rulie
Head Pro
What is your intent? Remember the definition of advice - "any verbal comment or action that is intended to influence a player in...."
Practice on the course
- Thread starter sawtooth
- Start date
Steven Rules
Well-known member
Maybe. Maybe not. As Rulie said, it would be intention-specific and context-specific rather than an automatic advice Rules infraction. I think you are trying to draw a very long bow by looking for a breach of the advice Rule.
If you are insistent on finding some Rules infraction with this, errrm, practice (remembering that Rule 5.5b does permit practice on the putting green when the player has completed the hole), then my first instinct would be to look at undue delay. Also, if there was a deliberate intent to assist the play of another player, then I would be inclined to look at the serious misconduct provisions of 1.2a.
I don't think 'advice' would instinctively be my infraction of choice in this scenario. In reality, my first instinct would probably be to give the player a rocket for displaying poor etiquette.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
If I don’t know the ruling for any specific scenario I often look to imagine an extreme (and quite possibly unlikely) scenario where the same rule would probably be relevant but the actual ruling would be pretty much self evident.
So what I am doing here is taking the scenario of chucking a ball down some time after I have conceded I’m out and picked up my ball, and playing on when I am out of a hole but others are still playing. Here I’ve simply moved the scenario from the General Area or rough, to the green.
Last edited:
salfordlad
Well-known member
Advice is intentional action to assist another play. If that is why you are putting, then you get the general penalty that applies to your next hole. But it is about the facts, not something that is "deemed" to be providing advice. As Steven noted earlier, it would be poor etiquette to start practice putting on the green in a way that interferes or potentially influences those still "in" the hole. Don't do it. (I hadn't read the extra posts responding to SILH's post before replying.)
Swango1980
Well-known member
This was asked a few years ago, and was probably the most controversial, and sometimes pretty nasty thread I've ever been involved with 
. It is here:
forums.golfmonthly.com
My opinion, at the time of asking, was that practice strokes were being made, as I had determined that the hole result had been decided once the player picked up, they knew it was decided, and then decided to throw another ball down knowing they were getting zero points. However, others claimed that it was OK (including some of the forum's knowledgable users), as they were simply playing on from the wrong place, and the penalty for that will not matter as they get zero points anyway.
I had actually contacted the R&A. Their initial response was that it was deemed the player played between 2 holes, and therefore it was a practice stroke and should be penalised as such. However, about a month later, they then contacted me and and said the last bullet of 5.5a actually applies, and that 5.5b/1 could be misleading, apologising for the confusion. They said there is nothing to say that continuing play of a hole must be done in accordance with the rules, and finished by saying this was a quirk of the Stableford format.
I wouldn't be surprised if some had been following the controversial thread, and they had a month talk it through amongst themselves. I suspect others in the thread had also contacted them, and so initially there were some inconsistent answers being given.
. It is here:Practice during round
Playing a stableford qualifier last week when guy who’s card I’m marking loses his ball from his tee shot on 10th. Evidently, he can’t be bothered going back so he plays another into the green just for interest and putts out. I had assumed that he had found his ball, I was marking his card...
forums.golfmonthly.com
My opinion, at the time of asking, was that practice strokes were being made, as I had determined that the hole result had been decided once the player picked up, they knew it was decided, and then decided to throw another ball down knowing they were getting zero points. However, others claimed that it was OK (including some of the forum's knowledgable users), as they were simply playing on from the wrong place, and the penalty for that will not matter as they get zero points anyway.
I had actually contacted the R&A. Their initial response was that it was deemed the player played between 2 holes, and therefore it was a practice stroke and should be penalised as such. However, about a month later, they then contacted me and and said the last bullet of 5.5a actually applies, and that 5.5b/1 could be misleading, apologising for the confusion. They said there is nothing to say that continuing play of a hole must be done in accordance with the rules, and finished by saying this was a quirk of the Stableford format.
I wouldn't be surprised if some had been following the controversial thread, and they had a month talk it through amongst themselves. I suspect others in the thread had also contacted them, and so initially there were some inconsistent answers being given.
rulie
Head Pro
I've had this confirmed by the other ruling body - the last bullet of Rule 5.5a confirms that the strokes made, even after picking up (zero points to be scored or hole lost) and then tossing a ball onto the fairway to complete the hole, are not practice strokes and hence 5.5b is not applicable.This was asked a few years ago, and was probably the most controversial, and sometimes pretty nasty thread I've ever been involved with
Practice during round
Playing a stableford qualifier last week when guy who’s card I’m marking loses his ball from his tee shot on 10th. Evidently, he can’t be bothered going back so he plays another into the green just for interest and putts out. I had assumed that he had found his ball, I was marking his card...
My opinion, at the time of asking, was that practice strokes were being made, as I had determined that the hole result had been decided once the player picked up, they knew it was decided, and then decided to throw another ball down knowing they were getting zero points. However, others claimed that it was OK (including some of the forum's knowledgable users), as they were simply playing on from the wrong place, and the penalty for that will not matter as they get zero points anyway.
I had actually contacted the R&A. Their initial response was that it was deemed the player played between 2 holes, and therefore it was a practice stroke and should be penalised as such. However, about a month later, they then contacted me and and said the last bullet of 5.5a actually applies, and that 5.5b/1 could be misleading, apologising for the confusion. They said there is nothing to say that continuing play of a hole must be done in accordance with the rules, and finished by saying this was a quirk of the Stableford format.
I wouldn't be surprised if some had been following the controversial thread, and they had a month talk it through amongst themselves. I suspect others in the thread had also contacted them, and so initially there were some inconsistent answers being given.
effayjay
Club Champion
I was the OP on that thread ,it was an interesting ride!
Whereditgo
Journeyman Pro
I think I would have kept quiet about that threadThis was asked a few years ago, and was probably the most controversial, and sometimes pretty nasty thread I've ever been involved with
Practice during round
Playing a stableford qualifier last week when guy who’s card I’m marking loses his ball from his tee shot on 10th. Evidently, he can’t be bothered going back so he plays another into the green just for interest and putts out. I had assumed that he had found his ball, I was marking his card...
My opinion, at the time of asking, was that practice strokes were being made, as I had determined that the hole result had been decided once the player picked up, they knew it was decided, and then decided to throw another ball down knowing they were getting zero points. However, others claimed that it was OK (including some of the forum's knowledgable users), as they were simply playing on from the wrong place, and the penalty for that will not matter as they get zero points anyway.
I had actually contacted the R&A. Their initial response was that it was deemed the player played between 2 holes, and therefore it was a practice stroke and should be penalised as such. However, about a month later, they then contacted me and and said the last bullet of 5.5a actually applies, and that 5.5b/1 could be misleading, apologising for the confusion. They said there is nothing to say that continuing play of a hole must be done in accordance with the rules, and finished by saying this was a quirk of the Stableford format.
I wouldn't be surprised if some had been following the controversial thread, and they had a month talk it through amongst themselves. I suspect others in the thread had also contacted them, and so initially there were some inconsistent answers being given.
Swango1980
Well-known member
I had nightmares when I saw the question be asked, flashbacks galore. I felt I better share the link though, because if I didn't I know someone else with a long memory would.I think I would have kept quiet about that thread
Similar threads
