With regard to hitting an opponent's ball with yours on the green without penalty, I'm wondering if that is a hold over from the rules when you didn't mark the ball and had to skip over a ball in your line?
Re putting into your opponent’s ball: matchplay was the traditional format; strokeplay a recent and suspect innovation, which needed new rules to level the playing field to allow for fair competition between people not playing together. There was never a penalty for putting into your matchplay opponent’s ball on the green, but stymies were part of the game until the early 1950s (though it’s hard to envisage a situation in which playing deliberately for a stymie would have been more to the player’s advantage than trying to hole out) - however, it would have been bizarre to force someone to hole out for the Open from two feet with a playing partner’s ball on the line of the putt. The penalty in strokeplay seems draconian, but (a) it ensures that all competitors play the same course and (b) it’s completely avoidable with minimal inconvenience, since it can only arise when both balls are on the green.
Hi, I hope you are still monitoring this page :) In relation to putting out when closer to the hole. Scenario; I have struggled to get to the hole and after trying to putt on to the green I have left a 6 footer for triple bogie and my opponent is putting for birdie. I turn and say hey can I just try to putt this out so I can grab a drink from the food cart guy. the opponent agrees you can putt it. is the play in turn rule now avoided ? or could he be mean if you drained it and make you replay the putt ? I would like to think no one would do that .. BUT could they ?
If you agree with your opponent, that you can play out of turn, that agreement stands and cannot be withdrawn when the stroke has been made. This is an exception under rule 6.4a(2) Better a late response than none at all :)
Match play players are playing the same course against each other. In stroke play you are playing the course individually at the same time hence you can’t hit you playing partners equipment.
The last rule needed a bit of clarification... What qualifies as practicing "before" stroke play? Does that mean minutes or hours before the round? If it's the day before the round, is that allowed?
You can not hit a golf ball on the golf course the day of the round. You can hit range balls, hit practice putts on the practice putting green, and chips on the practice chipping green. No practice can be had on holes 1-18 on the day of a stroke play round
Hi guys, what's the ruling if in stroke play when your ball is on the fringe of the green and one of your playing partners ball hits yours onto the green, do you replace it on the fringe or play as it lies? Important question as it allows you to clean and mark your ball. Secondly, if having to replace it where it in the position before it was struck could you clean it first?
Hello Stephen - yes, you replace it on the fringe and it doesn't look to be included in the list of the exceptions under Rule 14.1c as to when you can't clean your ball...
I heard of a recent case where a player conceded a short putt by tapping the opponent’s ball away from the hole-side, then sank her four-footer for the hole, only for her opponent to claim the hole (successfully) on the grounds that she had tried out the speed first of the green by hitting her ball back. This is another case of something settled by honourable agreement between the players (and the consensus view was that the honour of the opponent in that case had been pretty shabby).
The rules explained apply to singles match play. However how do the rules change when you are playing fourball match play? Also what about when you are playing in a team format (ryder cup?) i.e. can you decide to not act on a rule when your decision impacts on the rest of the team playing in other matches? In fourball match play if I hit my partners ball on the putting green does this have the same rule application (no penalty) than if I hit my opponents ball.? In the bunker match play rule where my opponent accidentally grounds his club, if I choose to impose the rule what is the penalty as this was not explained? (loss of hole or two stroke penalty?). If my opponent intentionally grounds his club in the bunker (I literally had an opponent who marked a line in the sand before grounding is club and then taking his shot. Surely this is a severe breaking of the rule?
Hello Harold - in answeer to your questions, 1) it would be the same in fourball and in the Ryder Cup; 2) the one about ignoring a breach was just using the bunker scenario as an example, but the penalty would be the general penalty (so loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play); 3) Even if the player intentionally grounded his club it would still be your call as to whether or not you chose to ignore or act on the breach
That first rule needed a bit more context or elaborating... I was left with questions like "is that only for bunkers, or does it also apply to fairways, roughs, and greens?"
Hmm just before a strokeplay competition. Last year I was chipping around the practice putting green next to the first tee and some guy came over and said you’re practising on the course you will have to disqualify yourself. Needless to say I checked up and turned out not true. Why would someone feel it so important to come across and potentially ruin someone’s game like that is beyond me. They are some true assholes out there.
On your 4th rule hitting the ball on putting green .does this apply in pairs match ay as well????
Hello Mike - still no penalty. The Rule just says 'any ball'.
I've never played match play, but if I ever do I'll review this video beforehand and remind myself of these crucial rules.
I too will watch these rules, and this comment highlighting them.
If your ball lands in a very deep pitchmark ( hole ) on the green , are you alloyed to repair it after marking your ball and then replace your ball ??
Obviously, as you can lift the ball, and repair any blemish on the putting green now (even spike marks).
Hello John - yes, mark the ball, repair the pitch mark and then replace
With regard to hitting an opponent's ball with yours on the green without penalty, I'm wondering if that is a hold over from the rules when you didn't mark the ball and had to skip over a ball in your line?
