Allowable local rules

[jim8flog]

Following on from another thread I thought I would express my opinion on Allowable Local Rules.

The point of having them is the same as the rules in general If i play at another club I expect the rules to be roughly the same as at any club I play at.

So if my ball finished on a tee (from the other thread) I would not expect to be prohibited from playing from the tee and would not think to look at the LRs for any such LR to prohibit me from playing from there simply because I have understood for many years that such a rule is not allowable.

If every club were allowed to make up any old that they feel fit to have woe betide the visitors.

 

[Swango1980]

Following on from another thread I thought I would express my opinion on Allowable Local Rules.

The point of having them is the same as the rules in general If i play at another club I expect the rules to be roughly the same as at any club I play at.

So if my ball finished on a tee (from the other thread) I would not expect to be prohibited from playing from the tee and would not think to look at the LRs for any such LR to prohibit me from playing from there simply because I have understood for many years that such a rule is not allowable.

If every club were allowed to make up any old that they feel fit to have woe betide the visitors.

I agree with that point in many respects. After all, if you're playing an open or a league match away, who actually reads up on the local rules of that club before you play? You basically rely on a starter telling you, or home players telling you. But, generally, you don't expect anything out of the blue.

I guess, where it can be different, is the status of specific objects, and whether they are integral to the course. Or, the relief from staked trees. At our course, there is no relief from staked trees. However, to this day, a player will hit their ball a million miles into the undergrowth, to a place rarely visited, to find their ball against a fully grown mature tree / bush. They then claim they should get a drop, because there happens to be a bamboo stick lying up against it, and that you should automatically get relief from staked trees.

 

[Colin L]

Here I differ. You have the Local Rules needed for your particular course because they are needed. That some players won't bother to check on these LRs isn't a sound reason for not having any particular one. That, however, is not an excuse for a club making up any old LR it wants regardless of its validity.

Personally, I wouldn't advocate the LR being talked about for my club even it proves to be allowable. I, like others, doubt that the incidence of playing from a teeing ground other than the one with your teeing area is enough to matter given that we have a workable convention that in non-competition golf we don't play from the "wrong" tee.

 

[Swango1980]

Here I differ. You have the Local Rules needed for your particular course because they are needed. That some players won't bother to check on these LRs isn't a sound reason for not having any particular one. That, however, is not an excuse for a club making up any old LR it wants regardless of its validity.

Personally, I wouldn't advocate the LR being talked about for my club even it proves to be allowable. I, like others, doubt that the incidence of playing from a teeing ground other than the one with your teeing area is enough to matter given that we have a workable convention that in non-competition golf we don't play from the "wrong" tee.

I agree with that (that a club shouldn't have a Local Rule simply because players won't check it). All I was saying that, it is true that most players will not check the local rules (if coming from another club), so I don't believe it is a good idea for a club to implement an "unusual" local rule unless it is absolutely necessary. For this particular scenario raised by the OP, and only based on the knowledge we have, I struggle to see that their local rule is absolutely necessary.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Here I differ. You have the Local Rules needed for your particular course because they are needed. That some players won't bother to check on these LRs isn't a sound reason for not having any particular one. That, however, is not an excuse for a club making up any old LR it wants regardless of its validity.

Personally, I wouldn't advocate the LR being talked about for my club even it proves to be allowable. I, like others, doubt that the incidence of playing from a teeing ground other than the one with your teeing area is enough to matter given that we have a workable convention that in non-competition golf we don't play from the "wrong" tee.

I agree and find that there are differences due to local conditions that are either printed on the back of the card or when playing in a competition are provided on a separate sheet and outlined by the starter.

It's a dangerous assumption that all local rules are the same between clubs (as already highlighted with staked trees). In my experience paths and tracks - especially those which are not artificial surfaces are always worth a check.

A bit like Dustin Johnson, if you don't read the local rules then don't complain if you get dinged!

 

[clubchamp98]

Following on from another thread I thought I would express my opinion on Allowable Local Rules.

The point of having them is the same as the rules in general If i play at another club I expect the rules to be roughly the same as at any club I play at.

So if my ball finished on a tee (from the other thread) I would not expect to be prohibited from playing from the tee and would not think to look at the LRs for any such LR to prohibit me from playing from there simply because I have understood for many years that such a rule is not allowable.

If every club were allowed to make up any old that they feel fit to have woe betide the visitors.

Isn’t the point of local rules to tell players of local things that are not in the ROG.
The clue is local and only applies locally . On the course you are about to play.
Having Local rules that apply to all courses isn’t Local.

One I found very strange was at Appleby golf club you didn’t get a drop from the sheep s,,t .

 

[Colin L]

You mean there was actually a Local Rule saying that you didn't get relief from sheep droppings? If so, how odd. That's a new line of thinking: introduce a Local Rule to tell players they can't do what the Rules already say they can't.

 

[williamalex1]

You mean there was actually a Local Rule saying that you didn't get relief from sheep droppings? If so, how odd. That's a new line of thinking: introduce a Local Rule to tell players they can't do what the Rules already say they can't.

Aberdeen

 

[clubchamp98]

You mean there was actually a Local Rule saying that you didn't get relief from sheep droppings? If so, how odd. That's a new line of thinking: introduce a Local Rule to tell players they can't do what the Rules already say they can't.

I had only just started playing then and this is what the pro told us when we booked in!
Maybe it was just because people were taking relief.

 

[LincolnShep]

These are local rules for local people - there's nothing for you here.

 

[Colin L]

I had only just started playing then and this is what the pro told us when we booked in!
Maybe it was just because people were taking relief.

You remind me of the joys of playing courses grazed by sheep and cattle. Mind you, sheep droppings are not too bad since they are somewhat easier to brush aside with a cluibhead than cowpats. I could mention the problem of finding that your ball had half penetrated the crusty outside of a cowpat and the thought of the scatter effect of playing an explosion shot but that would be too much information.

 

[williamalex1]

You remind me of the joys of playing courses grazed by sheep and cattle. Mind you, sheep droppings are not too bad since they are somewhat easier to brush aside with a cluibhead than cowpats. I could mention the problem of finding that your ball had half penetrated the crusty outside of a cowpat and the thought of the scatter effect of playing an explosion shot but that would be too much information.

Colin that's almost BS

 

[rulefan]

Wasn't there a permitted LR for accumulations of Canada Geese droppings or was it a prohibition on such a LR?

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Canadian goose excrement is green so what's the problem?

 

[clubchamp98]

You remind me of the joys of playing courses grazed by sheep and cattle. Mind you, sheep droppings are not too bad since they are somewhat easier to brush aside with a cluibhead than cowpats. I could mention the problem of finding that your ball had half penetrated the crusty outside of a cowpat and the thought of the scatter effect of playing an explosion shot but that would be too much information.

Just put your waterproofs on.