Unusual golf rules

[salfordlad]

Yes, and once you have hit your magnificent shot over that lake you can swap back again - provided E3 is in place ;-)

Only if the tee stroke and the subsequent stroke found the closely mown fairway.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In a four ball better ball match my partner calls off. I can still play the match one vs two. If my partner's handicap would have been the lowest of all four, then the three of us playing the match still calculate our shots off the 4BBB playing handicap of my absent partner.

 

[Blue in Munich]

The difference between the nearest point of relief and the nicest point of relief is always good for a laugh.

 

[chrisd]

Any rule that Orikoru agrees with?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The difference between the nearest point of relief and the nicest point of relief is always good for a laugh.

As as are interpretations of what is meant by ‘take full relief’

 

[Blue in Munich]

As as are interpretations of what is meant by ‘take full relief’

That's obviously a No. 1 and a No. 2, rather than just a No. 1 or a No. 2.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

That's obviously a No. 1 and a No. 2, rather than just a No. 1 or a No. 2.

Indeed, for some it would simply be a lift and drop.??

 

[Swango1980]

Any rule that Orikoru agrees with?

I'm awaiting for his contribution: "If a ball lies outside of stakes marking out of bounds, it can still be classed as in bounds so long as everyone in the group agrees it is OK"

The above is a joke btw, hopefully no one thinks that is an actual rule.

The one I like is that if a player makes a putt and their ball hits another ball on the green (that had not been marked), the player who hit the putt gets a penalty. Most people know that, however what I think many do not know is that this only applies to stroke play. It is not a penalty in match play, except that if your opponent shows their intent to mark the ball, you have to let them.

 

[Voyager EMH]

When scoring individual Stableford points, the number of strokes you receive for your round is your Playing Handicap for individual strokeplay which is 95% of your Course Handicap.

I know that many people do not accept this.

 

[sweaty sock]

I have been asked to do a ‘Friday fun rules” segment. What are actual, correct golf rules that you or others might think “well I didn’t know that” / “that’s a surprise” For example- the fact you can hop into the next door bunker and have a practice swing . Another would be if you find an upright abandoned tee on the fairway and it happens to be in your clean n place relief area you can tee up. I’d love some more quirky but true rules - thanks

Where in the rules is this allowed? When caddying in events we generally avoid even raking other bunkers incase our player goes in one later in the hole, that used to be a penalty...

 

[salfordlad]

Where in the rules is this allowed? When caddying in events we generally avoid even raking other bunkers incase our player goes in one later in the hole, that used to be a penalty...

This is from the USGA Facebook Rules page
A bunker play question: Is there anywhere in the Rules of Golf that refers to whether or not a player can enter a bunker adjacent to a bunker where their ball lies to take a practice swing to test the sand. This may be something a player might do if they are unfamiliar with the course and the kind of sand in the bunkers and this is their first bunker shot of the round. What say the rules experts?

USGA RESPONSE:
The Rules don't specifically say anything about a bunker other than the one you're playing in with regard to testing or touching the sand. So it would not result in a penalty.

(However if that bunker is on your line of play Rule 8.1a applies and if you deliberately improve conditions in that bunker to affect the ball at rest or stroke to be made when not otherwise in your CATS, Rule 8.2 applies).

 

[sweaty sock]

I'm at serious risk of using a common sense argument here.....

 

[Deleted member 29109]

If your ball is in an unplayable position and there are rabbit drippings within 12’ of where you are standing. You get a free drop somewhere nice.

 

[rulefan]

If your ball is in an unplayable position and there are rabbit drippings within 12’ of where you are standing. You get a free drop somewhere nice.

If only

 

[salfordlad]

I'm at serious risk of using a common sense argument here.....

You asked a question and got a written reply from the USGA in precisely 10 minutes. Gotta be impressed with that! But I'm afraid there are no refunds if you don't like the answer.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

This is from the USGA Facebook Rules page
A bunker play question: Is there anywhere in the Rules of Golf that refers to whether or not a player can enter a bunker adjacent to a bunker where their ball lies to take a practice swing to test the sand. This may be something a player might do if they are unfamiliar with the course and the kind of sand in the bunkers and this is their first bunker shot of the round. What say the rules experts?

USGA RESPONSE:
The Rules don't specifically say anything about a bunker other than the one you're playing in with regard to testing or touching the sand. So it would not result in a penalty.

(However if that bunker is on your line of play Rule 8.1a applies and if you deliberately improve conditions in that bunker to affect the ball at rest or stroke to be made when not otherwise in your CATS, Rule 8.2 applies).

Blimey O'Reilly - well I absolutely never knew that

 

[phillarrow]

This is from the USGA Facebook Rules page
A bunker play question: Is there anywhere in the Rules of Golf that refers to whether or not a player can enter a bunker adjacent to a bunker where their ball lies to take a practice swing to test the sand. This may be something a player might do if they are unfamiliar with the course and the kind of sand in the bunkers and this is their first bunker shot of the round. What say the rules experts?

USGA RESPONSE:
The Rules don't specifically say anything about a bunker other than the one you're playing in with regard to testing or touching the sand. So it would not result in a penalty.

(However if that bunker is on your line of play Rule 8.1a applies and if you deliberately improve conditions in that bunker to affect the ball at rest or stroke to be made when not otherwise in your CATS, Rule 8.2 applies).

That's a good rule to know as I regularly play on new courses and the bunkers vary hugely between them.

 

[salfordlad]

That's a good rule to know as I regularly play on new courses and the bunkers vary hugely between them.

Sure, but there are non-trivial practical issues to deal with. If the bunkers are all different, there may be no point in practice swinging in another one. And if it is the player's turn to play, there is no time to be going to another bunker within the 40 second shot clock.

 

[rulie]

Sure, but there are non-trivial practical issues to deal with. If the bunkers are all different, there may be no point in practice swinging in another one. And if it is the player's turn to play, there is no time to be going to another bunker within the 40 second shot clock.

I recall, several years ago, one of the R&A Rules directors (G. Moir) suggesting that the only area in a bunker that should be of concern is a small circle around the ball, radius of the player's toes to the ball. Seems that we've moved in that direction.
IIRC, the "other bunker" situation was addressed/changed in about 2006 or 2008, following an incident with VJ Singh at The Doral. He took several practice swings in a bunker after his ball was played from that bunker but into another bunker. It was decided that, under the Rules at that time, he should have been penalized, but was not. That result (penalty situation) was not what the Ruling Bodies wanted so it was changed.
edited to correct that a penalty situation for VJ's actions was not a desired outcome of the Rules.

 

[salfordlad]

I recall, several years ago, one of the R&A Rules directors (G. Moir) suggesting that the only area in a bunker that should be of concern is a small circle around the ball, radius of the player's toes to the ball. Seems that we've moved in that direction.
IIRC, the "other bunker" situation was addressed/changed in about 2006 or 2008, following an incident with VJ Singh at The Doral. He took several practice swings in a bunker after his ball was played from that bunker but into another bunker. It was decided that, under the Rules at that time, he should have been penalized, but was not. That result (no penalty) was not what the Ruling Bodies wanted so it was changed.

Very much so, core themes for the 2019 revamp, focus the penalties where they matter. Probably still a bit discomfiting for the traditionalists, but I think the rules hiccups since then have been very small beer and the gaps between what club golfers do and what the rule book requires have been usefully narrowed while player choice and freedoms have been extended, particularly on the greens and in the bunkers and penalty areas.