Winter Rules (preferred lies) will be effective from the commencement of play on Tuesday 8th October 2019.
The following local rule applies: –
A ball lying on a closely-mown area through the green may be lifted without penalty and cleaned. Before lifting the ball the player must mark its position. Having lifted the ball, the player must place it on a spot within six inches of and not nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.
A player may place his ball only once and it is in play when it has been placed (Rule 20-4). If the ball fails to come to rest on the spot on which it is placed, Rule 20-3d applies. If the ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.
If the player fails to mark the position of the ball before lifting it or moves the ball in any other manner such as rolling it with a club, he incurs a penalty of one stroke.
Penalty for breach of Local Rule
Match Play – Loss of hole
Stroke Play – Two strokes.
* If a player incurs the general penalty for a breach of this Local Rule, no additional penalty under the Local Rule is applied
Jeremy Tattersall
Chair of Handicaps & Competitions
R & A : 20 Must Know Rules of Golf Changes for 2019 (www.randa.org)
RandA 20 Must Know Rules of Golf 2019 click for printable copy
- Drop from knee height (NOT shoulder height)
- Measure the area to drop in with the longest club in your bag (except a putter)
- Drop in and play from the relief area
- When dropping back-on-the-line, your ball cannot be played from nearer the hole than your chosen reference point
- Time to search – 3 minutes (NOT 5 minutes)
- If you accidentally move your ball when searching for it, replace it without penalty
- No penalty for a double hit – it only counts as one stroke
- No penalty if your ball hits you or your equipment accidentally after a stroke
- No penalty if your ball strikes the flagstick when you have chosen to leave it in the hole
- Spike mark and other shoe damage on the putting green can be repaired
- Ball accidentally moved on putting green – no penalty and replace
- Ball marked, lifted and replaced on putting green is moved by wind to another position –replace ball on the original spot
- Penalty areas replace water hazards, and you can move loose impediments, ground your club and take practice swings in penalty areas without penalty, just as you can on the fairway or in the rough
- You can’t take relief from a penalty area unless you are at least 95% certain your ball is in the penalty area
- In bunkers you can move loose impediments
- In bunkers you cannot touch the sand with your club in the area right in front of or right behind your ball, during your backswing or in taking practice swings
- Free relief is allowed if your ball is embedded on the fairway or in the rough (but “embedded” means that part of your ball is below the level of the ground)
- Unplayable ball in bunker – extra option to drop outside the bunker for 2 penalty strokes
- You cannot have your caddie or your partner standing behind you once you begin taking your stance
- Pace of Play – it is recommended that you take no longer than 40 seconds to make a stroke (and usually you should be able to play more quickly than that) and Ready Golf in stroke play is encouraged
Main Greens or Temporary Greens
Now that winter and the associated frosts are on the way members may be interested to know how the Greens Staff decide which greens to use.
The most important factor is to avoid damage to the roots in order to keep them healthy and ready for spring growth.
To understand the issue it is necessary to divide the sub surface into upper and lower layers with the division approx 25 mm below the surface.
SHALLOW FROST – UPPER LAYER ONLY. Play on this when frozen or thawing will not damage the roots therefore play on main greens is fine.
DEEP FROST – BOTH LAYERS FROZEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. Play in this condition will also not damage the roots therefore play on main greens is also fine.
DEEP FROST – BOTH LAYERS FROZEN BUT UPPER LAYER THAWING DURING THE DAY. Play in this condition WILL damage the roots as the thawing upper layer moves (footfall) against the frozen lower layer therefore temporary greens will be used.
Testing the depth of the frost takes place daily using appropriate equipment.
This is a simplification of the agronomic issues, there may be other factors (playability) which dictate which greens are used but be assured, having got the greens to such a high standard this year we will not allow anything to prejudice their continued improvement next year.