Pennant Hills Golf Club Course Specific Rules Information and Local Rules by www.pennanthillsgolfclub.com.au

PENNANT HILLS GOLF CLUB COURSE SPECIFIC RULES INFORMATION AND LOCAL RULES

KNOW AND USE THE RULES TO YOUR BENEFIT THE RULES OF GOLF •

Understanding the Rules and Local Rules will help you avoid problems and better understand your opportunities for easier and fairer relief, while still complying with the Rules. Your knowledge will help to make you feel more confident about using the Rules to your advantage.

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Read the Definitions! They will give you a much clearer understanding of the Rules of Golf, even if you do not have time to read the whole Rule Book.

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The most helpful Rules to look at are: ❖ Rule 6: Playing a Hole (especially “Wrong Ball”) ❖ Rule 13: Putting Greens ❖ Rule 14: Marking; Lifting; Cleaning; Replacing; Dropping in Relief Area; Playing from Wrong Place. ❖ Rule 15: Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions. ❖ Rule 16: Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions (GUR; Immovable Obstructions; Embedded Ball). ❖ Rule 17: Penalty Areas. ❖ Rule 18: Stroke and Distance Relief; Ball Lost or Out of Bounds; Provisional Ball. ❖ Rule 19: Ball Unplayable.

LOCAL RULES • • •

Local Rules deal with course situations not covered by the Rules of Golf. It is important to read and understand them. Pennant Hills Local Rules are generally common to most golf clubs, but some are quite different. Always check when you play at another course.

NEAREST POINT OF COMPLETE RELIEF AND RELIEF AREA NEAREST POINT OF COMPLETE RELIEF: WHAT IS IT? The Nearest Point of Complete Relief from an Abnormal Course Condition is the estimated point where the ball would lie that is: ❖ nearest to the ball’s original spot, but not nearer the hole than that spot, ❖ in the required area of the course, and ❖ where the condition does not interfere with the player’s stroke, lie of the ball, area of swing, or stance. ❖ Complete Relief also means that the player’s club, feet or body must not touch bushes or plants in GUR when playing the stroke. DETERMINING THE NEAREST POINT OF COMPLETE RELIEF AND RELIEF AREA To find the Nearest Point of Complete Relief, take the club you intend to use, take your stance so that your feet are not touching the Abnormal Course Condition, try a practice swing to make sure your club will not touch anything in the Condition, such as a bush, then place your club on the ground at the point the ball would lie to play the stroke. This point is the Nearest Point of Complete Relief. Mark this point. • From this point, you can then measure your one club length Relief Area, no nearer the hole. • Any club except the putter may be used at any time to measure a club length. • In using club lengths to determine the size of a Relief Area, the player may measure directly across or through any object (such as a tree, wall, fence or drain). WHEN DO I NEED TO DETERMINE A NEAREST POINT OF COMPLETE RELIEF? • •

The Nearest Point of Complete Relief is the Reference Point for taking free relief under Rule 16 from an Abnormal Course Condition (such as GUR, Animal Holes, Immovable Obstructions or Temporary Water); In situations where the ball is known or virtually certain to be lost in an Abnormal Course Condition, the player uses the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the Condition as the spot of the ball to be used for determining the Nearest Point of Complete Relief.

TAKING FREE RELIEF: PROCEDURE HOW DO I PROCEED IN TAKING FREE RELIEF UNDER RULE 16 (ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITIONS)? • • •

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For free relief situations, (no penalty) first find the Nearest Point of Complete Relief; Using this as a Reference Point, measure a one club length Relief Area, no nearer the hole; The ball must be dropped from knee height, must first touch the ground in this Relief Area, and must be played from the Relief Area. If the ball is dropped incorrectly (eg not knee height, does not first touch the ground in the Relief Area) it must be re-dropped, without penalty. There is no limit to the number of times the ball must be re-dropped for an incorrect drop. If the ball, dropped correctly, rolls outside the Relief Area, it must be re-dropped. If, when it is redropped, it again rolls out of the Relief Area, it must be placed on the spot where it first struck the ground on the second drop. (There is a 2 stroke penalty for playing the ball outside the Relief Area). Always pause and consider where your Relief Area will be before touching or lifting the ball. There is generally only one Nearest Point of Complete Relief, (it is not necessarily the nicest point!) and if you lift your ball, discover that you will need to drop in a difficult or unplayable lie, and decide to replace it, you will incur a one stroke penalty for lifting/moving your ball.

