What’s the funniest rules interpretations you have heard out on the course?

[patricks148]

I've come across a few over the 7 years i've been playing. the top 5 have been;


1) " how can it be a water hazzard, there's no Effing water in it?"

2) "i get a free drop from the hazzard" no you don't its gorse bush

3) a"s its plugged in the face of the bunker, i get a free drop out !!"

4) "im plugged here, im taking my free drop" But you are 60 yards off the fairway in the rough?

5) I'm taking a drop here guys, burrowing animal scrape" Not unless that rabbit used a 9 iron its not!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I've come across a few over the 7 years i've been playing. the top 5 have been;


1) " how can it be a water hazzard, there's no Effing water in it?"

2) "i get a free drop from the hazzard" no you don't its gorse bush

3) a"s its plugged in the face of the bunker, i get a free drop out !!"

4) "im plugged here, im taking my free drop" But you are 60 yards off the fairway in the rough?

5) I'm taking a drop here guys, burrowing animal scrape" Not unless that rabbit used a 9 iron its not!

The animal scrape is a very popular one

Sometimes I think the animal is a fecking bear the size of the scrapping

 

[Swingalot]

The animal scrape is a very popular one

Sometimes I think the animal is a fecking bear the size of the scrapping

Playing in a friendly, I claimed that the animal in question was a worm.........did not get away with it!

 

[CMAC]

chap took a practice swing in the rough and hit his ball 10 feet towards the hole "it's ok" he said, "as it was a practice swing I can replace it with no penalty" 3 h/capper

 

[richart]

I played with someone who was in a horses hoof print on a bridle path that cuts across our course. He was sure he got relief for a burrowing animal.

 

[golfdub]

Played In a medel against a guy who moved his ball when he was 15 yards from the green as the was casual water 5 yards in front of him was blocking him from putting on to the green !!! Instead of chipping

 

[Ian_S]

On 2, at our place the gorse is defined as GUR with a local rule

On one of my handicap card rounds, one chap hit a hideous putt that was heading at the flagstick lying on the ground. "Don't move it" he shouted. After the ball struck the flagstick he claimed the rule was it's a 2 stroke penalty if you move it, whereas he can play from where it rests without penalty because we didn't move it. Luckily he was a 13 handicap on his way to a 100+ round so didn't matter too much but this is why players should carry a rule book with them.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

My favourite was in a comp last year. One of my FCs (FC-A) had hit his ball from one bunker to another and it had come to rest on a slope against a rake ( stupid place to put a rake but that's another thread). My other FC (FC-B) was at the front of the green and I was at the back near the bunker in question and we were waiting for FC-A to rake the bunker he had just played out of.

While I'm lining up my putt, FC-B asks me to move the rake that FC-A's ball was resting against. When I asked why he said "because if he moves it and the ball moves he gets a penalty but if you move it and the ball moves he can just play it from where it stops"

I explained to him the proper ruling and he said "Well my group always plays it like that"

 

[chrisd]

Not funny, but I had a "discussion" with an opponent in my winter league 4bbb on Sunday where he made two new rules up before we went out.

First, that any bunker full of water can be agreed as GUR and a free drop is ok and, then, when I put him right on the actual rule, he claimed that a golf club can change any rule of golf with a local rule!

He seemed sure that by saying it louder than me made it correct. When I pointed out that the club pro had cocked both these things up before a comp a few weeks ago and that I had pointed this out to the pro before the comp started and subsequently rechecked the rules before bring the matter up to the Chair of Golf he then confirmed that I was a saddo for knowing!

 

[Ian_S]

When I pointed out that the club pro had cocked both these things up before a comp a few weeks ago and that I had pointed this out to the pro before the comp started and subsequently rechecked the rules before bring the matter up to the Chair of Golf he then confirmed that I was a saddo for knowing!

Always enjoy that kind of reaction. He's cool because he is completely ignorant of the rules, you're sad because you know the rules of the game you're about to play.

On his point though, can a club not put in place a local rule to the effect that all waterlogged bunkers are to be classed as GUR? It's not changing the rules in that case, merely defining the areas where GUR applies.

 

[Doh]

I believe you have to mark the bunkers as G.U.R.

 

[D4RK1]

My favourite was in a comp last year. One of my FCs (FC-A) had hit his ball from one bunker to another and it had come to rest on a slope against a rake ( stupid place to put a rake but that's another thread). My other FC (FC-B) was at the front of the green and I was at the back near the bunker in question and we were waiting for FC-A to rake the bunker he had just played out of.

While I'm lining up my putt, FC-B asks me to move the rake that FC-A's ball was resting against. When I asked why he said "because if he moves it and the ball moves he gets a penalty but if you move it and the ball moves he can just play it from where it stops"

I explained to him the proper ruling and he said "Well my group always plays it like that"

Excuse my ignorance, but what does FC stand for?

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Excuse my ignorance, but what does FC stand for?

Fellow Competitor

 

[patricks148]

On 2, at our place the gorse is defined as GUR with a local rule

QUOTE]

Very strange, why do the deem it to be GUR?

 

[MashieNiblick]

Always enjoy that kind of reaction. He's cool because he is completely ignorant of the rules, you're sad because you know the rules of the game you're about to play.

On his point though, can a club not put in place a local rule to the effect that all waterlogged bunkers are to be classed as GUR? It's not changing the rules in that case, merely defining the areas where GUR applies.

