Local Rules

[whaley]

Can you have a local rule that determines the route in which you play a particular hole? For instance, stating that you must cross a stretch of water twice, with two separate shots.

 

[doublebogey7]

Not without getting specific authority from the R&A, and I doubt they would grant it.

 

[Foxholer]

A Local Rule does not have to conform to any actual logic! But it must be obeyed - even if it wouldn't get authority from R&A - as that's part of the definition of 'Rules' (along with Rules of Golf, Conditions of Competition, Decisions and Equipment Specs)!

I know of at least 1 club where 'Putter only on Greens' is an LR - clearly one that wouldn't/doesn't stand up to proper scrutiny! Others have stated either 'No Woods' or 'Irons only' allowed from Tee ... where stray tee shots could cause danger to nearby residents!

LRs are one of the first things reviewed when 'serious' events are held at courses! A considerably high percentage are scrapped or amended!

Internal OB notwithstanding, there is nothing (legit) that a course designer/club committee can do to insist that a hole be played a certain way!

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Can you have a local rule that determines the route in which you play a particular hole? For instance, stating that you must cross a stretch of water twice, with two separate shots.

If you do have this rule what is the penalty for breach?

 

[Marc Cools]

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-33,33-8
There are rules for making Local Rules.

I doubt if the mentioned examples meet the requirements for a proper Local Rule.
If you want to influence the way a hole is played you can to my knowledge only declare parts of the course OOB when playing that hole. Like with doglegs declaring the inside OOB to avoid that an ascending fairway is played in both directions with safety issues.

 

[whaley]

the stated penalty for breach is - Match Play – Loss of hole; Stroke Play – Two strokes.

 

[whaley]

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-33,33-8
There are rules for making Local Rules.

I doubt if the mentioned examples meet the requirements for a proper Local Rule.
If you want to influence the way a hole is played you can to my knowledge only declare parts of the course OOB when playing that hole. Like with doglegs declaring the inside OOB to avoid that an ascending fairway is played in both directions with safety issues.

My thoughts exactly. And the way the hole is laid out, dog leg with tee shot over water hazard (crossing the fairway at the dog leg), means that if you end up in the drink you struggle to drop the ball, keeping the point of entry in line with the flag (not a lateral hazard at this point). There is also internal out of bounds to convince you to play the hole as required. But if you end up in the water the rule about crossing the brook twice means a pointless shot to chip over the water before playing to the green, when you can arguably play to the green from your drop. It's essentially poor design and the local rule is there to get you to not play for the green from the tee.

 

[rulefan]

If you are in the CONGU area, any comps played with this LR in force would not be handicap qualifiers. The club would be well advised to make sure that any course rating team does not become aware of it as all comps played previously could lose their
status.

With all the courses in England being re-rated, many clubs are being required to correct their 'local' local rules and reprint their cards.

 

[TomTom]

No!

 

[Colin L]

If there is no way round putting some sort of constraint on the length or direction of a shot for an essential safety reason (and that can happen), the club can only make such a requirement a club rule. It cannot be a Local Rule or a Condition of Competition. A player who ignores it cannot be penalised in a competition in any way. He can, however, be dealt with for a breach of club discipline with a club sanction imposed. Not much you can do about visitors who disregard the restriction other than put them on a no-return list.

It can work.

 

[rulefan]

But shouldn't be attempted

 

[Colin L]

But shouldn't be attempted

And the alternative when faced with the strong possibility of seriously injuring or even fatally injuring a neighbour together with understandable and justifiable threats of legal action from neighbours is ......?

 

[rulefan]

Put a problem in the intended landing area of the corner cutter. eg a nest of bunkers, some nasty bushes (gorse say) or a pond.
I've seen this done at a few courses.

 

[Colin L]

You will guess of course the we have been through all the possible means you could think of, but at the moment the landing area for a long hitter is the green. Until the trees we have planted mature, there is no way of blocking a direct tee shot for the green. Believe me., if there were a way it would have been done. I am not alone in disliking the arrangement hugely.

 

[jim8flog]

The safety aspect is simple. You have a bell in the appropriate area and a requirement that any player intending to drive in to this area should not do so until the bell is sounded. We have 3 such holes where I play.