NOTE: • Rule 16 does not give relief from Movable Obstructions (such as bunker rakes) for which a different type of relief is available under Rule 15: (ie Do not touch the ball but you can mark its position, move the Movable Obstruction and replace ball if moved, without penalty). • Note that there is no free relief from boundary posts or fences, or from objects/areas defined as integral parts of the course.

PENALTY RELIEF PENALTY RELIEF UNDER RULE 17 (PENALTY AREAS) AND RULE 19 (BALL UNPLAYABLE) • • •

Relief under Rule 17 (Penalty Areas) and Rule 19 (Ball Unplayable) incurs a one stroke penalty. Under these Rules, a Nearest Point of Complete Relief is not relevant. If a player decides to take penalty relief, the Reference Point is: ❖ Under Rule 17, the spot where the ball last crossed the boundary of a Penalty Area, or a point on a Reference Line going straight back from the hole through this spot, not nearer the hole; ❖ Under Rule 19, the spot where the Unplayable Ball lies, or a point on a Reference Line going straight back from the hole through this spot, not nearer the hole.

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In taking Penalty Relief under these Rules, the player may replay the shot at the spot where the original ball was played (“Stroke and Distance”) OR Using the Reference Line, the player may proceed to take Back-on-the-Line Relief, dropping the ball within a one club length Relief Area based any point along this Reference Line. OR In the case of a Red Penalty Area or an Unplayable Ball, the player may take Lateral Relief, dropping a ball in, and playing from within, a 2 club length Relief Area, measured from the Reference Point, not nearer the hole. Of course, the player may play the ball as it lies, without penalty.

NOTE: • The Relief Area for a Red Penalty Area may in be in any part of the course except the same Penalty Area. • Relief for a Ball Unplayable in a bunker, except for stroke and distance relief, must be taken in the bunker, (unless the player wishes to drop back on the line outside the bunker, under a penalty of 2 strokes: see Rule 19-3).

RELIEF AREAS: DROPPING, RE-DROPPING, PLACING DROPPING IN, AND PLAYING FROM, THE RELIEF AREA •

The ball must be dropped correctly, by the player only, from knee height. It must first strike the ground in the Relief Area;

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If the ball, when dropped, does not first strike the ground in the Relief Area, or strikes the player or equipment, it must be re-dropped. There is no limit to the number of drops!

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Once the ball has correctly first struck the ground in the Relief Area, it must not roll or bounce out. If it does, re-drop. If the ball again rolls out of the Relief Area, place the ball on the spot where it struck the ground on the second drop.

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A player incurs a one stroke penalty for playing a ball which has been incorrectly dropped.

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The ball must be played from within the Relief Area.

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A 2 stroke penalty (General Penalty) is incurred for playing a ball outside the Relief Area (ie in a wrong place), or for playing a ball which was placed when required to be dropped.

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Provided the player has not made a stroke at the ball, either penalty can be avoided by lifting the ball and proceeding correctly under this Rule 14.

GURrrrrrrrr !

Pennant Hills Local Rule: Red Penalty Areas Holes 1, 9, 10 and 18 Provisional Ball for ball played from the tee

“The playing of a Provisional Ball is permitted under Model Local Rule B-3 for a ball which may be lost in the Red Penalty Areas on these holes”.

This Local Rule is necessary because it can be difficult to see from the tee whether the ball has entered the Red Penalty Area, lies outside the Penalty Area, or might be lost inside or outside the Penalty Area.

If you are not sure whether your ball, played from the tee on these holes, may be in the Red Penalty Area, you may play a Provisional Ball.

HOWEVER

If it is “known or virtually certain” that the ball is in the Red Penalty Area you may not play a Provisional ball. Instead, you must either play the ball as it lies, or proceed under Rule 17: Penalty Areas.

“Known or virtually certain” means that you “are aware that the only possible place the ball can be is in the Penalty Area” (Rule 18-3a).

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Under the Local Rule, on these holes a Provisional Ball may be played using any of the following options: replay from the tee (stroke and distance); back on the line; or the lateral relief option (within a 2 club length relief area measured from the point where ball last crossed the margin of the Penalty Area).

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You must declare the ball to be a Provisional Ball before you play it.

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If you decide to play a Provisional Ball, this should be done before you go forward to search.

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The Provisional Ball will apply to the original ball, whether it is visible in the Red Penalty Area when the player moves forward to search, or is simply not able to be found.

