Happy
New Year and welcome back to all of you who have recently returned from
vacation or just missed the articles over the holiday season. It is now 2013, the PGA Tour is off and
running again in Hawaii and for me, it’s Rules School season. Many of you are still unable to play due to
the cold and snow, but some are creeping back to the links enjoying the “Winter
Rules” many courses use during the off-season.
So for the first article of the New Year, let’s look at a couple of
Local Rules and the myths surrounding them.
“Winter Rules,” “Preferred
Lies” or “Lift, Clean and Place”
During
the winter season I get to hear the words, “Oh, just bump the ball a little, we’re
using winter rules.” As a Rules Official
my stomach churns when I hear this so I want to dispel some common fallacies
when applying “Winter Rules” so you can proceed correctly next time around:
1. “Bumping” the ball is never
permitted. When “winter rules” are in
effect you still need to mark the golf ball prior to lifting it.
2. Just because it is winter, does not
mean “winter rules” are in effect.
3. “Winter Rules” requires that you name a
specific area in which lifting and cleaning the ball is permitted, and the
distance from the original spot the ball must be placed within. Typically the ball may be lifted in closely
mown areas through the green and must be placed within 6 inches of the original
spot.
4. “Winter rules” are not only for
winter. Specifically, “Preferred Lies”
can be used in situations where extreme heat has created adverse conditions
throughout the golf course.
5. If you’re looking for a solution for
one day after heavy rain because mud is collecting on the ball, use “Lift,
Clean and Replace.” This local Rule can
be found in Appendix I under Cleaning Ball.
Desert Rule
I grew
up in Arizona where golf course surroundings were not particularly friendly to
stray golf balls, and I frequently saw the “Desert Rule” on the back of
scorecards. Here’s what you should know
about the “Desert Rule”:
1. It is not permissible for a golf
course to make a Local Rule treating rough or areas adjacent to fairways as
lateral water hazards (See Decision 33-8/35).
If the area is to be marked as a lateral water hazard, it must meet the
definition of a water hazard.
2. It is, however, permissible to mark
a desert area as a lateral water hazard if it would carry water after heavy
rains (like monsoons). Even if it is dry
most of the year, it could still meet the definition of water hazard.
3. There is no specific Rule that gets
you out of the desert onto the nearest grass area with or without penalty. Under Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable) you would
only get back to grass if a) the grass is within two club-lengths of where your
ball lies, b) while keeping the point where your ball lies between you and the
hole you can reach grass behind you on that line or c) you operate under stroke
and distance and the previous spot you played from was on grass. All of those options come with a one stroke
penalty.
Drop Zones
Dropping
Zones are not something any player wants to need, but they can be extremely
helpful in tricky situations. A drop
zone should be used as an additional option under the Rule in question when the
Rule may not provide adequate relief options (penalized or not). Unfortunately, the ability to put drop zones
in has frequently been abused or just done incorrectly altogether. Here are some important notes about dropping
zones:
1. Drop zones do not have to be
circular. You may use forward teeing
grounds, squares or any odd shape you feel like painting if necessary.
2. A ball may roll out of the drop zone
or nearer the hole when dropped. It must
not roll more than two club-lengths from where it originally touches the
ground.
3. A drop zone may NOT be located on
the green-side of a hazard. You are not
allowed to get out of negotiating the hazard (See Decision 33-9/2).
4. A Water Hazard does not always have
a drop zone. Drop Zones are additional
options, not part of the Rule.
The key
to remember when creating or using Local Rules is that you cannot waive a Rule
of Golf. You cannot permit “gimmies” or
mulligans, allow out of bounds to be played as a lateral water hazard or “bumping”
of the ball. Local Rules are exactly as
named: local. They are to help golfers
with abnormal situations that occur at a specific facility so that they may
play within the Rules. If you have
questions about Local Rules you can first check Appendix I of the Rules of Golf
and also Decisions under Rule 33-8. If
you cannot find what you are looking for you may contact the USGA or regional
golf association with specific questions.
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