Teeing Area Questions

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The tee markers defining the front limit of the teeing area are set at the ‘stones’ at the very back of the teeing ground/box.

1) Must they be set such that the player is provided with a 2 club length rectangle of prepared surface and that area must be within the evident or defined bounds of the teeing ground/box (I think the answer is No, but asking for confirmation)

2) If the answer to 1) is No, then can the player tee his ball up off the prepared area or indeed off the defined or evident teeing ground/box as long as it is teed up in a rectangle formed two club lengths back from the tee markers? I assume the player is allowed to take his stance outside of the prepared area or indeed off the defined or evident teeing ground/box as long as his ball is teed up within the rules.

In researching the above I also came across something that seems curious…

Rule 6.2b(6) states…(my italics)

When Ball in Play Lies in Teeing Area. If the player’s ball in play is in the teeing area after a stroke (such as a teed ball after a stroke that missed the ball) or after taking relief, the player may:​

• Lift or move the ball without penalty (see Rule 9.4b, Exception 1), and
• Play that ball or another ball from anywhere in the teeing area from a tee or the ground under (2), including playing the ball as it lies

Does the second bullet point apply if I am playing a hole and hit my ball into the teeing area of another hole. The only thing that would make it not apply is that it says ‘If the player‘s ball in play is in the teeing area…’ As it does not say ‘in a teeing area…’ this suggests the rule only applies to the hole being played. I note the (2) referred to is simply defining the ground in this context and what can be used to tee the ball up.

Yes I know this is mega pedantic about one very small word, but I have come to understand that we must read and interpret the words of rules exactly as they are written.

 

[peter_w]

The definition of “teeing area” states:

“All other teeing locations on the course (whether on the same hole or any other hole) are part of the general area.”

So a ball that lands on the tee of another hole would not be classed as being in a “teeing area”.

 

[rulefan]

There is only one 'the teeing area'
ie The area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing.

​

 

[Steven Rules]

1) Must they be set such that the player is provided with a 2 club length rectangle of prepared surface and that area must be within the evident or defined bounds of the teeing ground/box (I think the answer is No, but asking for confirmation)

You are correct. The answer is 'no'. But the thoughtful Committee will attempt to position the teeing area so that players can use the full two club length depth and the full width between the tee markers and still have a swing and a decent stance.

Terms such as tee box, tee mound, prepared ground, etc have no relevance or meaning in the Rules.

 

[Steven Rules]

2) If the answer to 1) is No, then can the player tee his ball up off the prepared area or indeed off the defined or evident teeing ground/box as long as it is teed up in a rectangle formed two club lengths back from the tee markers? I assume the player is allowed to take his stance outside of the prepared area or indeed off the defined or evident teeing ground/box as long as his ball is teed up within the rules.

Yes and yes. The ball must be played from inside the teeing area but the player may stand outside the teeing area. 6.2b(1)

 

[rulefan]

The tee markers defining the front limit of the teeing area are set at the ‘stones’ at the very back of the teeing ground/box.

1) Must they be set such that the player is provided with a 2 club length rectangle of prepared surface and that area must be within the evident or defined bounds of the teeing ground/box (I think the answer is No, but asking for confirmation)

2) If the answer to 1) is No, then can the player tee his ball up off the prepared area or indeed off the defined or evident teeing ground/box as long as it is teed up in a rectangle formed two club lengths back from the tee markers? I assume the player is allowed to take his stance outside of the prepared area or indeed off the defined or evident teeing ground/box as long as his ball is teed up within the rules.

1) The rules do not specify that a teeing area is 'prepared'.
2) Yes, the player must. He may take a stance outside that teeing area.

As an aside. When a course is rated and the 'fixed measure blocks' are found to be at the back of the 'box', measurements will be taken from 4 yards (may be 4.5 yards) forward of the back of the box, for Course Rating purposes.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The definition of “teeing area” states:

“All other teeing locations on the course (whether on the same hole or any other hole) are part of the general area.”

So a ball that lands on the tee of another hole would not be classed as being in a “teeing area”.

…thankyou…why I was specific about differentiating between teeing area and teeing ground.

 

[rulefan]

Ok…fine. This means that the teeing area is specifically defined as a two club length rectangle with the tee markers defining it’s forward edge, and that it is irrelevant the nature and preparation of the actual ground within that rectangle.

Exactly

 

[bobmac]

As long as your fellow golfers have room to stand where ever they want

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

1) The rules do not specify that a teeing area is 'prepared'.
2) Yes, the player must. He may take a stance outside that teeing area.

As an aside. When a course is rated and the 'fixed measure blocks' are found to be at the back of the 'box', measurements will be taken from 4 yards (may be 4.5 yards) forward of the back of the box, for Course Rating purposes.