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If the original ball is found outside the Red Penalty Area, it is still the ball in play and the Provisional Ball must be abandoned.

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The purpose of this special Local Rule is to save time. The player does not have to go forward to find the ball in order to know how to proceed. On the 1st, 9th, 10th and 18th holes it is quite a long walk if the player has to go back to the tee.

Pennant Hills Local Rule:

Red Penalty Areas Holes 1, 9, 10, 18 Provisional Ball for ball played from the tee

Pennant Hills Local Rule: Red Penalty Areas

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You are not obliged to search for your ball and you may request others not to search.

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3 minute search time allowed.

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If you do not find your ball within the 3 minute search time you must continue play with the Provisional Ball. After 3 minutes, the original ball is now a “lost ball” under the Rules, and if you played it you would be playing a “wrong ball” (2 stroke penalty!)

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If your ball is found within 3 minutes in the General Area (ie outside the Red Penalty Area) you must continue to play the original ball and abandon the Provisional Ball.

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If you find your ball within 3 minutes in the Penalty Area you may EITHER: ❖ Play the original ball as it lies in the Penalty Area without penalty, and abandon the Provisional Ball. (Having played a Provisional Ball, you may not use any further options under Rule 17 in relation to the original ball), OR ❖ Continue play with the Provisional Ball with one stroke penalty, and abandon the original ball.

Holes 1, 9, 10, 18 Provisional Ball has been played Going forward to search for original ball

1st Hole Red Penalty Area • Ball has been played from 1st tee.

• It is “known or virtually certain” that this ball is in the Red Penalty Area. (It is either visible there or cannot be anywhere else.) •

A Provisional Ball MAY NOT be played.

• Since the ball is known to be lost or unplayable in the Red Penalty Area, the player must proceed under Rule 17 (Penalty Areas). • Play another ball from the tee or go forward to edge of Red Penalty Area and drop behind the point where the ball last crossed the margin. Once a second ball has been played under Rule 17, the original ball is “lost” and must not be played. (You can pick it up if you find it). • One stroke penalty (“3 off the tee”). • Of course, you can choose to play the original ball as it lies, without penalty!

Ball played from 1st tee . Impossible to know if ball is in the Red Penalty Area. Provisional Ball played. •

The tee shot has gone left into the trees. It is not “known or virtually certain” that this ball is in the Red Penalty Area. Therefore the player was entitled to play a Provisional Ball.

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The player must say that the second ball is a Provisional Ball. If the ball is not declared to be Provisional, it becomes the ball in play under Rule 17 with a one stroke penalty for a Lost Ball.

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Player goes forward to search (but is not obliged to search and can ask others not to search). 3 minutes search time allowed.

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If the original ball cannot be found within 3 minutes of searching, the ball is “lost” under the Rules, and the player MUST continue play with the Provisional Ball, with a one stroke penalty.

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Player may proceed straight to play the Provisional Ball with a one stroke penalty, without searching (ie would be playing his/her 4th shot).

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If the original ball is found outside the Red Penalty area, player MUST continue play with it without penalty and abandon the Provisional Ball. (If original ball is unplayable, proceed under Rule 19: Unplayable Ball, with a one stroke penalty).

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If the ball is found in the Red Penalty Area, play it as it lies without penalty, or continue with the Provisional ball with a one stroke penalty.

18th tee: Options for [1] and [2]. Under the Rules, if it is “known or virtually certain” that the ball is in the Red Penalty Area, the player is not entitled to play a Provisional Ball and must proceed under Rule 17: Penalty Areas. (“Known or virtually certain”: the only possible place the ball can be is in the Penalty Area). In [1], if the ball is visible in, or known to be in the Red Penalty Area, the player MAY NOT play a Provisional Ball. The original ball may be played as it lies without penalty in the Penalty Area or the player must proceed under Rule 17 with a one stroke penalty. However, if the player is not sure that the ball is in the Penalty area (as would be the case for a ball played from the back tees or if it may have bounced sideways), a Provisional Ball may be played. In [2], a Provisional Ball is permitted because the player cannot see and does not know (it is not ”virtually certain”) whether or not the ball is in the Penalty Area.

Provisional Ball played under the Rules of Golf Ball may be lost outside Penalty Area or Out of Bounds on any hole.

