11/28/2021 - Balboa

This is very similar to the last post (also from Balboa) with a tee shot hitting my golf bag.  Today, I was chipping on 18, and my chip came up short.  It was clearly going to roll back to me, and there was a very good chance that it would hit my putter, which was sitting beside the green.  So I moved my putter out of the way while the ball was in motion.

Rule #11.3 says that you may not move anything that might affect the ball, while the ball is in motion.  But moving a club (or any other equipment) is a specific exception to this rule.  So you can move a club out of the way of the ball.  By the same rule, you can move a ball on the putting green that the ball in motion may hit (thus avoiding breaking rule #11.1, which is two strokes for hitting another ball on the putting green).

11/21/2021 - Balboa

I got randomly paired with a member of our club today at Balboa.  He's generally one of the better players in the club, but today he was having issues off the tee.  On #15, his tee shot hit my golf bag.

So is this a penalty?  To whom?

This is covered by Rule #11.  It explicitly says no penalty to any player, and play the ball as it lies.  Under the old rules (pre-2019), this would have been a penalty.  These days, if I hit my own bag (or my own self), there is no penalty, as long as it was not intentional.

My bag wasn't really in the way, but obviously it was sort of in the way.  He could have asked me to move it, but no one expected it to be an issue.

11/15/2021 - The Crossings at Carlsbad

This one often comes up, and came up on the course today - How many holes do I have to play to be able to post my score?

Per the USGA website FAQ (and probably elsewhere), you have to play at least 7 holes to post a 9 hole score, and you have to play at least 14 holes to post an 18 hole score.  For any holes not played, assume a score of par plus any handicap strokes for that hole.

For a specific example, I only played 16 holes today due to darkness (and fog).  My course handicap for The Crossings is 16, so I get a stroke on every hole except #9 and #14.  So I will post bogey for #17 and #18.

If more than 9 holes are played, but fewer than 14, then you just post the 9 hole score.

Another one that comes up often is when should you post.  The answer is almost always.  Unless you play solo, with no witnesses, or it's a round with an instructor than you are supposed to post your score.  If your foursome plays with mulligans, or gimmes, or other "non-standard" rules, then you should post your "most-likely" score.  So you don't have to hole out, you can pick up a six-inch putt and say that you made it.  But you probably don't want to extend that out to 5-footers.

11/13/2021 - UCSD Casual Golf Club Championship at Golf Club of California

It's very common for players to play out of a penalty area, but if you are playing any sort of sanctioned event, you may want to reconsider, unless you have a very good lie.  Obviously you're allowed to play out of a penalty area, but what happens if your ball doesn't get out of the penalty area?

If your ball doesn't leave the penalty area, you can play it from the penalty area again (if you can find it).  You also have the option to take relief based on where the ball originally entered the penalty area (options 2 & 3 below).  Or you can even go back to where you originally played the previous shot that went into the penalty area.  All of these options incur a one-stroke penalty.

For example, if it was your tee shot that went into the penalty area, your shot that failed to get out of the penalty area still counts (2nd stroke).  If you then take relief, that's a penalty stroke, you are laying 3, and hitting your fourth shot.  The diagram below illustrates this very nicely.

You cannot take an unplayable lie in a penalty area (Rule #19). 

Penalty areas are covered by Rule #19.

11/12/2021 - Torrey Pines North

We had a discussion regarding the new driver length rule regarding whether or not it was mandatory at all levels.  So I looked it up.

Per the article linked below, it is an optional local rule that the major tours will almost certainly utilize, but it will not impact club players.  The maximum driver length is being reduced from 48 to 46 inches.  It will go into effect on Jan 1.

Using a shorter driver worked out well for Victor Hovland at Mayakoba, so maybe there is still room for accuracy in the game.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/usga-ra-make-local-rule-cap-pros-driver-length-46-inches

 

11/1/2021 - Mission Bay

I played with a novice, and in one beat up fairway, I indicated that she could take relief from Ground Under Repair.  And that made me think - Do you get relief only when your ball is in the GUR, or do you get relief for your stance?

This is covered by rule 16.1-a.  It clearly indicates that relief is granted if it affects your ball, or your stance.  It's the same rule that covers casual water (now called "temporary water"), and an immovable obstruction.

On the putting green, you also get relief for your line.  You do not get relief for your line off of the putting green.  This means that if there was a wall ten feet in front of you, and between you and the green, you do not get relief.  It does not affect your swing or stance.

Relief is not granted out of bounds, or in a penalty area.

Free relief is granted at the nearest point of relief that is no closer to the hole.