20 Most Important Changes to Rules of Golf 2019
- Search time - Reduced from 5 to 3 minutes
- Ball moving during search - replace (no penalty)
- Embedded ball - free relief anywhere
- Measuring a drop - Use longest club (except putter)
- Dropping ball - knee height rather than shoulder
- Taking stance on wrong green not permitted
- Ball hits player or equipment - no penalty
- Double hit - counts as one stroke
- Touching sand in bunker incidentally - is permitted
- Loose impediments can be removed anywhere
- Drop a ball out of a bunker - 2 penalty strokes
- Water hazards now penalty areas
- Touching ground in water/penalty areas acceptable
- Ball moves on green after being marked - put back without penalty
- Ball accidentally moved on putting green - replace (no penalty)
- Can repair all damage on green
- Positioning a club for alignment not permitted
- Caddie assisting with alignment not permitted
- Ball hitting a flag stick on putting green allowed
- Ball wedged against side of hole and flagstick deemed as hole
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Question: A player removes an out of bounds post on her line of play. She realises she has made a mistake and replaces it before playing her next stroke. What is the ruling?
(a) As the post was replaced before the next stroke was played there is no penalty.
(b) The player was in breach of Rule 13-2 the moment she removed the post and there was nothing she could do to avoid the penalty of 2 strokes. The replacement of the post before the next stroke was irrelevant.
(c) The player restored the post to its original position and therefore gained no advantage with respect to her next stroke. In equity (Rule 1- 4) the penalty of 2 strokes under Rule 13-2 is reduced to a 1 stroke penalty
Answer: B (Decision 13-2/25
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(a) As the post was replaced before the next stroke was played there is no penalty.
(b) The player was in breach of Rule 13-2 the moment she removed the post and there was nothing she could do to avoid the penalty of 2 strokes. The replacement of the post before the next stroke was irrelevant.
(c) The player restored the post to its original position and therefore gained no advantage with respect to her next stroke. In equity (Rule 1- 4) the penalty of 2 strokes under Rule 13-2 is reduced to a 1 stroke penalty
Answer: B (Decision 13-2/25
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Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) The Committee has the power to waive a Rule of Golf in exceptional circumstances.
(b) The Committee has the power to waive a Rule of Golf provided all competitors are given adequate warning.
(c) The Committee has no power to waive a Rule of Golf
Answer:C
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(a) The Committee has the power to waive a Rule of Golf in exceptional circumstances.
(b) The Committee has the power to waive a Rule of Golf provided all competitors are given adequate warning.
(c) The Committee has no power to waive a Rule of Golf
Answer:C
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TRUE OR FALSE
A) While waiting to play a shot onto the putting green, a player dropped a ball on the fairway and struck it a couple of times with her putter. This is practising in breach of Rule 7-2.
TRUE: A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.
B) A ball is out of bounds when any part of it lies out of bounds.
FALSE: A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds - see Definition of Out of Bounds
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A) While waiting to play a shot onto the putting green, a player dropped a ball on the fairway and struck it a couple of times with her putter. This is practising in breach of Rule 7-2.
TRUE: A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.
B) A ball is out of bounds when any part of it lies out of bounds.
FALSE: A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds - see Definition of Out of Bounds
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Shoulder Alignment
This is one area that can go wrong so easily even without you noticing.
Just because your feet and hips are square to the ball to target line does not mean your shoulders are! If they are in the wrong position you will hit shots off line.
A good way to check this is to get a friend to put a pole/alignment stick across your shoulders, or you could strap a pole across your chest, this is easy to do and will help you see if your upper body is perfectly in line with your lower body.
Center line
Take an alignment cane and position it approx’ 10 paces in front of your ball, directly on the ball to target line. This cane now represents your “center line”. Hit various shots either side of the cane focusing initially on initial start direction (establishes outer edge of your shot cone) before then creating the required curve (hopefully without crossing your center line). This drill is an ideal way to bring the range to life and an excellent way of developing ball control. After a session or two you will start to notice a preferred shot that is reliable and some of the weaker areas that need development.