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If your ball may be Out of Bounds or lost outside a Penalty Area, under the Rules of Golf you may play a Provisional Ball. You may (and should) do this on any hole where you believe that the original ball may be difficult to find. It saves time and avoids the delay in play if a player has to go back to replay the shot.

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In doing this, the player is not invoking the Local Rule, but is playing a Provisional Ball under the Rules of Golf for a ball which may be Lost or Out of Bounds (Rule 18-3).

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If the original ball is found within the permitted 3 minute search time, it is still in play. The player MUST continue play with it and abandon the Provisional Ball.

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If the original ball is not found within 3 minutes, the ball is “lost” under the Rules of Golf, the player incurs a one stroke penalty for a Lost Ball, and must continue play with the Provisional Ball.

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If you decide to play a Provisional Ball 1. You must declare it to be a Provisional Ball before you play it. If you do not declare it to be Provisional before you make a stroke at the ball, the original ball is “lost” and the second ball becomes the ball in play under a one stroke penalty (“Stroke and Distance”). 2. You should play the Provisional Ball before you go forward to search for the original ball. 3. You are not obliged to search for the original ball. You can ask others not to search. 4. Continue play with the Provisional Ball until you reach the spot where the original ball is estimated to be. 5. The Provisional ball becomes the ball in play, and the original ball is lost, after a 3 minute search for the original ball, or when the Provisional Ball is played from a point nearer the hole than the original ball is estimated to be. 6. After 3 minutes of search time has expired, the original ball is “lost” under the Rules of Golf. If you then find and play this ball, you are playing a “Wrong Ball” for which there is a 2 stroke penalty.

PENNANT HILLS LOCAL RULE Alternative to stroke and distance for Ball Lost or OOB. Can be used on any hole on the course. Provided a Provisional Ball has not been played for a ball which is Lost or Out of Bounds, for a penalty of two (2) strokes a ball may be dropped in the Relief Area, as follows: • There are two reference points —

• The Ball reference point (A) is that point where the ball is estimated to have come to rest or to have crossed Out of Bounds. • The Fairway reference point (B) is the nearest closely mown point to the Ball reference point which is not nearer the hole. The Relief Area is anywhere between these two points and 2 club lengths on the fairway, outside of a line between them and the hole (see shaded areas in diagrams). If you had played your first shot from the tee, you would be playing your 4th shot in this situation.

See the next slide for an example of this Local Rule in practice on Hole 3.

3rd Hole. Local Rule for Ball Lost or Out of Bounds at X •

Provided a Provisional Ball has not been played, the player may proceed under the Local Rule (“Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Ball Lost or OOB”), taking a penalty of 2 strokes, as follows:

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The ball may be dropped in, and played from, the Relief Area, which is defined as the area between the Ball Reference Point X, (the point where the ball is estimated to be lost or OOB), and the Fairway Reference Point F, and 2 club lengths on the fairway, at a point not nearer the hole than the Ball Reference Point X.

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It is important to agree the location of Point X with your fellow player(s).

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The ball may be dropped and played from anywhere in the marked area.

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If the original ball has been played from the 3rd tee, the player taking this Local Rule option will now be playing his/her 4th shot.

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In practice, the simplest way to implement this Local Rule is to find the point at the edge of the fairway (F) not nearer the hole than the Ball Reference Point X (where the ball is estimated to be lost or out of bounds), measure 2 club lengths onto the fairway, and drop a ball within the 2 club lengths and not nearer the hole, for a 2 stroke penalty.

Relief from Red Penalty Area: Maintenance Area - Hole 1 The margin of the Penalty Area has been generously marked at its outer limit, giving a reasonable lie for a Penalty drop within the 2 club length Relief Area. The Reference Point for the Relief Area is X, the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the Red Penalty Area. The ball’s actual location within the Red Penalty Area is irrelevant. The ball at X has last crossed the margin here, but has travelled down the full length of the driveway. The Reference Point for the 2 club length Relief Area is X. The ball which has last crossed the margin of the Red Penalty Area at X has landed in the bushes and is lost or not playable. The player gains better relief by proceeding under Rule 17: Penalty Areas and dropping in the 2 club length Relief Area based on Reference Point X. In each of the above examples, the penalty for taking relief from a Red Penalty Area under Rule 17-1d is one stroke. As well as dropping in the 2 club length Relief Area, the other options under Rule 17: replaying from the original spot, or back on the line relief, are also available. Of course, It may be possible to play the ball as it lies in the Red Penalty Area, without penalty. Note that the Rules of Golf now allow the club to be grounded and Loose Impediments to be removed, provided the ball is not moved.

