Which USGA rules will/will not be followed?
Tournament play will be grounded in the USGA rules. We are not looking to enforce every single obscure USGA rule. For example, nobody cares about the rules on cleaning your ball, nobody will be weighing clubs, inspecting groove shape, etc. Nobody will be enforcing the oddball rules simply to gain a competitive advantage. USGA rules should be used as the basis for counting strokes, determining when balls are unplayable or lost, assessing strokes for lost balls and relief for unplayable balls, penalty for infractions, penalty for reporting an incorrect score on a hole/round, etc. Cheating and dishonesty are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
The following are examples of the USGA rules which shall be followed or ignored.
The following are examples of the USGA rules which shall be followed or ignored.
- Lie of the ball in a pairs match. In all four of the pairs matches (2-Man Scramble, 2-Man Shamble, and Alternating Shot) pairs/players may ignore USGA rules and shall be allowed to follow the the common practice used in a 4-man scramble which allows moving the ball up to one club length from its resting position without improving the lie prior to hitting it. For example, a player may "fluff" the ball (rolling it around to tee it up on the grass or move it into better grass of the same type) but they may not improve their lie by moving the ball out of a sand trap into grass, or out of the rough into a shorter cut of grass (like mid-cut grass or the fine cut of the fairway).
- Lie of the ball in a singles match, players shall NOT follow the common practice used in a 4-man scramble which allows moving the ball up to one club length from its resting position prior without improving the lie prior to hitting it. Likewise, fluffing of the ball shall NOT be permitted in singles matches. Players shall generally “play the ball as it lies,” without improvement of the lie, in accordance with USGA rules. Specifically, USGA rules generally provide that a player shall hit his ball from rough, tall grass, a sand trap/bunker, under/behind any tree(s), from a divot already in the ground that a ball comes to rest in, etc. without improving his lie unless there is a specific rule which would provide relief. A player improving his lie in any way not allowed under the rules shall be subject to penalty. If a player finds himself in a situation where his lie is abnormal and possibly unplayable (not just a difficult lie), and he should have a question as to whether he should be provided relief, the player should confer with his partner and/or opponent(s) in order to discuss whether relief should be provided. In doing so, all players involved should follow USGA rules AND the “Am I being a douchebag?” rule.
- OUT OF BOUNDS. USGA rules provide that a player who hits a ball out of bounds shall be subject to a one stroke penalty and the player shall drop a replacement ball and hit the replacement ball from the same spot from which he hit the original shot. So what is "Out of Bounds?" Most courses mark the boundary with white stakes, a white line, or some type of fence. However, some courses (including some of the courses we will play) have fairways that are butted up against one another so that a player might hit a ball into another fairway and never see a line or a set of stakes marking the ball as being out of bounds. In the event there are no markings between fairways, the ball is still in bounds. But, where a player crosses a set of white stakes or a white line to locate his ball, then the ball shall be deemed out of bounds. If any part of a ball is resting on a white line, or in an imaginary straight line drawn between two stakes, such a line is out of bounds and therefore the ball is out of bounds. The courses' respective scorecards might otherwise define what is out of bounds and what is a hazard and those definitions shall also be used to determine when a ball is out of bounds or in a hazard. This may change from course to course since a course is free to determine boundaries as it sees fit. IMPORTANT NOTE: When hitting a shot out of bounds, many golfers are in the habit of counting that stroke, moving forward and dropping a ball where it is estimated that the ball went out of bounds, taking a penalty stroke, and then hitting their next shot from that spot. THIS IS NOT THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE A BALL THAT IS OUT OF BOUNDS. The correct way to handle a ball that is out of bounds is to assess a penalty stroke, and then drop a new ball and hit your next shot from the same spot you hit the original shot that went out of bounds. If a player hits a ball that he thinks could be out of bounds, but is unsure, the player should declare to the other players in his foursome that he is hitting a provisional ball just in case the original ball is lost. If he finds the original ball to be in bounds, the player shall pick up the provisional ball and the provisional ball (and additional strokes assessed if the provisional ball were played) shall not be taken into consideration when determining the player’s score on that hole. The original ball must be played if it is not lost. The term "Lost Ball" is defined in the USGA rules.
- Practice chipping or practice putting on the green you are playing, prior to making your actual chip(s) or putt(s), shall be prohibited.
- Using a "foot wedge" or a "toe wedge" to kick your ball into a better lie or away from an obstruction shall be prohibited.
- Marking your ball on the green in an advantageous manner (e.g., placing your mark in front of your ball, lifting the ball, and later replacing the ball so that it is now in front of the marker) shall be prohibited.
- Failing to putt the ball until it is holed out shall be prohibited. NEVER assume that any putt is a "gimme." The only time a "gimme" putt exists is when your opponent has clearly stated this to be the case.
- Taking a "mulligan" at any point during the match shall be prohibited.
- USGA match play rules state that any player/pair that breaks a rule during play loses any hole on which such a violation occurred. This includes playing the wrong ball, failing to properly assess a penalty stroke, providing an incorrect score to an opponent while the hole is still being played, or refusing to state the number of strokes taken on a hole at any time during the play of a particular hole (you must tell your opponent immediately if they ask during the play of a hole how many shots you have hit up to that time). Note that the penalty for such violations is NOT to assess a penalty, but rather the "penalty" is to award the hole to the violator’s opponent.
- In accordance with USGA rules, players will be limited to carrying 14 total clubs in their bag. Nobody in this tournament is good enough to need a full set of woods, 4 hybrids, a full set of irons, 4 wedges, and 2 putters. If we were, we wouldn't have real jobs. Your opponent(s) shall be entitled to count the clubs in your bag at any point during a match. Be prepared for that possibility.
- The USGA rules for slow play will not be enforced, but do what you can to keep play moving as quickly as possible. See the Avoiding Slow Play on the Course page for suggestions.
- Range finders, laser distance indicators, handheld GPS devices (like a SkyCaddie), smart phone applications (except for the one that tells you which way the green breaks), light sabers, or other tech gadgets shall be permitted so long as they do not hold up play. No sense in banning expensive toys and taking the fun out of their use for some of us. See the Avoiding Slow Play on the Course page for suggestions on using these devices without holding up play.