES

Trees staked , or with a tree guard  or with a white band, if such a tree interferes with a players stance or intended swing, the ball must be lifted and dropped within one club’s length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole. No Penalty.

Rule 20-2c states that a dropped ball MUST be redropped if "it rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken".

Therefore in this case, regardless of whether the player had taken practice swings to ensure he did not hit the tree, the very fact he did meant there was still interference from the condition from which relief was taken.

He therefore played from a wrong place, incurring a two shot penalty (Rule 20-7c).

If the player hits the condition from which relief is taken, he has played from a wrong place and incurs a two shot penalty.

Local Rule. 2. TREES

Frodsham has a local rule for trees, but for information a staked tree is an immovable obstruction (Rule 24-2) and the same principle applies.

Local rule : Trees

Tree staked, or with a tree guard or with a white band. If such a tree interferes with a player's stance or intended swing, the ball must be lifted and dropped with one club's length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole. No penalty.

There is no relief for intervention on the line of play. Therefore in this situation, when the player took relief, he played his ball from a wrong place and incurred a penalty of two shots.

Relief may not be taken if an obstruction is just on the line of play. Taking relief in this siutation would incur a penalty of two shots in stroke play.

A Player’s ball rests in an aeration hole on the green.

He asks his playing partners for relief.

An aeration hole made by a greenkeeper is not  a “hole” within the meaning of that term in the Definition of “Ground Under Repair” and relief is not given.

However the committee can make a local rule if course conditions are such that mud, extreme wetness, poor conditions and general protection of the course deem it necessary.

So if the course has been aerated, a Local Rule permitting relief, without penalty, from an aeration hole may be warranted. The following Local Rule must be displayed on the club’s notice boards:

“Through the green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation.”

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

If the player does “prefer” his lie and plays from the wrong place he will be penalised in accordance with Rule 20-7. Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

Local Rules

As provided in Rule 33-8a, the Committee may make and publish Local Rules for local abnormal conditions. You will generally see this out of season and accompanied with the Local Rule relating to “Preferred Lies”. Look out for Local rule on notice board.

A player’s ball came to rest on sprinkler head.  Player knew sprinkler heads are immovable obstructions and consequently claimed relief under Rule 24.2.  Player then claimed nearest point of relief was on greenside of sprinkler and by dropping within 1 club length of nearest point of relief, ball would be on the green.  It was pointed out a ball cannot be dropped on a green, so the player placed it on the green.  On checking rules later, it was found that incorrect action had been taken.

If the ball lies through the green (in this case sprinkler head)the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within on club length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on the putting green. 

The ball must not be dropped (or placed) on the putting green.

On dropping, the ball must come to rest within 2 club lengths of the point where it first struck a part of the course.   If it is more than 2 club lengths, it must be re-dropped.   However, amongst other things, it must be re-dropped if it comes to rest on a putting green, even if it comes to rest within 2 club lengths – Rule 20.2 c

If the ball lands in a sprinkler head or you are likely to hit the sprinkler head with your swing you are entitled to a drop without penalty, within on club length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.

If the sprinkler head is off the green the ball must not be dropped or placed onto the green and it must not come to rest on the putting green after the drop.   If a player plays from the wrong place he would receive a 2 shot penalty (Rule 20-7).

Two players putt on the putting green at the same time and the balls collide. What action should be taken and should any penalties apply.

If a ball in motion after a stroke on the putting green is deflected or stopped by, or comes to rest in or on, any moving or animate outside agency , except a worm or an insect, the stroke is cancelled. The ball must be replaced and the stroke replayed.

Thus in this situation, if it is certain that both players putted at exactly the same time, then each ball would be an outside agency in relation to the other. The definition of outside agency is "any agency not part of the match, or in stroke play, not part of the competitor's side". Therefore both strokes should be cancelled, the balls replaced and the strokes replayed with no penalty to either side. Failure to do this would result in a two shot penalty to both players for playing from the wrong place (rule 20-7).

A fellow competitor marks a player's ball on the putting green (with the player's permission). Who has to replace the ball?

A Player’s ball came to rest below the bush on the 12th. The player saw that the ball was in an animal scrape and asked for agreement to take relief. The position was inspected and it was agreed that the ball was indeed resting in an animal scrape, made by a burrowing animal and was an abnormal ground condition as defined in Section II – Definitions, page 30 of the Rules of Golf booklet.
However one of the players referred to the exception to Rule 25-1b.

Rule 25-1b provides relief to be taken from abnormal ground conditions.

The exceptions one of the players referred to state:

A player may not take relief under this Rule if

(a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to  make a stroke because of interference by anything other than an abnormal ground condition or

(b) interference by an abnormal ground condition would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.

In the above incident, the player was told he could not obtain relief under Rule 25-1b.

The player then decided to declare the ball unplayable and proceed under Rule 28.

In this example the player clearly could not play a shot because of interference from the BUSH first and foremost (it restricts either the player’s stance or area of intended swing).  The abnormal ground condition is a secondary issue.

The player declared the ball unplayable and under penalty of one shot had 3 options under Rule 28:

• Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the ball was last played
• Drop a ball behind where the ball lay, keeping that point between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far the behind that point the ball may be dropped
• Drop a ball within two club lengths of the spot where the ball lay but no nearer the hole.