Machinery Shed Holes 1 and 17 The Maintenance Area itself is signposted as “No Thoroughfare”, which means that players must not walk or drive carts through the area. Relief is not available from areas of concrete or paving within the Red Penalty Area. Players may enter the area to retrieve a ball, and may play from the area (may ground club and remove loose impediments provided the ball is not moved). While a player whose ball lies on the outer edge of the Red Penalty Area may reasonably put the ball into play, a player whose ball is unplayable within the area, especially where the ball has rolled down towards the end of the driveway, should consider taking relief under Rule 17: Penalty Areas. The Reference Point for taking relief under Rule 17 is the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the Red Penalty Area. Where the ball lies in the Red Penalty Area is irrelevant.

2nd Hole: airmailed the green? It’s not all bad news! ❖ Although the hedge area is an integral part of the course (no free relief), free relief is available from the Obstruction (the timber edging) which interferes with the player’s area of intended swing. ❖ The player first needs to find the Nearest Point of Complete Relief, the point where the ball would lie, no nearer the hole, so that the Obstruction will not interfere with her stance, the lie of the ball or her swing. ❖ Note that she can touch the hedge with her club in her backswing, as she is taking relief from the timber Obstruction, not the hedge. ❖ This point, [1], is measured on an arc, no nearer the hole than the point where the original ball lies. The blue line shows the direction of the hole. ❖ The one club length Relief Area is measured from Point [1]. ❖ Drop a ball correctly within, and play from, the Relief Area [2].

Free relief from an Immovable Obstruction (path with an artificial surface) • Nearest Point of Complete Relief (X) is the nearest point, no nearer the hole, where the ball would lie, at which the (right handed) player has no interference from the path for stance, lie of ball or area of intended swing. The player must drop correctly and play from within the Relief Area. • Player must have complete relief. A penalty of 2 strokes would be incurred if the player’s foot or club touched the path when a stroke was made at the ball. • The nearest point of relief is not necessarily the nicest point. The player is only entitled to free relief from the path and is not entitled to a clear shot without interference on the line of play from the post or the tree. The player would not be entitled to drop the ball on the other side of the path to have a better shot. • Always stop and look where you would be taking free relief before you lift the ball. In this example, it might be better to play the ball as it lies. • For a left-handed player, however, the Nearest Point of Relief would be on the other side of the pathway, giving a much better line to the flagstick. •

(This example is not at Pennant Hills)

3rd Hole: Ball Unplayable against boundary fence at point X. No free relief from walls or fences marking course boundary. No fee relief from garden bed (integral part of the course). Player is taking penalty relief under Rule 19: Unplayable Ball Options for Ball Unplayable 1. Stroke and distance relief (replay the stroke at the

spot from which original ball was played ; 2. Lateral relief: drop and play from within a 2 club length Relief Area, measured from the spot where original ball lies, no nearer the hole. 3. Back on the line relief (drop the ball in a Relief Area based on a Reference Line going straight back from the hole through the spot where the original ball lies (point X); Only 1 and 2 are possible options here. Ball has been dropped within a 2 club length Relief Area after clearing loose impediments, and now must be played from this spot. One stroke penalty for Ball Unplayable (Rule19) Be careful where you drop! Player has no backswing here, and would have had a clearer shot to the flag if she had dropped further right. If, after dropping, the player finds that the ball is again unplayable within the Relief Area, it must again be declared Unplayable and the player must proceed under a further penalty.

RHS 4th Hole / LHS 5th Tee: garden, fence and path The garden is an integral part of the course (no free relief). The path and fence are Immovable Obstructions (free relief). At (A), free relief from physical interference by the fence (Immovable Obstruction) is allowed, but Relief Area is in the garden. However, the player is entitled to take relief for an Unplayable Ball under Rule 19 within a 2 club length Relief Area, no nearer the hole, which may be measured through the fence. Note that the player’s longest club, other than a putter, may be used to measure the club length. If the player were playing the 4th hole, this would allow the ball to be dropped on the 4th fairway side of the fence. The one stroke penalty for an Unplayable Ball would be worthwhile! At (B): Nearest Point of Relief from path and Relief Area are in the garden. Player could be worse off if relief were taken.** At (C): No free relief from garden bed or from rocks or plants in the bed. Player could declare the ball Unplayable. ** At (D): Nearest Point of Relief and Relief Area are on RHS grass but no line of sight relief from fence. ** Be careful to consider your options before lifting your ball to take relief, including Unplayable (penalty) relief. You might be better off just knocking the ball into a playable position.

