Oak Tree National Blog
The Top 12 Most Misunderstood Rules of Golf
by CarissaStevens on Fri Jan 2010
This month we compiled a listing of the most misunderstood rulings in the game of golf. Hope that you enjoy and learn something new from this article.
1. Red Lateral Hazard – Usually marked by either red stakes or red paint lines
a. Option 1 – Play the ball as it lies in the hazard
b. Option 2 – Use the original position the ball WAS in, but incurring a stroke and distance penalty
c. Option 3 – Take the imaginary line from the hole to where you think the ball last crossed the hazard line. Then Drop the ball anywhere behind that point , but you must keep the ball between you and the flag
d. Take the point where you think the ball last crossed the hazard line and measure 2 club lengths from that point. You can drop a ball, no nearer to the hole, anywhere inside those 2 club lengths.
2. Yellow Water Hazard – Usually marked by either yellow stakes or yellow paint lines
a. Option 1 – Play the ball as it lies in the hazard
b. Option 2 – Use the original position the ball WAS in, but incurring a stroke and distance penalty
c. Option 3 - Take the imaginary line from the hole to where you think the ball last crossed the hazard line. Then Drop the ball anywhere behind that point , but you must keep the ball between you and the flag
3. Lost Ball or Out of Bounds – Out of bounds is usually marked by white paint lines or white stakes
a. You have a maximum of 5 minutes to look for your ball. If your ball is not found in those 5 minutes, you must go back to the original spot from where you hit and play another shot. You will incur both a stroke and distance penalty
4. Unplayable Lie –
a. Take 2 club lengths from where the ball lay, and incur a 1 stroke penalty
b. Use the original position the ball WAS in, but incurring a stroke and distance penalty
c. Take the ball back as far as you want keeping the point where the ball lays between you and the hole incurring a 1 stroke penalty.
5. Improving Your Swing Path –
a. You cannot bend, break, or hack anything growing or fixed if it improves your lie, stance, or area of intended swing
b. The penalty, if you do so, is loss of hole in match play or 2 stroke penalty in medal play.
6. Removing Objects in a Bunker –
a. You may not move or remove any loose impediments in the bunker unless they are foreign to the area – For Example: You can move a piece of trash but not a pine cone or branch
7. Casual Water –
a. Find your nearest point of relief no closer to the hole where neither you or your ball lie in water that can be seen without pressing your feet up and down. You can then drop the ball within 1 club length, no closer to the hole
8. Grounding Your Club in a Hazard –
a. You may take a practice swing inside the hazard as long as your club doesn’t touch the ground. The penalty for grounding your club in a hazard is loss of hole in match play and a 2 stroke penalty in medal play
9. Removing Loose Impediments –
a. If, when moving the loose impediment, your ball accidentally moves, you have to return the ball to its original position and assess yourself a 1 stroke penalty
10. Ball on Cart Path – In this situation, you are entitled to FREE relief
a. Step 1 – You have to determine your nearest point of relief
b. Step 2 – You have 1 club length from the point where the ball would lie if full relief is taken
c. Step 3 – After the drop, the ball may roll up to 2 club lengths no closer to the hole
11. How to Drop the Ball –
a. When you determine your nearest point of relief, you then stand outside of the drop area no closer to the whole, and extend your hand to the side dropping the ball from shoulder height. The ball may roll up to 2 club lengths no closer to the whole. If the ball rolls more than 2 club lengths you must re-drop. If after 2 times the ball continues to roll longer than 2 club lengths, you must place the ball where it first touched the ground
12. Repairing the Line of your Putt –
a. If you do so with your hand or golf club, you may repair ball marks in your line or remove any sort of pebbles or foreign objects. You may not fix spike marks or fan the ground with a towel or cap to remove sand or foreign objects. The penalty for doing so is loss of hole in match play or a 2 shot penalty in medal play.