Several rules violations were brought to my attention after
the Ramblewood tournament. Let’s take a look at these rules so that everyone
will understand them and stay out of trouble.
Preferred lies
When preferred lies are in effect, players are permitted to mark, lift, clean, and place the ball
within 12 inches, no closer to the hole. You may place the ball only once. As
soon as you place it, it is in play. If you move it a second time, you have
moved your ball in play (one-stroke penalty), and the ball must be replaced.
If you fail to mark the position of the ball before you lift
it, or you move the ball with your club instead of lifting it, you incur a
one-stroke penalty.
The rule entitles you to mark, lift, clean, and place – that
is exactly how you must proceed if you decide to move your ball.
Holing out
Every JustGolf tournament is a stroke play event. Every ball
that will count towards a player’s or a team’s score must be holed. No putt is
ever to be conceded. If a player fails to hole out, and does not correct the
error before teeing off on the next hole, he is disqualified.
There is no penalty for playing out of turn. If your putt
finishes so close to the hole that you have an easy tap-in, there is no reason
to waste everyone’s time by marking and lifting the ball. Just be careful not
to step in someone else’s line.
Fixing a damaged hole
If there is damage on the edge of the hole that has clearly
been caused by the impact of a ball (a ball mark), the player is entitled to
fix it before putting.
If there is minor damage to the hole, but it still has the
basic appearance of a hole, you may not fix the damage or try to smooth out the
hole before you putt. The penalty for doing so is two strokes under Rule 16-1a.
It is good etiquette to fix the hole, but do not do so until everyone in your
group has completed play.
Touching the line of
putt
You may repair an old hole plug or fix ball marks on the
green. Nothing else! Any other damage should not be repaired until everyone in
the group has finished play of the hole.
If you fix damage on your line of putt that is not an old
hole plug or a ball mark, the penalty is two strokes. Players who are in the
habit of tamping down the grass in front of their ball on their line of putt
are violating the rules and should be assessed a two-stroke penalty.
You are permitted to touch your line of putt to remove loose
impediments, but do so carefully – if you press anything down in the process
the penalty is two strokes.
The USGA has put together a series of short videos
explaining the most common rules – loose impediments, water hazards, movable
and immovable obstructions, nearest point of relief, abnormal ground
conditions, unplayable balls, and playing the course as you find it. These are
excellent videos, and I would highly recommend that everyone find a few minutes
to watch them. Here is the link: http://www.usga-rules.com
