No more Winter Rules.....

[doublebogey7]

That's fine and it's good the club can deem today, tomorrow as PL, given the current weather (irrespective of the time of year)

All i've quoted is EG saying a club can't just apply PL on 1st October and set it to remain in force for the next 7 months regardless of course condition

And neither could they do that previously.

 

[Slab]

And neither could they do that previously.

Yet some clubs appear to have have mailed their members with that exact information

 

[D-S]

The only real change is that now from 1st May until 30th September, if a club wants to introduce Preferred Lies they now can without reference to the County.

Everything else remains exactly the same as it was last year.

Simple.

 

[doublebogey7]

Yet some clubs appear to have have mailed their members with that exact information

Have they, I have seen no evidence of such mail being issued by any club.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

What's the rule change in question?

I'm not sure how it might affect the guys at my club.
We believe in "suggestions," not "rules."

 

[Slab]

Have they, I have seen no evidence of such mail being issued by any club.

Yeah it seems so, just from posts on this thread saying so

 

[clubchamp98]

Yet some clubs appear to have have mailed their members with that exact information

Yes ours did just that.! 1 Oct until May 2025.
It even quotes marking the ball? Lift clean and place not more than 6” from the reference point.

 

[doublebogey7]

Yeah it seems so, just from posts on this thread saying so

Fair enough, but no doubt those same clubs did the same previously, so nothing there has changed.

 

[D-S]

Yes ours did just that.! 1 Oct until May 2025.
It even quotes marking the ball? Lift clean and place not more than 6” from the reference point.

It was within their power to remove or reinstate these rules at any time from 1/10 to 30/4 without reference to anyone else - they chose to do as they did whether the conditions warranted it or not (if they thought they weren’t needed it they could/should have removed the local rule).
The only difference now is that they can do it wrongly or rightly now without any need for permission - this change doesn’t make them any better or cleverer, it just allows them to do it without seeking permission from 1/5 to 30/9 i.e whenever they like.

 

[clubchamp98]

It was within their power to remove or reinstate these rules at any time from 1/10 to 30/4 without reference to anyone else - they chose to do as they did whether the conditions warranted it or not (if they thought they weren’t needed it they could/should have removed the local rule).
The only difference now is that they can do it wrongly or rightly now without any need for permission - this change doesn’t make them any better or cleverer, it just allows them to do it without seeking permission from 1/5 to 30/9 i.e whenever they like.

I didn’t say it did.
I just said “ they have sent an email telling us it’s PL until May.!

 

[D-S]

As I have said on various WHS threads and this one, it is not the system or the rules it is the competence, knowledge and diligence of those who are charged with the oversight and control of it i.e. the Handicap Committee.
Unfortunately these capabilities and their resulting performance is incredibly variable.

 

[KenL]

On courses where drives follow the contours into shallow areas it's not that unusual.

Indeed, a few popular landing zones on my course where there are a lot of divots. GKs work hard to seed them.

 

[tobybarker]

I think the way the weather is going it makes perfect sense.
But they will have to be careful about being Q comps and major board comps with PL
I know you can have them but there not expected in summer

Will the other uk golf unions adopt it too? We are in Wales

 

[clubchamp98]

Will the other uk golf unions adopt it too? We are in Wales

Well I imagine so it does make sense to give clubs the power.

 

[Springveldt]

Email this morning from the club saying preferred lies are back off from tomorrow. I guess someone has read the new rules.

I didn’t take a single PL yesterday as it simply wasn’t needed, good call by the club to take them back off.

 

[D-S]

Email this morning from the club saying preferred lies are back off from tomorrow. I guess someone has read the new rules.

I didn’t take a single PL yesterday as it simply wasn’t needed, good call by the club to take them back off.

They could/should have done this last year too.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Email this morning from the club saying preferred lies are back off from tomorrow. I guess someone has read the new rules.

I didn’t take a single PL yesterday as it simply wasn’t needed, good call by the club to take them back off.

The GM has asked for some clarification in regards daily actions

 

[Springveldt]

They could/should have done this last year too.

To be fair, last year was ridiculous. It’s a links course and we were getting mud balls from November right through till middle of May. Wasn’t really opportunity to take them off.

 

[Orikoru]

So we just had this email:

Dear Members,

Local Rule E-3 is now in place:
"When any part of a player's ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:
Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One scorecard length from the reference point, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
Must be in the general area."
This Model Local Rule E-3 has replaced what was commonly referred to as preferred lies and there is no such term as "winter rules".
If conditions alter the rule above will be removed, it does not automatically apply until 1st May.


Just seems like another case of golf over-complicating things pointlessly. I imagine this will stay until May realistically, but instead of 'preferred lies' 'pick and place' or 'winter rules' we have to call it 'Local Rule E-3'. Political correctness gone mad!

 

[D-S]

So we just had this email:

Dear Members,

Local Rule E-3 is now in place:
"When any part of a player's ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:
Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One scorecard length from the reference point, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
Must be in the general area."
This Model Local Rule E-3 has replaced what was commonly referred to as preferred lies and there is no such term as "winter rules".
If conditions alter the rule above will be removed, it does not automatically apply until 1st May.


Just seems like another case of golf over-complicating things pointlessly. I imagine this will stay until May realistically, but instead of 'preferred lies' 'pick and place' or 'winter rules' we have to call it 'Local Rule E-3'. Political correctness gone mad!

One Scorecard Length?

That is not the correct local rule. This is the excerpt from the correct one
"For scores to be acceptable for handicapping, the Local Rule may only allow the lie to be preferred on grass cut to fairway height or less, within six inches of the original lie of the ball."

If your scorecards are longer than 6 inches then your scores with this version of the rule in place will not be acceptable.