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This is one area that can go wrong so easily even without you noticing.
Just because your feet and hips are square to the ball to target line does not mean your shoulders are! If they are in the wrong position you will hit shots off line.
A good way to check this is to get a friend to put a pole/alignment stick across your shoulders, or you could strap a pole across your chest, this is easy to do and will help you see if your upper body is perfectly in line with your lower body.
Center line
Take an alignment cane and position it approx’ 10 paces in front of your ball, directly on the ball to target line. This cane now represents your “center line”. Hit various shots either side of the cane focusing initially on initial start direction (establishes outer edge of your shot cone) before then creating the required curve (hopefully without crossing your center line). This drill is an ideal way to bring the range to life and an excellent way of developing ball control. After a session or two you will start to notice a preferred shot that is reliable and some of the weaker areas that need development.
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TRUE OR FALSE
A) A player plays from teeing ground, searches briefly and then goes back to tee and tees up ball. Before she plays the teed ball, and within the 5-minute search period, the original ball is found. May the player abandon the teed ball & play the original ball?
TRUE - The teed ball was not in play since the player had not yet made a stroke at it
B) A player plays her second shot, searches for her ball briefly and then goes back and drops another ball under Rule 27-1. Before she plays the dropped ball, and within the 5-minute search period, the original ball is found. Is the player required to continue with dropped ball?
TRUE - When the player dropped the ball, this ball was in play and so the original ball was lost
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A) A player plays from teeing ground, searches briefly and then goes back to tee and tees up ball. Before she plays the teed ball, and within the 5-minute search period, the original ball is found. May the player abandon the teed ball & play the original ball?
TRUE - The teed ball was not in play since the player had not yet made a stroke at it
B) A player plays her second shot, searches for her ball briefly and then goes back and drops another ball under Rule 27-1. Before she plays the dropped ball, and within the 5-minute search period, the original ball is found. Is the player required to continue with dropped ball?
TRUE - When the player dropped the ball, this ball was in play and so the original ball was lost
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PRE-SHOT ROUTINE
Professionals practice their pre-shot routines, this helps them in pressure situations. They stick to the same routine all the time, be it on the 1st hole, the 18th hole, on a practice round, a pro-am or a tournament. As Amateurs, we are forever trying to fix what we just did wrong. See below for some hints/tips for a pre-shot routine:
Professionals practice their pre-shot routines, this helps them in pressure situations. They stick to the same routine all the time, be it on the 1st hole, the 18th hole, on a practice round, a pro-am or a tournament. As Amateurs, we are forever trying to fix what we just did wrong. See below for some hints/tips for a pre-shot routine:
- A full practice swing
- Stand behind the ball and visualize the shot
- Pick a point in front of the ball to aim at, line up by aiming at that point
- Concentrate on the target, not on your swing
- Settle your feet and have a couple of waggles
- Take two last looks then pull the trigger!!
QUIZ QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNTY'S PRESENTATION
1. Ball Identification - Gwen was playing the 7th hole and Di was playing the 4th hole. They hit their balls into the same area of rough. The balls were found close together but were of the same make and number with no other identifying marks. What is the ruling?
A Both players incurred a one-stroke penalty and must decide which ball is which based on lot (spin of coin?)
B There was no penalty and they must decide which ball to play as in “A”
C Both players incurred a one-stroke penalty and must go back to where they played their previous strokes from i.e. take “stroke & distance” as both balls are considered lost
Answer: C Applicable Rule: 27 Decision 27/10
Definition of Lost Ball (This incident underlines the advisability of the player putting an identification mark on his ball – see Rules 6-5 and 12-2)
2. Accidental hit with practice Swing - Sandra’s tee shot was on the fairway. Before playing her second stroke she took a practice swing and accidentally caught the ball with the toe of the club. The ball flew sideways and came to rest in a fairway bunker. What was her situation?
