Holes restricted to irons off the tee

Jigger

Club Champion
Joined
Aug 25, 2009
Messages
1,798
Visit site
On our course we have a long par 4 hole that has a sign that says drivers, fairway woods and hybrids are prohibited off the tee under all circumstances but there are plenty that argue that this can’t be held up in competitions. Its not listed as a local rule on the card. Is it enforceable?
 

rulefan

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
14,484
Visit site
On our course we have a long par 4 hole that has a sign that says drivers, fairway woods and hybrids are prohibited off the tee under all circumstances but there are plenty that argue that this can’t be held up in competitions. Its not listed as a local rule on the card. Is it enforceable?
Not for handicap qualifiers
 

jim8flog

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
14,695
Location
Yeovil
Visit site
It cannot be for qualifying competitions but a club my well have in force a disciplinary procedure for those that ignore it, which may be a ban for playing in future comps.
 

patricks148

Global Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
24,491
Location
Highlands
Visit site
On our course we have a long par 4 hole that has a sign that says drivers, fairway woods and hybrids are prohibited off the tee under all circumstances but there are plenty that argue that this can’t be held up in competitions. Its not listed as a local rule on the card. Is it enforceable?
What's the reasoning for this?
 

hairball_89

Club Champion
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
1,125
Visit site
I've never really understood this.

My dad hits hit driver about 180 yards arrow straight. I hit my 5 iron the same distance, and with a wider dispersion. presuming this is a "don't danger houses" type of sign, is the club choice relevant?! Much like "tee shots must not be longer than x yards" which although fairer, is still illegal to my knowledge?
 

Voyager EMH

Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
Joined
Mar 14, 2021
Messages
5,141
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
On our course we have a long par 4 hole that has a sign that says drivers, fairway woods and hybrids are prohibited off the tee under all circumstances but there are plenty that argue that this can’t be held up in competitions. Its not listed as a local rule on the card. Is it enforceable?
I would use a 1-iron then.

ones and twos.JPG
 
Last edited:

rulefan

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
14,484
Visit site
Having reread Colin's Club's rule in the earlier thread I realise there is no stroke penalty involved. Therefore, as the player's score is not affected on that round I can see why the SSS (CR) was not affected. If there was a penalty for hitting too far, it would be rated as for a forced layup.

FIRST HOLE
SAFETY NOTICE
To protect our neighbours and their properties, you must play your tee shot from the red, yellow or white tee on the 1st hole with the intention that the ball stops no nearer the hole than the left hand bunker. Deliberately playing beyond this limit will be considered an intentional disregard for safety and a serious breach of club discipline.


I believe that Scottish Golf would at that time have already been rating using the USGA system and rounding for the SSS.
 

Colin L

Tour Winner
Joined
May 26, 2012
Messages
5,269
Location
Edinburgh
Visit site
Having reread Colin's Club's rule in the earlier thread I realise there is no stroke penalty involved. Therefore, as the player's score is not affected on that round I can see why the SSS (CR) was not affected. If there was a penalty for hitting too far, it would be rated as for a forced layup.

And the reason for there being no golfing penalty was that the restriction could not be imposed as a local rule. That was pre-2019 and I now wonder if a stroke penalty could be worked through a Code of Conduct but as far as I know there isn't any problem of players deliberately flouting the requirement and there's no point in spending time working out solutions to problems that don't exist. The arrangement is sanctioned by Scottish Golf for acceptable scores.
 
Last edited:

jim8flog

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
14,695
Location
Yeovil
Visit site
And the reason for there being no golfing penalty was that the restriction could not be imposed as a local rule. That was pre-2019 and I now wonder if a stroke penalty could be worked through a Code of Conduct but as far as I know there isn't any problem of players deliberately flouting the requirement and there's no point in spending time working out solutions to problems that don't exist. The arrangement is sanctioned by Scottish Golf for acceptable scores.

Interesting that SG sanction it. We used to have one such hole on our nine hole course players originally were told they must play short of a weir pool half way to the hole, a drivable par 4, the trouble was the narrow river to the right used by a lot of anglers on the opposite bank, so it was done on H&S grounds because a big slice could easily go over the river slice.

County informed us such a rule was not allowable but that was back in the late 80s and it was removed.
 

Jigger

Club Champion
Joined
Aug 25, 2009
Messages
1,798
Visit site
I'll ask again, why is the hole restricted?

I don’t see you previously asking.

Finally got my attachment to work! The hole from bottom right to top left is the one in question. All tees have been moved to the shortest tee box but it’s because the houses on the left.

Rumours say someone put a window out but if you stood on the tee, that would seriously have to be malicious so I wondering if it’s constant driver noise.

Left of the left lake is OB so no funny route people are taking. I’d estimate its 160 to the front of the lake.
8EAC1A60-C601-4792-BF58-302CF7A23A02.jpeg
 

Jigger

Club Champion
Joined
Aug 25, 2009
Messages
1,798
Visit site
There is a hole at Leatherhead where drivers are banned, I believe the houses lining the fairways were owned/lived in by Chelsea players.
This is where this does get a bit ironic.

In the pic above, where the big houses have been built was originally two holes of the course. One hole followed a lot closer to the line of older houses on the very left of the pic and there was no issue. It was just a OB course boundary.
 

patricks148

Global Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
24,491
Location
Highlands
Visit site
I don’t see you previously asking.

Finally got my attachment to work! The hole from bottom right to top left is the one in question. All tees have been moved to the shortest tee box but it’s because the houses on the left.

Rumours say someone put a window out but if you stood on the tee, that would seriously have to be malicious so I wondering if it’s constant driver noise.

Left of the left lake is OB so no funny route people are taking. I’d estimate its 160 to the front of the lake.
View attachment 44933
Not unusual, people buy houses next to a golf course them complain about golf balls. Dornoch had to move the fairway on the 3rd, hole had been there 250 years before the houses. we had to change the 1st hole on our 9 hole again had been there 100 years before the houses that bought land from the club, then made the club change the hole from.a par 4 to a par 3.

Alas the law is always on their side.

When nairn sold the land next to the practice ground, all the houses but one were purchased by members except one there's complaints about balls in his garden. He's threatened legal action several times. The club has offered to put netting up along the boundary which none of the other houses want, so they keep him in.line. how long that will last is another matter
 
Top