Sports- Golf's Rule Advantages

The Rules are categorized into four positions on the course: the teeing ground, through the green, the putting green and all hazards. Inclusive of 34 basic rules, the Rules is sometimes exclusive of the thousands of questions – or gray areas – that inevitably arise on the course. To the rescue is the USGA’s The Decisions of Golf, weighing in at hundreds of pages long. Aside from helping solve some interesting situations on the links, it also makes for interesting reading material and a few good belly laughs.

The Teeing Ground

Commonly referred to as the “tee box,” the rectangular-shaped teeing area can measure up to seven feet deep. If you find the box much-used and in need of repair, the Rules allow you to locate a better position to tee-up with a flatter or less damaged place to start from. On a Par 3 hole, this change from the forward position may be to your advantage if you’re “between clubs” in yardage. Varying sides of the teeing ground may allow you more room to start the ball flight and shape a shot to the fairway. I recommend that you tee-up on the same side as any trouble in the landing area to give the shot a chance to fly away from it and work back if it wants to.

Through The Green

The vast majority of shots are played from this condition. A few “usual suspects,” including immovable and movable obstructions, burrowing animal holes or mounds, material left by the grounds crew, and unplayable or embedded lies, can make shots very interesting as you play through the green. You also need to make a mental note of any local rules used in club play before you start your round. Relief from these obstacles can save you strokes if used in a timely and wise manner. A general rule for relief is when taking relief without penalty, relief from the condition plus one club length is available. When penalty strokes are added, relief from the condition plus two club lengths are available. You may declare a ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a water hazard. Golf balls find some rude places sometimes and knowing and using the unplayable ball option can keep momentum going in a round by putting the ball back into a playable position quickly and providing the opportunity to hit a shot that could save your score on that hole. Trying to flail your way out of a bush, burying a ball deeper into tall grass or rebounding backwards into more trouble off of a tree is not good for your score - or your ego. Take a stroke and a drop, and then strive for excellence. Free relief may be taken from immovable obstructions, casual water, ground under repair, cart paths, burrowing animal holes or runways from such animals, including birds and reptiles. It might be a good idea to always carry a burrowing animal with you at all times. (Not really, I’m just seeing if you’re still awake!) Warranted relief can be taken even if it means relief from another obstacle (like the darn tree in front of you). Free relief may be taken for ground under repair even if it is not marked. Rules disputes are remedied by playing one ball as it lies to hole completion and playing another ball with relief taken to hole completion, scoring both balls and let the decision be made later by an official. Many friendships are saved letting someone away from the competitive fire decide the ruling and subsequent score.

There are so many different ways that the Rules can help your score and increase your enjoyment of the game on and off the course. In light of my Rules knowledge, a fellow-competitor recently tried this scenario out on me. He hit a ball where archaeologists won’t find it 100 years from now, and tried to claim that it was “stolen.” He said, “Someone will find that ball, and then it will be a ‘stolen ball.’ The Rules say there’s no penalty for a stolen ball!”

His Rules knowledge still baffles me! It may not hurt each of us to brush up on the Rules before hitting the links with our golfing buddies this weekend!

For more on The Rules of Golf and The Decisions of Golf visit www.usga.org