Sharing rangefinder advice

[ManinBlack]

I recently had a debate with one of our members who prides himself in knowing the rules. He insisted that it was against the rules for a player to ask a fellow competitor to give him a reading from a rangefinder because it was "asking for advice". No amount of reasoning would convince him that, because distance under the rules is a matter of fact, asking for it does not constitute "advice". I therefore took advantage of the query service on the R & A website and, after a couple of days, received an e mail confirming that I'm right. I didn't do this just to prove him wrong. This is something which could occur in competition play & he could cause mayhem pulling people up for alleged rules breaches.

Sharing a rangefinder is actually covered in the rules but this argument didn't even convince my friend.

 

[chris661]

moved as it a discussion about knowledge of the rules rather than a question on rules.

 

[Foxholer]

I recently had a debate with one of our members who prides himself in knowing the rules. He insisted that it was against the rules for a player to ask a fellow competitor to give him a reading from a rangefinder because it was "asking for advice". No amount of reasoning would convince him that, because distance under the rules is a matter of fact, asking for it does not constitute "advice". I therefore took advantage of the query service on the R & A website and, after a couple of days, received an e mail confirming that I'm right. I didn't do this just to prove him wrong. This is something which could occur in competition play & he could cause mayhem pulling people up for alleged rules breaches.

Sharing a rangefinder is actually covered in the rules but this argument didn't even convince my friend.

A wager of a Tenner into Captain's Charity (and a Beer) normally sorts this sort of thing out.

 

[Alex1975]

The person with the range finder still does not have to tell you thought I guess... even with it being common knowledge. If asked though I would not deny anyone.

 

[Ethan]

The member is wrong, as know-it-alls often are, and does not understand the difference between public information and advice.

The distance to that tree/green/whatever is a fact not a matter of opinion, and therefore public information. You may tell that to someone who asks.

The ROG defines advice as follows:

"Advice" is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke.

Information on the Rules, distance or matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, is not advice.

Note that distance is specifically excluded from the definition of advice.