rules

The WMSGA rules chair posts rules that WMSGA members have asked about
and that are particularly helpful to the membership.

Contact the rules chair with your questions and suggestions.
        Ilse Pfander
        46 Birchwood Boulevard
        Brewer, Maine 04412
        wpfander@cs.com
        207-989-4230

Q: How many clubs is a player allowed to carry?

A: A player may carry no more than 14 clubs in her bag.

Rule 6-7 states, in part: “ The player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines that the Committee may establish.”

Slow play causes friction and frustration to fellow competitors and to the host club, which has graciously permitted the WMSGA to use its course for a reasonable amount of time. USGA tournament guidelines require a group of three to play at no more than a 4-hour and 30-minute pace for the 18-hole round, completing each hole within 13½ minutes. Accordingly, a group of four would require approximately 15 minutes per hole, or about four hours and 54 minutes for the round.

Definition: “A provisional ball is a ball played under Rule 27-2 for a ball that may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds.”

Rule 27-2 states “If a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally in accordance with Rule 27-1. The player must inform her opponent in match play or a fellow-competitor in stroke play that she intends to play a provisional ball, and she must play it before she or her partner goes forward to search for the original ball.

The player may continue to play a provisional ball until she reaches the place where the original ball is likely to be. If she makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance.

If the original ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, under penalty of stroke and distance. “

Clarification...
A provisional ball is used only when a player believes her ball may be lost outside of a water hazard or may be out of bounds. Before putting a provisional ball into play, the player must announce “I am playing a provisional ball.” (And the ball is played, if from a teeing ground, after everyone else in the playing group has played.)

Rule 26-1states, “ It is a question of fact whether a ball lost after being struck toward a water hazard is lost inside or outside the hazard. In order to treat the ball as lost in the hazard, there must be reasonable evidence that the ball lodged in it. In the absence of such evidence, the ball must be treated as a lost ball.”

Decision 26-1/1 Meaning of “Reasonable Evidence” provides further clarification. “ [A] player may not deem her ball lost in a water hazard simply because she thinks the ball may be in the hazard. The evidence must be preponderantly in favor of its being in the hazard. Otherwise the ball must be considered lost outside the hazard. Observing a splash in a water hazard would not necessarily provide reasonable evidence, as splashing balls sometimes skip out of hazards. It would depend on all the circumstances.”

Surely a splash in the water and no sign of the ball reentering the fairway or rough would seem to constitute ”reasonable evidence.” But if the water hazard is obscured, there may be a question.

Rule 26-2 states, If a ball played from within a water hazard comes to rest in the same or another water hazard after the stroke, the player may play a ball as nearly as possible from the spot where the original ball was last played, which would be from within the water hazard, under penalty of one stroke.

If after dropping the ball in the hazard, the player elects not to play the dropped ball, she may drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the drop spot and take a penalty of one stroke.

If the hazard is a lateral water hazard, she may drop the ball within two club lengths of the hazard no closer to the hole and take a penalty of one stroke.

She may also choose to play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the last stroke from outside a water hazard was made and take a penalty of one stroke.

Rule 3-3 states, "In stroke play, if a competitor is doubtful of her rights or the correct procedure during the play of a hole, she may, without penalty, complete the hole with two balls.

After the doubtful situation has arisen and before taking further action, the competitor must announce to her marker or a fellow competitor that she intends to play two balls and must declare which ball she wishes to count if the rules permit.

The competitor must report the facts of the situation to the committee before signing and turning in her scorecard. If she fails to do so, she will be disqualified.

“If a player’s ball lies in a closely mown area (fairway) through the green, the player may mark, lift, and clean her ball without penalty. Before lifting, she must mark the position of the ball. And before she proceeds, she must replace the ball within a distance specified by local rules (6" - club length) and no nearer the hole. The spot she selects may not be in a hazard or on a putting green.

When a shotgun format is used for an 18-hole tournament played on a 9-hole course, holes will be played in their correct sequence. For example, a player who starts at hole 4 will play 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and so on through hole 18 of the back nine; then she will proceed to hole 1 and play 1, 2, and 3 of the front nine. If the course designates different tee markers for the front and back nine, she must be careful to play from the correct tee markers.

Definition: A “marker” is one who is appointed by the committee to record a competitor’s score during stroke play. She may be a fellow competitor or an assigned observer. She is not a referee.

Rule 6.6 states, "After each hole the marker should check the score with the competitor and record it. On completion of the round the marker must sign the scorecard and hand it to the competitor. If more than one marker records the scores, each must sign for the part for which she is responsible.

After completion of the round, the competitor should check her score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the committee. She must ensure that the marker or markers have signed the scorecard, sign the scorecard herself, and return it to the committee as soon as possible.

Clarification...
The competitor, not the marker, is ultimately responsible for the correctness of the score recorded for each hole. The competitor herself should then be sure that all the scores for each hole are correct and in the correct boxes for each hole. She should seek rulings for any doubtful points or playing situations. Only after she is satisfied that the scorecard is correct should she sign it and return it to committee.

A player will be disqualified for turning in a lower score for any hole than actually taken. However, if a score for a hole is returned that is actually higher than taken, that score as returned stands. The player need not record the total score or the application of the handicap, as the committee is responsible for this. No alteration may be made on a scorecard after the competitor has returned it to the committee.

An essential part of the game of golf, etiquette is so important that the USGA devotes an entire section to the subject in the Rules of Golf. The WMSGA executive board also believes that etiquette is an important aspect of the game and encourages all WMSGA members to practice courteous behavior at competitions, not only with other players but also with the staff of the host club. Rude behavior, even in stressful situations, damages our organization’s reputation and may lead to an offending player's disqualification.

Rule 33-7 states, “ If a committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under this rule.” A “serious breach” includes “intentionally distracting another player or intentionally offending someone.”