Rules

[sawtooth]

Is it your duty (to other golfers) to report or get involved in rules disputes on the course in and outside of your grouping?

In other words if you look across to another fairway and see someone who is about to commit or has already committed an infringement. Should you get involved?

Its a can of worms because if it was a matchplay singles for example your interfering could change the outcome of a hole or match for that matter.

Should you?
Could you ? (are you allowed to help someone with rules, I dont think its the same as offering advice - is it?) .
Would you?

 

[DaveM]

Yes breaking the rules is breaking the rules. Rules can be checked and you are allowed to help with the ruling,it is not giving advice.

 

[MashieNiblick]

This might be relevant

Decision 33-7/9 Competitor Who Knows Player Has Breached Rules Does Not Inform Player or Committee in Timely Manner

"The responsibility for knowing the Rules lies with all players. In stroke play, the player and his marker have an explicit responsibility for the correctness of the player’s score card.

There may, however, be exceptional individual cases where, in order to protect the interests of every other player in the competition, it would be reasonable to expect a fellow-competitor or another competitor to bring to light a player’s breach of the Rules by notifying the player, his marker or the Committee.

In such exceptional circumstances, it would be appropriate for the Committee to impose a penalty of disqualification under Rule 33-7 on a fellow-competitor or another competitor if it becomes apparent that he has failed to advise the player, his marker or the Committee of a Rules breach with the clear intention of allowing that player to return an incorrect score."

Doubt it is invoked very often.

 

[Whereditgo]

I think that striding across fairways to point out rule infringements might just get you a bit of a reputation as an interfering so and so! But certainly within your own group I would expect assistance on rules to be freely given, you wouldn't be too chuffed to be told by someone during a strokeplay competition that you've just incurred a 2 stroke penalty after they'd stood and watched you set up to do it now would you? Matchplay on the other hand........