Thankyou. Now I was not aware of your aside. This means that for course rating purposes the course yardage will be 72yds (or 81yds) less than that shown the card (Not that that makes any difference when playing). Out of interest why is that done?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As long as your fellow golfers have room to stand where ever they want

Some of teeing grounds have been built, or have been extended, with complete disregard to HNSP tsk

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Exactly

Over the last few weeks some teeing areas at my place have been the subject of much discussion and hence the specific questions I have asked…thanks to all for the guidance and confirmactions.

 

[jim8flog]

Thankyou. Now I was not aware of your aside. This means that for course rating purposes the course yardage will be 72yds (or 81yds) less than that shown the card (Not that that makes any difference when playing). Out of interest why is that done?

There was / is a practice of many clubs to put the fixed markers as far back as possible then place the tee area nowhere near them* (ignoring the 20 yard rule) so that their course appears/ed on the card much longer than it actually played. The clubs were given due warning that this was not acceptable and fixed markers must be moved next time the course was measured. Probably due to rush with which the clubs had to be measured in time for the WHS they probably took the easiest of routes.

*When I first joined this club and for some years there after on one hole the fixed tee marker for the yellows was at the furthest point back to make it a par 5 and the whites was positioned such to make it a par 4. The teeing area for the yellows was always well forward of the one for the whites. (Club comps are always off the whites and most of the senior comps are off the yellows). All changed when we could set the par based upon difficulty.

 

[rulefan]

Thankyou. Now I was not aware of your aside. This means that for course rating purposes the course yardage will be 72yds (or 81yds) less than that shown the card (Not that that makes any difference when playing). Out of interest why is that done?

To allow for the teeing area of the day to be forward of or back from the official markers.
If play was always from those markers there would be no grass left and your greenkeeper would be getting hammered by members

Incidentally, the Team Leader should have been given a copy of the measurement certificate. Certified measuring companies will know the rules. And further the Team Leader should have informed the club manager about such discrepancies or errors.

 

[DickInShorts]

A related question:

Is it the case under WHS that the tee cannot be more than 5 metres from the tee marker post?

Our club often have the tees up to a 0 yards forward of the markers!

 

[Alan Clifford]

The tee markers defining the front limit of the teeing area are set at the ‘stones’ at the very back of the teeing ground/box.

Always? So why did they bother building the tee box that is never used?

 

[wjemather]

Thankyou. Now I was not aware of your aside. This means that for course rating purposes the course yardage will be 72yds (or 81yds) less than that shown the card (Not that that makes any difference when playing). Out of interest why is that done?

To allow for the teeing area of the day to be forward of or back from the official markers.
If play was always from those markers there would be no grass left and your greenkeeper would be getting hammered by members

Incidentally, the Team Leader should have been given a copy of the measurement certificate. Certified measuring companies will know the rules. And further the Team Leader should have informed the club manager about such discrepancies or errors.

Further to this, the course measurement certificate will state where such adjustments have been made. If it doesn't, then remeasuring may be required before course rating can completed.

Yardages on the scorecard are whatever the club choose to have printed - they may or may not reflect the measured length, or the distance to/from the permanent distance markers, or something utterly random (as seems to be the case at some courses).

 

[wjemather]

A related question:

Is it the case under WHS that the tee cannot be more than 5 metres from the tee marker post?

Our club often have the tees up to a 0 yards forward of the markers!

Tees of the day should be no more than 10 yards (or metres) from the permanent distance marker. Use of the word "should" gives reasonable an practical flexibility for going slightly over this limit if necessary. Clubs that need to significantly exceed this should be looking to create additional sets of tees, each with their own ratings.

 

[jim8flog]

Tees of the day should be no more than 10 yards (or metres) from the permanent distance marker. Use of the word "should" gives reasonable an practical flexibility for going slightly over this limit if necessary. Clubs that need to significantly exceed this should be looking to create additional sets of tees, each with their own ratings.

Yes this has always been a problem on old fashioned course like ours e.g. one of the tees in particular is probably about 50 yards long but large parts of it are only wide enough to accommodate just about enough width for the teeing area.

We have built a number of new tees to help to overcome this but there is only so much money in the budget to do any in one year.

 

[rulefan]

Yes this has always been a problem on old fashioned course like ours e.g. one of the tees in particular is probably about 50 yards long but large parts of it are only wide enough to accommodate just about enough width for the teeing area.

We have built a number of new tees to help to overcome this but there is only so much money in the budget to do any in one year.

Perhaps the greenkeeper could move the teeing area a yard or so forward or back more frequently. I have seen many these 'old' boxes with little width, where the greenkeepers move the TA infrequently 10 yards, resulting in very intensively worn areas.