No, they can't make a general Rule, it has to refer to specific bunkers.

Decision 33-8/27 Local Rule Providing Relief Without Penalty from Bunker Filled with Casual Water

Q. May a Committee make a Local Rule allowing a player to drop out of any bunker filled with casual water, without penalty, contrary to Rule 25-1b(ii)?

A. No. The Committee may not make a Local Rule providing generally that flooded bunkers are ground under repair through the green, as such a Local Rule waives a penalty imposed by the Rules of Golf, contrary to Rule 33-8b.

However, in exceptional circumstances, where certain specific bunkers are completely flooded and there is no reasonable likelihood of the bunkers drying up during the round, the Committee may introduce a Local Rule providing relief without penalty from specific bunkers. Prior to introducing such a Local Rule, the Committee must be convinced that such exceptional circumstances exist and that providing relief without penalty from specific bunkers is more appropriate than simply applying Rule 25-1b(ii).

If the Committee elects to introduce a Local Rule, the following wording is suggested:
“The flooded bunker on [insert location of bunker; e.g. left of 5th green] is ground under repair. If a player’s ball lies in that bunker or if that bunker interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing and the player wishes to take relief, he must take relief outside the bunker, without penalty, in accordance with Rule 25-1b(i). All other bunkers on the course, regardless of whether they contain water, maintain their status as hazards and the Rules apply accordingly.”

In a competition played over more than one round, such a Local Rule may be introduced or rescinded between rounds. (Revised)

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Always enjoy that kind of reaction. He's cool because he is completely ignorant of the rules, you're sad because you know the rules of the game you're about to play.

On his point though, can a club not put in place a local rule to the effect that all waterlogged bunkers are to be classed as GUR? It's not changing the rules in that case, merely defining the areas where GUR applies.

Decision 33-8/27

(Q)May a Committee make a Local Rule allowing a player to drop out of any bunker filled with casual water, without penalty, contrary to Rule 25-1b(ii)?

(A) No. The Committee may not make a Local Rule providing generally that flooded bunkers are ground under repair through the green, as such a Local Rule waives a penalty imposed by the Rules of Golf, contrary to Rule 33-8b.
However, in exceptional circumstances, where certain specific bunkers are completely flooded and there is no reasonable likelihood of the bunkers drying up during the round, the Committee may introduce a Local Rule providing relief without penalty from specific bunkers. Prior to introducing such a Local Rule, the Committee must be convinced that such exceptional circumstances exist and that providing relief without penalty from specific bunkers is more appropriate than simply applying Rule 25-1b(ii). If the Committee elects to introduce a Local Rule, the following wording is suggested:
“The flooded bunker on [insert location of bunker; e.g. left of 5th green] is ground under repair. If a player’s ball lies in that bunker or if that bunker interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing and the player wishes to take relief, he must take relief outside the bunker, without penalty, in accordance with Rule 25-1b(i). All other bunkers on the course, regardless of whether they contain water, maintain their status as hazards and the Rules apply accordingly.”
In a competition played over more than one round, such a Local Rule may be introduced or rescinded between rounds. (Revised)

 

[HawkeyeMS]

No, they can't make a general Rule, it has to refer to specific bunkers.

Decision 33-8/27 Local Rule Providing Relief Without Penalty from Bunker Filled with Casual Water

Q. May a Committee make a Local Rule allowing a player to drop out of any bunker filled with casual water, without penalty, contrary to Rule 25-1b(ii)?

A. No. The Committee may not make a Local Rule providing generally that flooded bunkers are ground under repair through the green, as such a Local Rule waives a penalty imposed by the Rules of Golf, contrary to Rule 33-8b.

However, in exceptional circumstances, where certain specific bunkers are completely flooded and there is no reasonable likelihood of the bunkers drying up during the round, the Committee may introduce a Local Rule providing relief without penalty from specific bunkers. Prior to introducing such a Local Rule, the Committee must be convinced that such exceptional circumstances exist and that providing relief without penalty from specific bunkers is more appropriate than simply applying Rule 25-1b(ii).

If the Committee elects to introduce a Local Rule, the following wording is suggested:
“The flooded bunker on [insert location of bunker; e.g. left of 5th green] is ground under repair. If a player’s ball lies in that bunker or if that bunker interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing and the player wishes to take relief, he must take relief outside the bunker, without penalty, in accordance with Rule 25-1b(i). All other bunkers on the course, regardless of whether they contain water, maintain their status as hazards and the Rules apply accordingly.”

In a competition played over more than one round, such a Local Rule may be introduced or rescinded between rounds. (Revised)

Awww, Mashie beat me to it!!

 

[chrisd]

.

On his point though, can a club not put in place a local rule to the effect that all waterlogged bunkers are to be classed as GUR? It's not changing the rules in that case, merely defining the areas where GUR applies.

As mashie says.

That was my point to him, there can be a local rule but if it only apples to certain bunkers then they all have to be specifically named.

If they said, as they did in a recent comp "any bunker full of water" someone playing it at 9am might get free relief and at 2pm when the water has subsided a bit may have to drop out under penalty as the dry area could be nearer the hole and that wouldn't be fair to all competitors

 

[MashieNiblick]

Awww, Mashie beat me to it!!

we've both been on here too long not to know that one!

 

[duncan mackie]

we've both been on here too long not to know that one!

:thup: