10/17/2026 - Cottonwood (Ivanhoe course)

Cottonwood has large swaths of Ground Under Repair (GUR).  It's generally well marked.  There is a giant GUR right of the fairway on hole #11.  What do you do if you're virtually certain that your ball went into the GUR area, but you can't find it?

Ground Under Repair is an abnormal course condition, and this is covered under Rule #16.  Rule #16.1-e specifically covers the situation when the ball is known or virtually certain to be in the GUR, but the ball is not found.  Free relief, nearest point of complete relief, no closer to the hole.

 

 

 

 

9/26/2026 - Native Oaks

The rules on giving advice came up as a topic for discussion on the course, so I thought I would read up on what the actual rules are.

This is covered under Rule #10.2.  The basics:

• You can't give advice
• You can't ask for advice
• You can't touch another player's equipment

Advice generally includes club selection, strategy for the shot / hole, or technique on how to play a stroke.  It does not include factual information such as distance (unadjusted), wind, or rules.  So it's perfectly acceptable to tell your opponent that they are 120 yards out from a blue pin, and the wind is helping off the right.  The wind part surprises me a little, since there is a bit of judgement involved in determining the wind.

The obvious thing with the last bullet point is that it is acceptable to look in your opponents bag to see what club they played.  It's not a violation of the rules, but it is often considered poor form.

Any violations of Rule #10.2 earn you a 2-stroke penalty.

Another topic that came up in the course of conversation was listening to music on the course.  I was shocked to read Rule #4.3-a4 that says you can't listen to music to eliminate distractions or help with swing tempo.  You are allowed to listen to music, but not if you are doing so to eliminate distractions.  Knowing intent is always tricky, so I don't see how this rule is enforceable.  And listening to Metallica is not going to help your tempo unless you have Jon Rahm's swing.

Given that our golf club has "Casual" in the name, I don't think we will be stringently enforcing these rules, but it's always good to know.

 

9/24/2026 - Mount Woodson

We started the round from the blue tees, but there was discussion of switching to the white tees at the turn.  Can you do that?

I couldn't find anything definitive in the rules of golf.  AI told me that this was "discouraged," but I'm not taking that as gospel.

Based on the Rules of Handicapping, I can't find anything that says I can't do it, so I believe that it is acceptable (even if discouraged). 

Rule #2.1 of the Rules of Handicapping says that a score is acceptable if all of these conditions are met:

• authorized form of play
• in the company of at least one other person (marker)
• played by the rules of golf
• on a course with a course rating
• during the active season

All of those conditions were met, so I believe that it is acceptable to post two separate 9 hole scores if you changed tees.

And I'm going to run this by our handicap chair....

 

9/3/2026 - Coronado

I hadn't played Coronado in years, and I found an unusual tee in the fairway (see below).  It seems unusual to find a tee in the fairway as well, but that's a different topic.  Anyway, I suspected that the tee was illegal.

ChatGPT tells me that it's a FlightPath golf tee.  I suspected that it would be illegal due to the arrow on the right side of this picture.  The equipment rules (Rule 6.2 covers tees) explicitly say that a tee may not be designed or manufactured in a way that it could indicate line of play.  The arrow on the right side, and the shape when you look from above clearly indicate line of play to me.  But FlightPath seems to have received an exception that allows the tee.  Specifically, USGA Decisions #2017-0650 and #2018-0219 indicate that the tee is legal.

 

Huh.  Maybe it's because you can't really see the line indicators when there's a ball on the tee?

The rules also say that the tee may not "unduly influence the movement of the ball" or "otherwise assist the player in making a stroke."  It looks like it's designed to influence the launch to me, but I guess not.

FlightPath notes on the product page that it's USGA Approved.  And they even brag that their "patented directional design reduces friction and spin so you drive farther and hit straighter — every round."

 

Huh, again. 

 

Unrelated - Should it be "farther" or "further?"

 

8/8/2026 - Dos Osos

Everyone knows that you get three minutes to find your golf ball.  What if you find it, and then after waiting for another player to play, you can't find it again?  Do you get another three minutes?

This was a hypothetical, but I have had this happen in the past.  My ball was in some pretty thick rough, so I left my hat near it while I went to the cart to get a club.  If I hadn't left my hat, I think it would have been tough to find again.

A clarification on Rule #18.2 here (18.2a(1)/1) indicates that the clock was only suspended while you were getting a club (bullet point #4).  So if it took you two minutes to find the ball the first time, then you only get one minute to find it the second time.

Ouch.  So that's stroke and distance.  So you should definitely do the hat thing.

 

7/11/2026 - UCSD Casual Golf Club @ The Golf Club of California

It's always fun when the rules actually help you.  One member of our foursome missed the green to the right on #4.  Her ball came to rest right next to a very large rock.  Technically, the rock is a loose impediment, but there was no way that we were going to be able to move it.  She had a shot, but it was risky in terms of the shot, and possible damage to her club.  Unlike those folks who play on TV, most of us hacks pay for our clubs.

She took her stance, and she was standing on a sprinkler cover.  A sprinkler cover is an immovable obstruction, which is covered by Rule #16.1.  There is a caveat noted in Rule #16.1a-3 - "No relief when clearly unreasonable to play ball."  It would have been a challenging shot, but by no means unreasonable.

Free relief!

 

7/9/2026 - Welk - The Fountains

My drive went through the fairway into a bunker on #9.  I think that I hit sand on my backswing, but I'm not sure.

The rule I may have violated is Rule #12.2b.  If you touch sand on your backswing, it's a 2 stroke penalty.

But what do I do if I'm not sure?  AI suggested the "naked eye test."  No one saw it, including me.  I think I felt it.

My wife, who is the most honest person I know asked what I would have done in a tournament scenario?  If I was playing in a tournament, I would have told my playing partners about it, and I would have given myself the penalty.  So I'll be posting a 7 for #9.

 

7/4/2026 - The Crossings at Carlsbad

Someone dropped a tee in the rough just off the fairway on #11, and my ball came to rest on it.  I tried to move it, but there was no way to move it without moving my ball.  I thought a tee would be a movable obstruction, as opposed to a loose impediment, but I wasn't certain, so I left it there.

I was right about it being a movable obstruction, because it is artificial.  A loose impediment is a natural object.

Rule #15.1 covers Loose Impediments.  If the ball moves while you are removing a loose impediment, then it is a one stroke penalty.

Rule #15.2 covers Movable Obstructions.  Specifically, Rule #15.2a-2 covers this scenario.  If the ball had moved while I was removing the tee, then I simply replace the ball with no penalty.

If my ball was on or in a movable obstruction (think PGA Tour when the ball ends up in a spectator's bag), then you have to drop within one club length (still no penalty).  Interesting distinction.

====

Addendum

Has the pond on #7 always been yellow staked?  I thought it was previously red.  My approach hit above the stakes, but kicked back into the pond.  Rather than dropping greenside, I had to play from 50 yards out.  Amazingly, I got up and down for bogey anyway.

 

6/24/2026 - Oaks North

I was surprised to see someone in our foursome stomp behind their ball before a chip shot.  I didn't think you could do that, except on the tee box.  I was only 90% confident in this, and I had just met the guy, so I didn't say anything.

It is literally Rule #1.1 - Play the course as you find it. 

Rule #8.1 goes into more detail on this.  Per Rule #8.1a, you are not allowed to move, bend, or break any living object.

The exception for the tee box is listed in Rule #8.2b.

 

5/17/2026 - Torrey Pines North

I've played two rounds in a row on aerated greens.  I've heard people say that it's an automatic 2-putt, but that's just not true.  Also, aeration holes do not qualify as Ground Under Repair.  And you're not allowed to repair them on the green, like you would be allowed to repair a pitch mark.  So what are my options?

The first rule that came into my head was Rule #14.2-e - If you can't place your ball where you marked it, then you must place it as close as you can to the original spot.  But this doesn't really help.  If your ball rolls into an aeration hole that it wasn't in previously, then you can place it where it was originally (or as close as you can get).  But if your ball was in an aeration hole, then you have to place it back in that aeration hole after you mark it.  Not within a couple of inches between the aeration holes, but back in the aeration hole.  Sorry.

There's a model local rule for this, but it's not going to help as much as you like.  If your course or club puts in a local rule modeled on Model Local Rule E-4.  This allows you to treat aeration holes as GUR, except you don't get relief for swing, stance, or (on the green) line of play.  So if your ball is in an aeration hole, you can take it out, but you're still going to have aeration holes in the line of your putt.  So slightly better, but not really that helpful.  But you should still ask your committee to put this local rule in play if the greens have been aerated.

 

 

 

 

 

5/14/2026 - Encinitas Ranch

The fairway on #5 is in a deep valley.  I was down there trying to figure out what the wind was doing.  I remember the wind was from the SW on #2, but I couldn't figure out which way that was from deep in the valley.

So am I allowed to use a compass?

Rule #4.3a-1 specifically indicates that the use of a compass is allowed.  But I would but an asterisk on that in 2026.

Like most of you, the only compass I have is on my phone.  Using the compass app on your phone is probably okay, but using the compass in your mapping application is probably illegal.   The same rule noted above also explicitly indicates that you can't use an electronic device that would indicate line of play.

Similarly, if your GPS app gives distance only, then it's allowed.  If it does any sorts of calculations on that distance, such as slope, temperature, or pressure, then it's not allowed.  It also cannot be used to make club recommendations.

 

 

5/11/2026 - Oaks North

My tee shot on #6 East went into a cypress tree and did not come out.  What happens next?

You can always try to climb the tree and play the ball out of the tree a la Bernhard Langer.  I didn't like that option. 

If you can see the ball, and you can positively identify it as your ball, then you can take an unplayable lie and play the ball within 2 club lengths of the spot on the ground below where the ball is nestled in the tree.  Interesting that they don't restrict the vertical distance.

You can try to climb the tree to identify the ball, and if you dislodge it, there is no penalty for accidentally moving the ball while trying to identify it.  If this were to happen, then you could either replace the ball in the tree to try to play it, or, now that you can identify it, you can take the unplayable lie option above.

This also applies to trying to shake the ball out of the tree.  In this case, you must declare beforehand that your intention is to take an unplayable lie penalty. 

Alas, I could not see the ball, let alone identify it.  So even though I knew it was in the tree, it is still a lost ball (stroke and distance penalty).  My club plays a local rule that allows you to take a two stroke penalty and drop where you believe the ball is.  This is great for pace of play, and I think all clubs should put this local rule in place.

 

 

4/11/2026 - Oaks North (North / East)

I've been wondering for a while - is it a penalty if your ball moves when you are marking it?

Per Rule #13.1-d-1, there is no penalty if you accidentally move the ball on the putting green.  This is true when you're marking it, addressing it, or anything else.

A weird part of this rule is that if the ball is moved by natural forces, if you have marked it, then you must replace it.  If you have not yet marked it, then you play the ball from its new spot. 

I think this used to be a penalty.  I think the USGA should keep the old rules available online for comparison. 

3/23/2026 - Del Mar Golf Center

When switching golf bags (long story), I found an old glove (pic below) that I had used at a lesson.  The instructor drew lines on the glove with a sharpie to help me with my grip.  Can I use this glove in tournament play?

This is covered (not surprisingly) in the Equipment Rules.  Part 6 of the Equipment Rules covers "Devices and Other Equipment."  Section 2 covers gloves.

The wording is a little clunky, but it says "features, other than visual aids, designed to assist the player in placing his hands..."  (emphasis added).  My interpretation of this is that drawn lines are okay, but something tactile would be illegal.

So I can use this glove for tournament play.

Another statement in the rules on gloves indicates that any sort of padding is illegal.  Anything more than 0.635mm thicker than the adjacent areas is considered padding.  This means that the Bionic gloves that I used to use are non-conforming.  So I guess I need to retroactively DQ myself from some past tournaments, if I could just remember which ones I might have worn a Bionic glove in.

Rule 4.3 of the Rules of Golf covers equipment and refers to the Equipment Rules. 

 

 

3/21/2026 - Admiral Baker North

I just covered this rule in my last post, and it came up again today.  I was in a bunker, and I touched the sand on my backswing.  This is the Patrick Reed rule, and I earned a two stroke penalty for my efforts.  Yay.

I thought it was just one stroke, but it is the general penalty (2 strokes).  I was not clear whether or not I needed to replay the shot.  I could not find anything indicating that I need to, so I assume not.

I've had a rough time on #11 my last three rounds at ABN.  Today was a 10 with the two stroke penalty and a lost ball.  The prior two rounds, I had an 8 and a 9.  Ugh.

It was also "Superintendent's Revenge" day on the course, so all of the pins were placed in ridiculous places on the green.  Either tucked right behind a bunker, at the very back of the green, or on a slope within a yard of the edge of the green.  I'm very curious to see what the PCC will be. 

3/19/2026 - Oaks North

I reached into the bunker with my wedge to grab the rake.  My club touched the sand.  Penalty, or no?

I think this was a penalty under the old rules, but the new rules are much more lenient.

Rule #12.2-b covers this.  If you touch the sand to test the condition of the sand, or to improve your lie, then it's a penalty.  If you touch the sand in a practice swing, or on your backswing, then it's a penalty.  That last part always gets me, but I think that's what Patrick Reed did in the Bahamas a number of years ago.  It's clever, but it's cheating.

There is no penalty for touch the sand in other ways, including striking the sand in frustration.  That one surprises me.  It's not a good look.

 

2/27/2026 - Admiral Baker North

I pulled my tee shot into the woods, and it came to rest directly behind a tree.  I took unplayable relief and dropped the ball on a bed of pine needles and other tree detritus.  As I was taking my swing, I could see the ball moved noticeably.  It wasn't the club hitting the ground near they ball, but my weight shifting on the loose ground.  I continued the swing and knocked the ball back into the fairway.

Per Rule #9.1b, if the ball is moved during the backswing (or downswing), and the player continues the stroke, then there is no penalty, and you play the ball where it came to rest.  This is true whether you make solid contact with the ball or not.  Presumably, if I had completely whiffed, the stroke would count, and I would play my next shot from where the ball ended up.

I'm terrible at backing off, but what if I had stopped my swing?  This is covered by Rule #9.4.  If the ball is deliberately moved, then it's probably a penalty.  But per Rule #9.4a, if it's not deliberate, then you must replace the ball back on its original spot.  There is no penalty here.