CLUB UPDATE

This month, I would like to draw our attention to the rules of golf, in particular penalty areas, unplayable lies and what happens when you play from the wrong teeing area in a club match play! I know the Rules of Golf can be fairly boring but please bear with me…

RED PENALTY AREAS

You will notice recently that we have removed all Yellow Penalty areas at the club and replaced them with Red. Red penalty areas provide the golfer with more flexibly and options when choosing how to play their next shot.

When your ball finishes in a Red Penalty area, you can either play the ball as it lies or take penalty relief with three options:

I. Go back and play the shot again from its previous location (Stroke and Distance)

II. Drop the ball behind its point of entry to the hazard, keeping on line with the pin

III. Take relief laterally of two club lengths, no nearer the hole (this is the additional option available to you when comparing Red and Yellow Penalty Areas)

UNPLAYABLE BALL

An unplayable ball occurs when a golfer decides it is not possible to play their next shot; an example of this could be when their ball rests against a tree or has perhaps been found in a large bush. When you deem your shot as unplayable you once again have three relief options, all coming with a one shot penalty:

I. Go back and play the shot again from its previous location (Stroke and Distance)

II. Drop the ball behind, keeping on line with the pin

III. Take relief laterally of two club lengths, no nearer the hole

MATCH PLAY - PLAYING FROM THE WRONG TEEING AREA

Feedback has been positive from the membership, with regards to playing the club OMEGA Match Play Championships from the Blue/Red stones. Naturally however, when in the heat of battle, some members have found themselves walking on to the tee box and playing from the tee markers of the day, only to realise after their tee shot that the Blue/Red stone is 10 yards behind them!!

In this instance the following rule of golf comes into effect:

6.1.b. Ball Must Be Played from Inside Teeing Area

If a player who is starting a hole plays a ball from outside the teeing area (including from a wrong set of tee markers):

(1) Match Play. There is no penalty, but the opponent may cancel the stroke:

I. This must be done promptly and before either player makes another stroke. When the opponent cancels the stroke, he or she cannot withdraw the cancellation.

II. If the opponent cancels the stroke, the player must play a ball from inside the teeing area and it is still his or her turn to play.

III. If the opponent does not cancel the stroke, the stroke counts and the ball is in play and must be played as it lies.

As always, if you have any queries regarding the rules of golf, please do not hesitate to reach out!