Rule of the Month

RULE OF THE MONTH - May 2012

RULE 21: CLEANING THE BALL 

Rule 21 covers when a ball may be cleaned and when it cannot. Despite being the shortest Rule in the book, many players still aren’t always sure when they are allowed to clean their golf ball.

There are three Rules that prohibit or limit cleaning the ball when it has been lifted. There is also one decision that prohibits cleaning until the situation is known. The three rules that prohibit or limit cleaning are:

1. Rule 5-3 -To determine if it is unfit for play.
2. Rule 12-2 – To identify your ball -but you can clean it to the extent necessary for identification.
3. Rule 22 – Ball assisting or interfering with play  

Decision 20-1/0.7:  This decision prohibits cleaning until the situation is known. If you think your ball might be in a position where you will get relief, you may lift it by following a procedure similar to Rules 5-3 and 12-2, but you may not clean it. For example, if you are unsure whether your ball is embedded or in a burrowing animal hole, you must announce your intention, allow your marker or fellow-competitor in stroke play to observe you mark the position and lift the ball.  If you are not entitled to relief, you must replace the ball without cleaning it.  If you are entitled to relief, you may then clean your ball before dropping it.

If you violate any of these rules and clean your ball when prohibited, the penalty is one-stroke. So, when can a player clean her ball?  One place where you can always clean your golf ball is when it is on the putting green. In other parts of the course you may clean your ball whenever it has been lifted. For example, if it is in ground under repair or on a cart path and you intend on taking relief you may clean it; or If, under penalty of one-stroke, you intend to take relief for a ball that is unplayable, or is in a water hazard, you may clean it before playing your next stroke; or If you accidentally cause your ball to move, incurring a one-stroke penalty, you may clean the ball before replacing it.

RULE OF THE MONTH - April 2012

Clarity Added to new definition of “Addressing the Ball”

Effective January 1, 2012 the definition of “Addressing the Ball” was revised to read as follows:

Addressing the Ball: A player has “addressed the ball” when he has grounded his club immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball, whether or not he has taken his stance.

It was determined by the USGA and R&A that the above definition could be interpreted in various ways, and that further explanation was necessary.

Today, April 11, 2012, the USGA and R&A added clarity to the new definition of “Addressing the Ball”.

The clarification to the new definition deals specifically with the phrase “immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball”.  The following explanation is provided to further clarify the new definition:

• If the golf club is grounded “closely” behind the ball in a position where it  would be customary for a player to ground the club prior to making a particular stroke then the club is considered to have been grounded  “immediately behind the ball”.
• The same interpretation of the definition would apply if a player grounds his or her golf club “closely” in front of the ball prior to making a stroke.

For more information go to http://www.usga.org/news/2012/April/USGA,-R-A-Clarify-Rules-Definition/

RULE OF THE MONTH - January 2012

THERE ARE SEVERAL CHANGES TO THE RULES OF GOLF AND DECISIONS ON THE RULE OF GOLF EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2012.  FOLLOWING ARE A FEW PRINCIPAL CHANGES:

DEFINITION OF “ADDRESSING THE BALL” – Revised to state that a ball has been addressed when the player has grounded the club immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball, regardless of whether or not he has taken his stance. With this revised definition, a player cannot address a ball in a hazard without incurring a penalty.

RULE 18-2b.  BALL MOVING AFTER ADDRESS

A new “Exception” has been added for 2012: “If it is known or virtually certain” that the player did not cause his ball to move, Rule 18-2b does not apply.  Example: A player’s ball is moved by wind, rain or some other element after the player has addressed it; there is no penalty and the ball must be played from its new location. (However, see Decision 18-2b/11 below)

Prior to 2012 if the player had addressed his ball and it was moved by wind, etc., the player would be deemed to have caused his ball to move; incur a one-stroke penalty and must replace the ball.

Decision 18-2b/11 states that “Gravity” is not in itself an element that should be considered when applying the Exception to Rule 18-2b above; therefore, unless it is “known or virtually certain” that some agency other than gravity (e.g. outside agency or wind) caused the ball to move after address, the player is subject to a one stroke penalty under Rule 18-2b and must replace the ball.

RULE 13-4 BALL IN HAZARD: PROHIBITED ACTIONS

There is an addition to Exception 2: “ At any time, the player may smooth sand or soil in a hazard provided this is for the “sole purpose of caring for the course” and nothing is done to improve the lie, stance, swing or line of play with respect to his next stroke.  (See Decision 13-4/9 below)

Decision 13-4/9 Player Creates and Smoothes Footprints in Bunker Prior to Making Stroke

Q. A player’s ball lies in a bunker and a rake has been left in another part of the bunker. Prior to making his stroke in the bunker, the player retrieves the rake. Having lifted the rake, the player smoothes the footprints that he has just created, and some others in the process. What is the ruling?

A. There is no penalty provided the smoothing was done for the “sole purpose of caring for the course” and nothing was done to improve the lie, stance, swing or line of play, in relation to the player’s next stroke. (See Exception 2 to Rule 13-4).

If, however, a player is regularly creating and smoothing footprints close to his ball prior to making strokes from bunkers, it would be appropriate to question the player about the purpose of the smoothing. In such circumstances, the smoothing might be for the purpose of gaining knowledge of the condition of the bunker rather than being for the sole purpose of caring for the course.  If so, the player would be in breach of Rule 13-4a for testing the condition of the hazard (2 stroke penalty).