4th hole RHS of fairway • The garden is an integral part of the course (no free relief). The protective fence is an Immovable Obstruction. At point [A], free relief is available only because the fence interferes with the player’s lie of ball, stance or area of intended swing. • At point [B], although the fence interferes with the player’s line of play, and the lie of the ball makes it unplayable, no free relief is available. • However, at point [C], the player is entitled to relief from physical interference by the fence, and in dropping in the one club length Relief Area will also get relief from a difficult lie. We all deserve a bit of good luck sometimes! • For [A] and [C], the Nearest Point of Relief is marked as X in each case. A player entitled to relief must correctly drop in and play the ball from within the one club length Relief Area as shown in red.

6th Hole: ball in LHS Garden marked GUR. ❖ The white stakes indicate that this garden area is GUR. Optional free relief is available for interference with the lie of the ball, the player’s stance and the area of intended swing by anything in the GUR. ❖ Free Relief is also available when the path – an Immovable Obstructioninterferes with the lie of the ball, stance or area of intended swing. ❖ Separate relief must be taken from interference from each condition. ❖ For the ball in the GUR, the Nearest Point of Complete Relief and the one club length Relief Area are on the path. ❖ Drop on path in Relief Area [1].The Ball will roll probably outside Relief area. Re-drop and then place. ❖ Then find Nearest Point of Complete Relief from the path [2] and drop in the one club length Relief Area (optional relief, no penalty).

6th hole LHS GUR •

Optional Free Relief is available from garden bed (GUR). If relief is taken, it MUST be Complete Relief for stance, lie of ball and area of swing).

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At [1] the ball is lost in the GUR. Free relief is available if it is known or virtually certain that the ball is lost in the GUR.

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Reference Point is R, the estimated point where the ball last crossed the margin of the GUR. Using the Reference Point, the player must find the Nearest Point of Complete Relief X, on an equidistant arc, no nearer the hole. The ball must be dropped in and played from the one club length Relief Area.

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At [2] the Reference Point is where the ball lies in the GUR. The player must find the Nearest Point of Complete Relief, X, on an equidistant arc, no nearer the hole. The ball must be dropped in and played from the one club length Relief Area.

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At [3] the player would no doubt like the Nearest Point of Complete Relief to be on the path, but in fact the Nearest Point of Complete Relief is behind the GUR. However, the one club length Relief Area may at least give the player a line to the green.

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It often pays to know and use the Rules in these situations!

Red Penalty Area: RHS of 14th Green. Taking lateral Penalty Relief ❖ The Reference Point for taking lateral relief is [1], the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the Red Penalty Area. The point where the ball actually lies is irrelevant. ❖ The Ball must be dropped on the path, within the 2 club length Relief Area as marked. When the ball is dropped on the path, it is likely to roll outside the Relief Area. Re-drop, and if the ball rolls again, place it at the point where it last struck the ground in the Relief Area . ❖ The player now has 2 options: 1. to play the ball as it lies on the path; OR 2. to take free relief from the path. If the player decides to take free relief from the path, the Nearest Point of Complete Relief must be found (at [2]), and the ball dropped without penalty in the one club length Relief Area. ❖

(The player could also take “back on the line” relief, keeping point [1] in line with the hole, or replay from the tee).

14th hole: Red Penalty Area near green [A] and [B] are two Reference Points where balls last crossed the margin of the Red Penalty Area. These Reference Points are used in taking lateral relief from the Red Penalty Area. In each case, a ball must be correctly dropped and first touch the ground in the 2 club length Relief Area measured from the Reference Point, no nearer the hole on an equidistant radius. (The point where each ball lies in the Red Penalty Area is irrelevant). If the ball, when dropped, rolls outside the Relief Area, it must be re-dropped. If the ball rolls outside the area a second time, it must be placed. A player may stand in a Red Penalty Area to play the stroke, but the ball must be dropped in and played from within the Relief Area.