Re putting into your opponent’s ball: matchplay was the traditional format; strokeplay a recent and suspect innovation, which needed new rules to level the playing field to allow for fair competition between people not playing together. There was never a penalty for putting into your matchplay opponent’s ball on the green, but stymies were part of the game until the early 1950s (though it’s hard to envisage a situation in which playing deliberately for a stymie would have been more to the player’s advantage than trying to hole out) - however, it would have been bizarre to force someone to hole out for the Open from two feet with a playing partner’s ball on the line of the putt. The penalty in strokeplay seems draconian, but (a) it ensures that all competitors play the same course and (b) it’s completely avoidable with minimal inconvenience, since it can only arise when both balls are on the green.
"Tommy's Honour" (great film) has a really nice scene where Young Tom Morris gets stymied and how he deals with it :)
Hi, I hope you are still monitoring this page :) In relation to putting out when closer to the hole. Scenario; I have struggled to get to the hole and after trying to putt on to the green I have left a 6 footer for triple bogie and my opponent is putting for birdie. I turn and say hey can I just try to putt this out so I can grab a drink from the food cart guy. the opponent agrees you can putt it. is the play in turn rule now avoided ? or could he be mean if you drained it and make you replay the putt ? I would like to think no one would do that .. BUT could they ?
If you agree with your opponent, that you can play out of turn, that agreement stands and cannot be withdrawn when the stroke has been made. This is an exception under rule 6.4a(2)
Better a late response than none at all :)
Match play players are playing the same course against each other. In stroke play you are playing the course individually at the same time hence you can’t hit you playing partners equipment.
The last rule needed a bit of clarification... What qualifies as practicing "before" stroke play? Does that mean minutes or hours before the round? If it's the day before the round, is that allowed?
You can not hit a golf ball on the golf course the day of the round. You can hit range balls, hit practice putts on the practice putting green, and chips on the practice chipping green.
No practice can be had on holes 1-18 on the day of a stroke play round
Hi guys, what's the ruling if in stroke play when your ball is on the fringe of the green and one of your playing partners ball hits yours onto the green, do you replace it on the fringe or play as it lies? Important question as it allows you to clean and mark your ball. Secondly, if having to replace it where it in the position before it was struck could you clean it first?
Hello Stephen - yes, you replace it on the fringe and it doesn't look to be included in the list of the exceptions under Rule 14.1c as to when you can't clean your ball...
When playing match play and my opponent has already holed out for a score of 3 and I'm hitting 4, do I have to finish the whole or can I pick up
once you cannot win you can pick up
It would depend if you get a shot on the hole and your partner doesn’t. If you can’t beat your partners score than just pick up.
If you are getting a Stroke, putt out because your 4, Net 3 would be a Half/Tie.
In match play, if you are conceding the hole can you knock the ball across the green to your opponent?
I heard of a recent case where a player conceded a short putt by tapping the opponent’s ball away from the hole-side, then sank her four-footer for the hole, only for her opponent to claim the hole (successfully) on the grounds that she had tried out the speed first of the green by hitting her ball back. This is another case of something settled by honourable agreement between the players (and the consensus view was that the honour of the opponent in that case had been pretty shabby).
So the first one in the bunker, does the person who grounds their club automatically lose the hole?
Yes. The penalty for a breach of Rule 12.2 is the General Penalty, which means loss of hole in match play.
Should not balls on the green always be marked and removed?
The rules explained apply to singles match play. However how do the rules change when you are playing fourball match play? Also what about when you are playing in a team format (ryder cup?) i.e. can you decide to not act on a rule when your decision impacts on the rest of the team playing in other matches? In fourball match play if I hit my partners ball on the putting green does this have the same rule application (no penalty) than if I hit my opponents ball.? In the bunker match play rule where my opponent accidentally grounds his club, if I choose to impose the rule what is the penalty as this was not explained? (loss of hole or two stroke penalty?). If my opponent intentionally grounds his club in the bunker (I literally had an opponent who marked a line in the sand before grounding is club and then taking his shot. Surely this is a severe breaking of the rule?
Hello Harold - in answeer to your questions, 1) it would be the same in fourball and in the Ryder Cup; 2) the one about ignoring a breach was just using the bunker scenario as an example, but the penalty would be the general penalty (so loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play); 3) Even if the player intentionally grounded his club it would still be your call as to whether or not you chose to ignore or act on the breach
That first rule needed a bit more context or elaborating... I was left with questions like "is that only for bunkers, or does it also apply to fairways, roughs, and greens?"
Why do all of my friends think that halves holes carry over until someone wins a hole?
Everybody gangsta until Jezz Ellwood is standing two feet away from you watching you hit a bunker shot
Rules 5 has happen in 2 tournaments I was in and guys were welcome to play but DQed, both times they never came back, sad
Hmm just before a strokeplay competition. Last year I was chipping around the practice putting green next to the first tee and some guy came over and said you’re practising on the course you will have to disqualify yourself. Needless to say I checked up and turned out not true. Why would someone feel it so important to come across and potentially ruin someone’s game like that is beyond me. They are some true assholes out there.
Really interesting and helpful but no need to explain things 2 or 3 times!!
Never knew rule 4, thought it was a penalty?
Not in match play - only in stroke play
This right here is the problem with golf. Too much room for interpretation of the rules.