A She was deemed to have played two strokes and must play her third from the new location in the bunker
B She was penalised one stroke and must replace her ball in its original location on the fairway
C She was penalised two strokes and must replace her ball in its original location on the fairway
Answer: B Applicable Rule: 18-2a Decision 18-2a/20
Sandra did not make a stroke at the ball (see definition of Stroke) and so she had no intention of moving it. But, she is penalised for moving her ball in play - and the ball must be replaced.
3. Ball Lying on Bridge - Anne’s ball came to rest on the footbridge spanning the water hazard on the 4th hole. The ball was deemed to be within the boundaries of the hazard when extended vertically. Which of the following statements is correct?
A The ball may be played from where it lay but the club must not be grounded
B The ball may be played from where it lay and the club may be grounded
C The ball may be lifted and dropped behind the hazard without penalty
Answer: B Applicable Rules: 13-4 & 26-1 Decision: 13-4/30
The bridge is considered an “obstruction”. The club may touch an obstruction at address. See the Note under Rule 13-4
4. Striking Opponent’s Ball on the Green in a Match - Cynthia and Heather were playing a match. On the 8th hole, both balls lay on the green with Heather’s ball nearer to the hole. Cynthia misread the putt and her ball struck Heather’s ball causing it to move. Which is true?
A Cynthia lost the hole because her ball struck Heather’s ball
B Heather lost the hole as she should have marked and lifted her ball prior to Cynthia’s putt
C There is no penalty. Cynthia must play her ball as it lies and Heather must replace her ball.
Answer: C Relevant Rule: 19.5a
In match play there is no penalty
In stroke play there would be a 2 stroke penalty
5. Playing From Outside the Teeing Ground - Morag was playing in a County League Match against Alison at The Bedford. Alison played from outside the teeing ground on the 6th hole & unfortunately hit her ball into the water hazard. What is the ruling?
A Alison lost the hole for playing from outside the teeing ground
B Alison should play another ball from inside the teeing ground under penalty of one stroke
C Morag may ask Alison to cancel the stroke and play another from within the teeing ground without penalty
Answer: C Applicable Rules: 11-4.a
6. Karen competed in a Stableford competition and scored 39 points - She checked the points hole by hole with her marker, signed her card and returned it to the committee. After the competition was closed, it was discovered that, although the points were correct, the gross score for one hole was lower
than that actually taken. Should Karen be disqualified?
A No - She had signed for 39 points which was correct
B Yes - She had signed for the gross score on each hole and the points were irrelevant.
Answer: B Applicable Rules: 6-6d 34-1b
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1. Ball Identification - Gwen was playing the 7th hole and Di was playing the 4th hole. They hit their balls into the same area of rough. The balls were found close together but were of the same make and number with no other identifying marks. What is the ruling?
A Both players incurred a one-stroke penalty and must decide which ball is which based on lot (spin of coin?)
B There was no penalty and they must decide which ball to play as in “A”
C Both players incurred a one-stroke penalty and must go back to where they played their previous strokes from i.e. take “stroke & distance” as both balls are considered lost
Answer: C Applicable Rule: 27 Decision 27/10
Definition of Lost Ball (This incident underlines the advisability of the player putting an identification mark on his ball – see Rules 6-5 and 12-2)
2. Accidental hit with practice Swing - Sandra’s tee shot was on the fairway. Before playing her second stroke she took a practice swing and accidentally caught the ball with the toe of the club. The ball flew sideways and came to rest in a fairway bunker. What was her situation?
A She was deemed to have played two strokes and must play her third from the new location in the bunker
B She was penalised one stroke and must replace her ball in its original location on the fairway
C She was penalised two strokes and must replace her ball in its original location on the fairway
Answer: B Applicable Rule: 18-2a Decision 18-2a/20
Sandra did not make a stroke at the ball (see definition of Stroke) and so she had no intention of moving it. But, she is penalised for moving her ball in play - and the ball must be replaced.