15th green: fence and garden at rear of green: GUR. Optional free relief. ❖ The garden area is marked as GUR. ❖ Relief is optional. No Penalty. ❖ The player may: 1. Play the ball as it lies in the garden; OR 2. Proceed to take free relief under the Rules of Golf, by finding the Nearest Point of Complete Relief no nearer the hole, and dropping a ball within a one club length Relief Area, no nearer the hole, based on this point; OR 3. As an additional option, drop in the nearer of the 2 Drop Zones, within a one club length Relief Area based on the white “Drop Zone” stakes, no nearer the hole.

Drop Zone: 15th green. Optional free relief for ball in garden area (GUR) Ball must be correctly dropped, must first strike the ground in the one club length Relief Area (Drop Zone) measured from the white stake, and must be played from within the Relief Area. If the ball has not first struck the ground within the Relief Area, drop again, If the ball, when correctly dropped, has rolled outside the Relief Area, re-drop. If, when redropped, the ball rolls outside the Relief Area a second time, place the ball at the spot where it first struck the ground on the second drop. Penalty for playing a ball outside a Relief Area is 2 strokes.

16th green (rear of green): Optional GUR - free relief. A player may take free relief from this garden, marked with white stakes as GUR, for interference with stance, lie of ball and area of intended swing. Complete relief must be taken. Even though the ball does not lie in the garden, the player will strike the bushes with her backswing and is entitled to relief. She must take complete relief in this situation, and would incur a 2 stroke penalty if she struck the bushes when playing her stroke after dropping the ball. The player must first determine the Nearest Point of Complete Relief [A]. The blue lines shows the equidistant arc to the flagstick from the ball, from which the one club length Relief Area can be measured, and the direction of the hole. The player must take relief, without penalty, by dropping in, and playing the ball from within, the one club length Relief Area, measured from the nearest point of relief [A]. The Relief Area is shown in red. Note that the Relief Area cannot be closer to the GUR than the Nearest Point of Complete Relief.

And finally, a few frequently asked questions LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS: What are they and when can I remove them? Loose Impediments are natural objects such as leaves or sticks. Under the Rules of Golf, a player is entitled to remove them anywhere on the course, even in bunkers or Penalty Areas, provided the ball is not moved in the process. If the ball is moved, the player incurs a one stroke penalty and must replace the ball. The exception to this is the putting green, where there is no penalty if the ball is moved accidentally for any reason by a player or caddie, or by an opponent in match play. The ball must simply be replaced on the spot from which it was moved. If you are dropping a ball under the Rules, it is permitted (and good idea!) to first remove any Loose Impediments in the Relief Area before you drop the ball. (This is NOT “improving your lie”!) MOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS: What are they and when can I remove them? What if I move the ball in removing them? Movable Obstructions are artificial objects such as bunker rakes, paper, cans, towels etc. (The most common Movable Obstructions we encounter are bunker rakes and traffic stakes/ropes.) They can be moved anywhere on the course, including in bunkers and Penalty Areas. If your ball rests on or against a Movable Obstruction, do not touch or lift the ball, but you may mark it. Simply lift the Movable Obstruction, and if the ball moves, replace it without penalty.

This is the worst golf course I’ve ever played on! Oh, this isn’t the golf course. We left that an hour ago. Your drives have been a bit off line today!

Frequently asked questions: Embedded Ball EMBEDDED BALL: When is my ball defined as “embedded”? Where am I able to take relief? How do I proceed? A ball is defined as “embedded” only when it is in its own pitch mark as a result of the player’s previous stroke, and where part of the ball is below the level of the ground. A ball does not necessarily have to touch soil to be embedded (for example, grass or loose impediments may be between the ball and the soil.) A player is permitted to mark and lift the ball to determine if it is embedded. The indentation in the ground should be visible for the ball to be “embedded”. A ball simply lying deep in the grass is not “embedded” unless its depression in the ground is visible. Rule 16-3 allows relief for an embedded ball anywhere in the General Area, except when the ball is embedded in sand in an area that is not cut to fairway height or less. A ball embedded on the putting green may be marked and lifted, the damage repaired, and the ball replaced on its original spot. To take free relief for an embedded ball, the player must drop the original, or another, ball in the Relief Area, which is a one club length area, not nearer the hole and in the General Area, measured from the Reference Point, the spot right behind where the ball is embedded. (This means that a player would not be permitted to drop a ball on a putting green or in a Penalty Area, since these are not in the General Area.)

Just as a matter of interest - this photo was taken at a sand greens course in far North-Western NSW. Sand greens (made from a mixture of sand and oil), have to be raked by each player in a line from their ball to the hole before they putt. It is quite hard to judge green speed! Members of this Club love and look after their Course. You don’t wear light coloured clothing to play here! Makes us realise how lucky we are!

