Comments on: Stump the Rules Wizards

By: John Vander Borght

John Vander Borght — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:01:06 +0000

Brett,
Usually the forward tees are rated for the women. They are only rated for the men if the course asked for them to be rated. If they are rated for both, the ratings would be identified as men’s and women’s ratings. Sometimes they are rated, but the course doesn’t put it on the scorecard. Ask the pro shop if they have been rated for men.

The USGA’s copy of the handicap manual can be found on-line at http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handicap-System-Manual/Handicap-Manual/

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:41:36 +0000

Thanks for your prompt reply. I don’t have a copy of the NCGA Handicap Manual but will go look for one. On the typical scorecard, the red tees have a slope and course rating. Does this mean they are rated for men? Or is the listed values assume they are for women?

By: John Vander Borght

John Vander Borght — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:12:58 +0000

Brett,
If the red (or forward) tees have been rated for men, there is no reason that they can not be used. If the players are playing in a handicap competition, their handicaps should be adjusted as described in Section 3-5 of the NCGA Handicap Manual. If those tees have not been rated, a rating can be calculated using the table found in Section 5-2 of the manual on page 35.

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:06:52 +0000

I belong to a traveling, affiliate golf club which includes both men and women members. During tournament play, is there a precedent, rule, or tradition that allows for a male to play from the red tees? There was an assertion that a high handicap player (30+ index) could play from the red tees and we’re looking for the background.

Thanks

By: John Vander Borght

John Vander Borght — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:33:54 +0000

Dean,
It is difficult to rule on things like gloves without actually seeing them. Rule 14-3 says that “plain gloves may be worn.” In general this means that there should be no ribbing or other raised areas that guide the hands into a specific grip. The best thing to do is to ask to speak with one of our staff at the next tournament you play in for a ruling on your specific glove.

By: DEAN JOHNSON

DEAN JOHNSON — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:35:43 +0000

Which gloves are legal. I have seen golfers using baseball batting gloves, Gardning gloves which are made of cloth and have pin head sized rubber bumps in the palm and fingers. I have been using regular golf clubs and cutting the fingers off for feel. These gloves fall apart rapidly and unevenly. I have found that weight lifting gloves work great because they have no finger or thumb material and last a long time. Is this type of glove ok for ncga tournament play.

By: John Vander Borght

John Vander Borght — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:33:19 +0000

Curt, your question exemplifies why the USGA would prefer rakes to be kept out bunkers. First, you shouldn’t lift your ball when moving a movable obstruction. Decision 20-3d/2 covers the rest of your question:
Q. A ball came to rest against a movable obstruction, a rake, in a bunker. When the rake was moved the ball rolled nearer the hole. According to Rule 24-1, the ball had to be replaced. Due to the slope and the fact that the sand was firm, the ball, when replaced, rolled closer to the hole.
Under Rule 20-3d, if a ball will not come to rest on the spot where it originally lay, it must be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole where it can be placed at rest. The spot where the ball originally lay was farther from the hole than any other part of the bunker. Thus, there was nowhere to place the ball at rest in the bunker that was not nearer the hole. What is the proper procedure if:
1. The only way the ball would remain at rest at the spot where it lay would be to press it lightly into the sand?
2. The sand is so hard that it is impossible to replace the ball?
A. There is nothing in the Rules permitting a player to press his ball lightly into the sand or ground to make it remain at rest. Accordingly, in either case, since the player could not place the ball in conformity with the Rules, he should proceed under the stroke-and-distance option of the unplayable ball Rule (Rule 28a) or, in equity (Rule 1-4), drop the ball, under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.
The same principle would apply if a player is proceeding under any Rule and the ball will not come to rest in the bunker at a spot not nearer to the hole than the appropriate reference point.

By: Curt

Curt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:18:03 +0000

I was playing the other day and my ball happened to roll into a bunker. When I got to my ball, I saw that it was being held up by a rake in the bunker. If I were to move the rake, my ball would roll down the slope. My group told me to pick up my ball, move the rake and then proceed to put the ball back where it was. But when I tried, the ball would easily roll down the slope of the trap. My question is, should I replace the ball and if it rolls, that’s where I play it? Or, should I dig it into the sand in order to make it sit where it was originally sitting? It doesn’t seem fair to go with the latter of these two, becuase my ball, although it was against the rake, was by no means dug into the sand. I could probably see 90% of the ball. RULING???

By: John Vander Borght

John Vander Borght — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:42:02 +0000

Joan,
The Rules of Amateur status at the back of the rule book state on page 142 “3-1 Playing for Prize Money – An amateur golfer must not play golf for prize money or its equivalent in a match, competition or exhibition.” The awards for any competition should be gift certificates or specific prizes which can not be converted to cash. The only exception to this is for optional games during the competitons. For example, if a tournament is awarding prizes to the first 5 places, these must not be cash or cash equivalents. If they also wanted to have an OPTIONAL skins game for the players, that could pay cash as it is not required to participate in the tournament.

By: Joan Sarringhaus

Joan Sarringhaus — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:08:58 +0000

There has been a question regarding members receiving cash for prize money. I looked in the rules book regarding this question and amateur status and could not find it.