bobmac
Major Champion
What would happen if 100 people turned up on the first tee hoping to play a few holes before a comp?
Playing the course prior to a stroke play competition
- Thread starter NearHull
- Start date
Neilds
Assistant Pro
Not sure what your point is. As most comps at my place are less than 100 entrants, not something I would need worry about.
bobmac
Major Champion
Ok, 75...50...does it matter?
I was told many years ago that practice on a course on the day of a stroke play event was nigh on impossible with the numbers potentially involved.
However, match play games only involve 4 players at most so ample opportunity for all 4 to get on the course so fair for all 4 which is why it's allowed in match play
If the club had a booking system, this would not happen. You book a slot, out you go. No slot, you can't go out.
bobmac
Major Champion
On a medal day?
rulefan
Tour Winner
I believe that all our County comps have one round in the morning and the second in the afternoon
Neilds
Assistant Pro
You would have to get up very early to get out before a medal
Refer back to post #1. There is a specific scenario being asked about.
bobmac
Major Champion
And my point still stands...unless everyone in the comp is given the opportunity to practice on the day, then no-one should be allowed.
bobmac
Major Champion
Exactly. And therefor not allowed.You would have to get up very early to get out before a medal
rosecott
Money List Winner
Resurrecting this thread.
We run a Wednesday evening 9-hole comp in the summer months. If a player submits a 9-hole General Play score earlier in the afternoon on the same 9 holes, would he fall foul of rule 5.2b?
Supplementary question - If he submitted a 9-hole GP score on a different 9 holes, would the decision be different (we are a 9-hole course played as an 18-hole with different tees for each 9 but to the same green)?
We run a Wednesday evening 9-hole comp in the summer months. If a player submits a 9-hole General Play score earlier in the afternoon on the same 9 holes, would he fall foul of rule 5.2b?
Supplementary question - If he submitted a 9-hole GP score on a different 9 holes, would the decision be different (we are a 9-hole course played as an 18-hole with different tees for each 9 but to the same green)?
D-S
Well-known member
Point 1 - yes
Point 2 - good question, I look forward to the answer from someone with better rules knowledge than me (if I had to guess I would say they would still be in breach, but this is just from common sense as they had knowledge of the greens pace and pin positions)
rulie
Head Pro
My opinion - yes and yes - breach in both instances.
Steven Rules
Well-known member
It has little or nothing to do with which tees the player plays from. If that were the case, a player (who is not submitting a GP card) could circumvent the Rules by tossing a ball on the fairway just forward of the tees and claim they were not playing the course, or playing the blue tees instead of the yellows.
In the scenario in the OP, and as suggested by D-S, even though playing from different tees, they are still gaining information about the holes.
In the Rules, “practising on the course” means playing a ball, or testing the surface of the putting green of any hole by rolling a ball or rubbing the surface. So simply hitting a ball from anywhere out there, with no mention at all of which tees are being used, would constitute practice. There are some exceptions as to where/when practice may be allowed, but they are not applicable here.
One of the key principles behind prohibiting practice on the course before a stroke play round on the day of a competition, is that players may not have an equal chance to do so because they usually play in different groups at different times.
Having said all that, it is within the power of the Committee to permit practice on the course prior to a stroke play round. See Model Local Rule I-1. Given that it is only a 9 hole course and we are talking about a summer evening competition, it might be worth a polite enquiry to the Committee to ask if they see merit in adopting some form of MLR I-1 in the Terms of Competition for the Wednesday evening competition.
In the scenario in the OP, and as suggested by D-S, even though playing from different tees, they are still gaining information about the holes.
In the Rules, “practising on the course” means playing a ball, or testing the surface of the putting green of any hole by rolling a ball or rubbing the surface. So simply hitting a ball from anywhere out there, with no mention at all of which tees are being used, would constitute practice. There are some exceptions as to where/when practice may be allowed, but they are not applicable here.
One of the key principles behind prohibiting practice on the course before a stroke play round on the day of a competition, is that players may not have an equal chance to do so because they usually play in different groups at different times.
Having said all that, it is within the power of the Committee to permit practice on the course prior to a stroke play round. See Model Local Rule I-1. Given that it is only a 9 hole course and we are talking about a summer evening competition, it might be worth a polite enquiry to the Committee to ask if they see merit in adopting some form of MLR I-1 in the Terms of Competition for the Wednesday evening competition.
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Steven Rules
Well-known member
I agree with your overall conclusion but - on a technicality - I think the two answers are yes and no. (The second question was: '...would the decision be different...')
I am confident everybody knew what you meant, though. I certainly did.
nickjdavis
Head Pro
Is this what rules gurus class as humour?
rulie
Head Pro
Yes (again), my misread of the original post. Always read the question, at least twice, before posting/answering. And when refereeing, ask the player to explain the situation again before making a decision! Jumping to conclusions isn't good exercise! Thanks!
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