Frequently asked questions: Moved Ball in Play MOVED BALL: how is this defined under the Rules? How do I proceed if my ball is moved or if I move my ball? DEFINITION OF “MOVED”: A ball is “moved” under the Rules if it leaves the spot it is on and comes to rest in another place. It is not a question of how far the ball moves. If a ball is simply wobbling, or if it rocks and returns to its original spot, it is not a “moved ball” under the Rules. But even if the ball moves only a small distance, a quarter turn or only a few millimetres, it has “moved” under the Rules. To decide if your ball has moved, ask yourself if you could put it back. If it can be replaced even a small amount, it has “moved”. WAS THE BALL “IN PLAY”? A ball is not in play on a hole until the player has made a stroke at it from the teeing ground. A “stroke” is defined as the “forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking and moving the ball”. The intention must be there. Therefore, if you knock the ball off the tee before you make your stroke, or accidentally hit it with your practice swing, there is no penalty because the ball is not yet in play. WHAT IS THE PENALTY FOR MOVING A BALL IN PLAY? The answer to this question depends on who or what moved the ball and where the ball was at the time it was moved. There are four possible causes for a ball at rest to move before a player makes a stroke: 1. Ball in play moved by natural forces, such as wind or water: no penalty, and the ball must be played from its new spot. If it is not “known or virtually certain” that the ball had been moved by a player, caddie, opponent or an outside influence, the ball is regarded as having been moved by “natural forces” and must be played as it lies. The exception to this is if the ball has been marked, lifted and replaced on the putting green, and the ball then moves for any reason, it must be replaced on its original spot (or estimated spot). 2. Ball in play moved by player or caddie, except accidentally on the putting green or during a search – the player incurs a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced. If the ball is not replaced, the 2 stroke General Penalty is incurred. 3. Ball in match play deliberately lifted or moved by opponent or opponent’s caddie (opponent incurs a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced), except when asked by the player to do so, or when conceding the next stroke. There is no penalty to the opponent for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or during a search, but the ball must be replaced. 4.

Ball in play is “known or virtually certain” to have been lifted or moved by an Outside Influence (such as another player, a crow, another ball): no penalty to the player and the ball must be replaced on its original spot or, if this is not known, the spot must be estimated and the ball dropped on the spot.

“Known or virtually certain” here means either that the ball has been seen to have been lifted or moved by an Outside Influence, or that the ball cannot be in any other place – this means that, in general, the ball must have been seen to have come to rest, and is no longer able to be seen when the player arrives at the spot where it was at rest. If it is not known or virtually certain that the ball has been moved by an Outside Influence, the ball must be treated as a lost ball, and the player must take stroke and distance relief (ie replay the shot from the spot where the original ball was played) under penalty of one stroke.

Frequently asked questions: Wrong Ball WRONG BALL (Rule 6-3): What is a “Wrong Ball”. What is the penalty for playing a “Wrong Ball”? How must I proceed? A “Wrong Ball” is any ball other than a player’s ball in play, Provisional Ball (before it is abandoned), a second ball played in stroke play when the player is uncertain what to do, or another ball substituted under the Rules. Once a ball is “lost” under the Rules, (for example, if not found after a 3 minute search), it becomes a “Wrong Ball” if played. A ball being played by another player, a stray ball, or the player’s own ball that is Out of Bounds or has been lifted and not yet put back into play (eg has been marked and left in another place on the putting green) is a “Wrong Ball”. The penalty for playing a “Wrong Ball” is 2 strokes. The player must cancel any strokes played with the Wrong Ball and any penalties incurred while playing it, and must continue play with the original ball by playing it as it lies or by taking relief under the Rules. (If the player’s original ball cannot be found, it must be treated as a Lost Ball, and the player must proceed under “stroke and distance” or under the Local Rule for a lost ball). What if another player has played my ball as a “Wrong Ball”? The other player incurs the above penalties. You are entitled to drop either your original ball if it can readily be retrieved, or another ball, at the spot where it is estimated your ball lay, without penalty. In Match Play, the penalty of Loss of Hole applies to the first player to have played the “Wrong Ball”. If the players have played each other’s ball and it is not possible to determine which player was the first to play the wrong ball, there is no penalty and the hole must be played out with the balls exchanged.