GOLF RULES ETIQUETTE EQUIPMENT USGA GOLF RULES n

GOLF RULES, ETIQUETTE, & EQUIPMENT

USGA GOLF RULES n MATCH PLAY • WIN OR LOSE THE HOLE n MEDAL PLAY • TOTAL STROKES

STROKE PLAY n ON THE TEE • MUST TEE BETWEEN OR BEHIND TEE MARKERS • IF THE BALL FALLS OFF THE TEE, WHEN NOT IN PLAY, IT IS NOT A STROKE – WHEN DOES IT COST A STROKE? • A “WIFF” IS A STROKE

ON THE FAIRWAY OR IN THE ROUGH n YOU MUST PLAY THE BALL WHERE IT LIES • YOU CANNOT IMPROVE YOUR LIE BY MOVING, BREAKING, OR BENDING GROWING VEGETATION (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE) • YOU CAN MOVE LOOSE NATURAL OBJECTS WITHOUT PENALTY; BUT IF YOU MOVE THE BALL (1 STROKE)

FAIRWAY/ROUGH (CONTINUED) n n IF YOU PLAY THE WRONG BALL (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE) • PLAY OUT HOLE WITH CORRECT BALL LOST BALL • 5 MINUTES AND/OR PLAY THRU • DROP (PROVISIONAL BALL)FROM SPOT LAST PLAYED (1 STROKE) • MAY BE RETEED IF LOST FROM THE TEE SHOT (HITTING 3)

RULES FOR HAZARDS

WATER HAZARDS n IF YOUR BALL LANDS IN WATER: • IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A SHOT GO FOR IT “LUCKY” (CAN’T GROUND CLUB) • PLAY A PROVISIONAL BALL FROM THE SPOT LAST PLAYED (1 STROKE) • DROP BEHIND THE HAZARD (1 STROKE) • LATERAL WATER HAZARD – PLAY FROM LAST SPOT OR; – DROP WITHIN 2 CLUB LENGTHS OF HAZARD MARGIN

SAND BUNKERS n CANNOT GROUND CLUB (2 STROKES) n IF BALL IS COMPLETELY BURIED OR COVERED • YOU CAN REMOVE ENOUGH OF THE IMPEDIMENT TO SEE THE BALL

CASUAL WATER, GROUND UNDER REPAIR, OR. . n OTHER THAN A HAZARD OR THE GREEN • ONE CLUB LENGTH RELIEF • NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE • NO PENALTY n IN A HAZARD • PLAY IT AS IT LIES; • LIFT WITHOUT PENALTY AND DROP IN THE HAZARD NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE • LIFT AND DROP OUTSIDE THE HAZARD; PENALTY 1 STROKE

CASUAL WATER, GROUND UNDER REPAIR, OR. . n ON THE GREEN • LIFT WITHOUT PENALTY AND PLACE TO GET MOST RELIEF POSSIBLE; NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE n LOST BALL • NO PENALTY FOR LOST BALL IN THIS SITUATION

RELIEF FROM OBSTRUCTION n MOVABLE OBSTRUCTION • IF THE BALL DOES NOT LIE IN OR ON THE OBSTRUCTION MOVE THE OBSTRUCTION • BALL LIES IN OR ON OBSTRUCTION, LIFT AND PLACE n IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTION • ONE CLUB LENGTH RELIEF

RULES ON THE GREEN

ON THE GREEN n n n IF YOU HIT THE FLAGSTICK WHILE PUTTING (2 STROKES OR LOSS OF HOLE) HITTING THE FLAGSTICK WHEN IT LIES ON THE GREEN (2 STROKES, PLAY IT WHERE IT LIES; LOSS OF HOLE) HITTING AN ATTENDED STICK OR THE ATTENDEE (SAME AS PREVIOUS)

ON THE GREEN (CONT. ) n n TOUCHING THE GROUND ON YOUR LINE OF PUTT (2 STROKES OR HOLE) EXCEPT: • TO REPAIR BALL MARK • CLEAN BALL • REMOVE LOOSE IMPEDIMENT, ETC. . IF YOUR BALL LANDS ON THE WRONG GREEN (1 CLUB LENGTH RELIEF, NO PENALTY)

ON THE GREEN (CONT. ) n OPPONENTS BALL IN THE LINE OF YOUR PUTT • ASK THAT IT BE MARKED & LIFTED • MARKER MAY BE PLACED 1 OR MORE PUTTERHEAD-LENGTHS TO THE SIDE • STROKE PLAY THE PLAYER IN THE LINE CAN PUT FIRST

ON THE GREEN (CONT. ) n n n HITTING ANOTHER PLAYERS BALL • REPLACE IT • STROKE PLAY 2 STROKE PENALTY • MATCH PLAY NO PENALTY IN MATCH PLAY YOU CAN CONCEDE THE HOLE/MATCH BEFORE ITS CONCLUSION IN STROKE PLAY EVERY PLAYER MUST HOLE OUT ON EVERY HOLE

HANDICAPS

THE HANDICAP SYSTEM n n n PAR FOR THE COURSE • THE TOTAL OF THE PAR VALUES FOR ALL HOLES THE COURSE RATING • A MEASURE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THE COURSE JUST BECAUSE A HOLE IS A PAR 5 DOESN’T MEAN IT PLAYS TO THAT SCORE

HANDICAPPING CONT. n n n THE AVERAGE SCORE ON A PAR 5 MAY ACTUALLY BE A 4. 6 ----AND ON SOME PAR 3 THE HOLE MAY PLAY LIKE A 3. 4 THE COURSE RATING IS: • THE TOTAL OF THE AVERAGE SCORES FOR ALL THE HOLES SLOPE RATING • BETWEEN 100 AND 140; HIGHER IS MORE DIFFICULT

HOW TO ESTABLISH A HANDICAP n n n EVERY TIME AN 18 -HOLE ROUND IS COMPLETED (OR COMBINING 9’S) IT IS ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER WHEN 20 SCORES ARE ENTERED, THE COMPUTER CALCULATES BEST 10 OF 20 SCORES ARE AVERAGED; THE HANDICAP IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVG. AND THE COURSE RATING: 87 - 72 = 15

SOLVE THE PROBLEM? n HOW MANY STROKES DOES A 10 HANDICAPPER GIVE TO A 16 HANDICAPPER TO CREATE A FAIR GAME? n 6 STROKES ALL RIGHT!@!$#!

HANDICAP SCORING n n n SCRATCH GOLFERS HAVE NO HANDICAP A 2 -HANDICAP GOLFER SHOULD AVERAGE 2 SHOTS MORE PER ROUND THAN A SCRATCH GOLFER A 18 -HANDICAPPER WOULD AVERAGE 18 MORE SHOTS THAN A SCRATCH GOLFER

HOW THE HANDICAP WORKS n IN STROKE PLAY , PLAYERS HANDICAPS ARE SUBSTRACTED FROM THEIR GROSS SCORES: • SCRATCH PLAYER SHOOTS A 78 – 78 - 0 = 78 • 2 -HANDICAPPER SHOOTS A 79 – 79 - 2 = 77 • 18 -HANDICAPPER SHOOTS A 90 • 90 - 18 = 72 • WHO WINS?

ENJOY THE GAME! n n n BE PATIENT PRACTICE OFTEN READ AND LEARN KEEP THE GAME IN PERSPECTIVE HAVE FUN