Golf rules are tricky! Thankfully, we have masters. Our Rules guys know this book from beginning to end. Is there any problem? He has all the answers.
In many of your rulings, you refer to local rules and mock local rules, but how do I determine if my courses use them? Do they have to be posted? If they are not published or listed somewhere, does this mean they are not taking effect? – Mark Dittman, Lebanon, Ohio
Do not make heavy talk or arches – heaven prohibited – but in order for local rules to take effect, the Commission must make it effective.
This means that it should be posted somewhere on the scorecard of the course, on the bulletin board of the professional store, or on the player notification. However, the committee can also do it verbally if needed. (Announcement of the last minute instance of the use of preferred lies will be eligible as long as the committee will have LR effective – no Rogue, Ralphie!)
If the committee, whether it is a curriculum committee or a competition committee (or, if there is no formal committee, the person in charge of the course, usually Pro), has not yet made the LR or MLR effective.
For more guidance from the Master, please continue reading…
Our club is scoped using local two-stroke rules. We have 3 poles, about 20 yards behind the green, and the only fairway is in front of the green. So, if we get out of the back line, can we fall out of the hole in the front of the green? – Prescott of the city by email
Under the new 2019 nomenclature, you are pointing to local rule E-5 modeling.
When you have the gist of things, instead of the last boundary on the straight line to the other side, work on the arc and sway until you find the nearest fairway point, there is no closer than the hole where the original ball falls off the boundary. (Think of a compass for technical drawings.) From there, you can drop two club lengths into the fairway, very close to the hole. That is the model rule behavior.
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Any questions about the rules? The person who asks about the rules! Send your queries, confusion and comments to pruleguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book to you.
