The Rules, your course and its golf course management staff

Presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

It's not uncommon to hear a golfer say, "The Rules of Golf are too complicated."

But what's most important for golfers to understand is that many of the rules are actually intended to help them out. For instance, most golf courses have cart paths, sign posts, permanently anchored yardage markers, ball washers, etc. These are immovable obstructions, and golfers are permitted relief from them under rule under 24-2.

In addition to those permanent features of the course, golfers and/or their golf ball will interact with the work of the golf course maintenance staff, or with natural situations that affect the course. These are called “abnormal ground conditions” and also offer relief under Rule 25.

For instance, in wet weather, portions of the course can have standing water outside of a water hazard. This is casual water and golfers can also get relief from it under Rule 25.

When the golf course management staff is working on the projects such as resodding, maintaining or repairing the irrigation system, or renovating bunkers, these areas maybe marked as ground under repair. In such cases, golfers are entitled to relief from the area.

If the committee wishes to protect an area of the course such as new sod, The Rules of Golf also recommend identifying the area as ground under repair, and requiring players to take relief from it. The recommended local rule is:

“The _____________(defined by ____) is ground under repair from which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies in the area, or if it interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing, the player must take relief under Rule 25-1.

Of course, there are other times when The Rules of Golf can help you on the course. One of the regular maintenance practices that can have an effect on play is the aerification of greens, tees and fairways. According to The Rules of Golf:

When a course has been aerated, a Local Rule permitting relief, without penalty, from an aeration hole may be warranted. The following Local Rule is recommended:

“Through the green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation.

The Rules even offer a specimen local rule for trees that have been planted:

When it is desired to prevent damage to young trees, the following Local Rule is recommended:

“Protection of young trees identified by ______ — If such a tree interferes with a player’s stance or the area of his intended swing, the ball must be lifted, without penalty, and dropped in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 24-2b (Immovable Obstruction). If the ball lies in a water hazard, the player must lift and drop the ball in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i) except that the nearest point of relief must be in the water hazard and the ball must be dropped in the water hazard or the player may proceed under Rule 26. The ball may be cleaned when lifted.

While the rules don’t specifically address the maintenance staff itself, golfers need to remember that sometimes the work to be done puts golfers and the staff on the course at the same time. At those times, a little patience can make for a safer, more productive day for the staff, and produce better golf course conditions when the project is done.