3. Ball Lying on Bridge - Anne’s ball came to rest on the footbridge spanning the water hazard on the 4th hole. The ball was deemed to be within the boundaries of the hazard when extended vertically. Which of the following statements is correct?
A The ball may be played from where it lay but the club must not be grounded
B The ball may be played from where it lay and the club may be grounded
C The ball may be lifted and dropped behind the hazard without penalty
Answer: B Applicable Rules: 13-4 & 26-1 Decision: 13-4/30
The bridge is considered an “obstruction”. The club may touch an obstruction at address. See the Note under Rule 13-4
4. Striking Opponent’s Ball on the Green in a Match - Cynthia and Heather were playing a match. On the 8th hole, both balls lay on the green with Heather’s ball nearer to the hole. Cynthia misread the putt and her ball struck Heather’s ball causing it to move. Which is true?
A Cynthia lost the hole because her ball struck Heather’s ball
B Heather lost the hole as she should have marked and lifted her ball prior to Cynthia’s putt
C There is no penalty. Cynthia must play her ball as it lies and Heather must replace her ball.
Answer: C Relevant Rule: 19.5a
In match play there is no penalty
In stroke play there would be a 2 stroke penalty
5. Playing From Outside the Teeing Ground - Morag was playing in a County League Match against Alison at The Bedford. Alison played from outside the teeing ground on the 6th hole & unfortunately hit her ball into the water hazard. What is the ruling?
A Alison lost the hole for playing from outside the teeing ground
B Alison should play another ball from inside the teeing ground under penalty of one stroke
C Morag may ask Alison to cancel the stroke and play another from within the teeing ground without penalty
Answer: C Applicable Rules: 11-4.a
6. Karen competed in a Stableford competition and scored 39 points - She checked the points hole by hole with her marker, signed her card and returned it to the committee. After the competition was closed, it was discovered that, although the points were correct, the gross score for one hole was lower
than that actually taken. Should Karen be disqualified?
A No - She had signed for 39 points which was correct
B Yes - She had signed for the gross score on each hole and the points were irrelevant.
Answer: B Applicable Rules: 6-6d 34-1b
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Question: In match play, to win the hole. You hold the flagstick with one hand and hole a short putt, gripping the putter with the other, what is the ruling?
Answer: There is no penalty. Provided the flagstick has been removed from the hole and the ball does not strike it, there is no penalty.
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Answer: There is no penalty. Provided the flagstick has been removed from the hole and the ball does not strike it, there is no penalty.
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Pavenham Park Golf Club - Competition Handicaps
Dear Ladies for your information:
Dear Ladies for your information:
- To be eligible to win prizes in the Club Honours Board competitions, you will be required to hold a 'Competition' handicap.
- To hold a 'Competition' handicap you will need to have returned at least 3 qualifying scores in the previous Calendar year. If you have returned less than 3 qualifying scores you will have an 'Non-Competition' handicap. You can check the status of your handicap at www.masterscoreboard.com. Your handicap will have a 'c' by it to denote a 'Competition' Handicap.
- If you hold a 'Non-Competition' handicap you will need to play in 3 new qualifying competitions at Pavenham Park to get yourself a 'Competition' Handicap. These can be either Stableford or Medal rounds. The qualifying competitions start with the Captain's Drive In on Saturday 3rd March 2018.
- You can also submit Supplementary Scores to get a 'Competition' handicap
- You can submit 10 Supplementary Scores a year
- This is limited to one per week
- You need to inform the Pro Shop prior to playing of your intent to submit a Supplementary Score
- If you submit Supplementary Scores to get a 'Competition' handicap, please bear in mind that you will still need to play in the required number of qualifying competitions to be eligible to win prizes in the Honours Board events.