Does the person marking your card have to be on the course for the full 18 holes

[Bellante]

So, you are playing the monthly medal with your mate and walking to your ball on the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] fairway when suddenly the hail hammers it down and you both agree to mark your balls and make a run for the clubhouse and hope you can finish the round later.
Sure enough within 20 minutes or so the hail eases, but by then with a warm Bovril and a lousy score your mate decides he’s had enough. “Look, as I’m marking your card and I can see perfectly well from here, you go back out and finish the round and I’ll sign your card accordingly”. So off you go, find your marker, play the ball and get up and down, well done.
Or is it? Although at the time four or five people, including your mate, clearly saw that you didn’t infringe any playing rules, should your mate have been with you on the course, or was he ok observing whilst supping his Bovril in the clubhouse?

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

I didn't think you could just leave the course (and head back out) unless the course was temporarily closed by the committe/pro/authorised person?

 

[atticusfinch]

[h=2]6-6a/2[/h][h=4]Competitor Plays Several Holes Without Marker[/h]Q.A plays three holes by himself while his marker, B, rests. B then resumes play and marks A's scores for the holes he (A) played alone as well as his scores for the remainder of the holes. Should A's card be accepted?
A.No. A should have insisted on B accompanying him or have discontinued play and reported to the Committee. Since A was not accompanied by a marker for three holes, he did not have an acceptable score.

 

[Colin L]

Bad weather is not considered by the Rules to be a reason for players to decide to suspend play. See Rule 6-8.

Having decided to do so because of the hail, you should have reported the circumstances to your Committee which would then decide if you were justified. If the decision was that you were not justified in suspending play, both of you would be disqualified.

As to your marker signing your card with you finishing the round on your own, I would have no difficulty with that provided he was, as you say, able to observe your play on the 18th.

 

[rulefan]

Ignoring the 6-8 problem, your marker has to testify to the accuracy of your recorded score. If he maintains and the committee agrees, that he was able to justify his signature, then it should be ok. He doesn't have to witness every single thing you did. That would be an impossible task for every marker who is also a fellow competitor.

 

[atticusfinch]

Agreed that the marker does not have to observe everything, but dec 6-6a/2 implies strongly that he must "accompany" the player.

 

[Colin L]

Well, let's say he is accompanying him from the comfort of the clubhouse while he plays his last few strokes. He might well be closer to him than my marker sometimes is after one of my wilder tee shots. :fore:

 

[atticusfinch]

Not that sure that would hold up, but give it a try.

 

[Colin L]

Not that sure that would hold up, but give it a try.

A) Both players continued their round from somewhere on the 18th fairway. Competitor A holes out in a further 3 strokes, each of which is observed by his marker who duly signs the card.

B) Competitor A continues his round from somewhere on the 18th fairway. He holes out in a further 3 strokes, each of which is observed by his marker from the clubhouse window. The marker duly signs his card.

What is different between A and B that B wouldn't hold up ?

 

[Old Skier]

OP still not said who called time out in the comp so it could all be irrelevant.

 

[Colin L]

OP still not said who called time out in the comp so it could all be irrelevant.

I think it was clear:

you both agree to mark your balls and make a run for the clubhouse and hope you can finish the round later.

The question of about the marker's signing would of course be irrelevant if the players were disqualified, so take that out of the question. Say the marker gave up and the player he was marking for finished the hole. What reason would there be for not accepting the marker's signing off the score if he observed every stroke from the clubhouse?

 

[Old Skier]

1. The marker must be a fellow competitor. As he no longer wishes to play in the comp could he/she be classified as a fellow competitor?

2. As the person is no longer on the course should he/she really be considered the marker?

one for the committee to sort out who are, judging by some posts, in a no win situation.

 

[atticusfinch]

Depends on whether the observations in example A were made while accompanying the player. You did not say.

Example B he clearly does not accompany the player so the rule is not satisfied.

 

[atticusfinch]

The definition of marker states: A marker is one who is appointed by the committee to record a score in stroke play. He may be a fellow competitor. He is not a referee.

He may but does not have to be a competitor.

 

[Foxholer]

1. The marker must be a fellow competitor. As he no longer wishes to play in the comp could he/she be classified as a fellow competitor?

2. As the person is no longer on the course should he/she really be considered the marker?

one for the committee to sort out who are, judging by some posts, in a no win situation.

1 Wrong! (try 'may' rather than 'must')
2 has already been answered

Committee is actually in an 'all win' situation - as it has Final and binding say!

 

[Old Skier]

He may but does not have to be a competitor.

Thanks for the correction, just re read it.

 

[atticusfinch]

Would you say it was ok for the marker to watch through binoculars 500 meters away?

 

[Old Skier]

Committee is actually in an 'all win' situation - as it has Final and binding say!

Quite agree, it's just a shame that some members don't and think they know best, hence my throw away "no win" comment.

 

[duncan mackie]

Would you say it was ok for the marker to watch through binoculars 500 meters away?

yes, even without the binoculars if the player returns to the tee to play another ball I wouldn't expect the marker to walk all the way back! - post #5 covers it to my mind

under the logic you seem to be trying to impose, if player a went out of sight of his marker at any point in the play of any hole during the round you are ruling that his score would be unacceptable - which it isn't.

 

[atticusfinch]

I'm not trying to impose anything, The relevant decision implies the marker must accompany the player. If the decision does not mean that I accept it. I have just posed the following question to the usga.

Decision 6-6a/2 states "quote." Does "accompany" mean the marker must be in the presence of the player or can he observe his play from elsewhere?