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Golf on Cape Cod - RulesYou Make The Call (Part 2)By Rich IwasZko, Director of Golf, Pocasset Golf Club
Bill and Hillary were playing Match Play. Before the match,
Bill asked Hillary to agree to concede all putts within the leather
of the putting grip. Hillary agreed. Is this allowed under the
rules? Both Bill and Hillary did not like the last two holes on
the golf course, so they agreed to make the match 16 holes instead
of 18. Is this allowed under the Rules? Prior to their singles
match, Bill, unbeknownst to Hillary, invited a third party to
play. Hillary played the match under Players cannot agree to waive a Rule of Golf. Conceding putts must be done for the next shot only. Both Bill and Hillary would be disqualified for agreeing to concede all putts of a certain length. A stipulated round is 18 holes; players cannot agree to waive the Rules, so both Bill and Hillary get DQ’d for this one as well. Lastly, because Hillary made a timely claim in the singles match, she now becomes the winner of the match. Had she not made a timely protest at the beginning of the match, Bill would have remained the winner. George and George Sr. were playing Match Play. George was about to play his next shot and asked Senior how many strokes he lay. George Sr. said, “Three.” George turned to Sr.’s caddie, Tony, and he confirmed that three strokes had been played. Tony said, “All his sources confirmed that.” After his shot, George said, “I think you were lying four. I would not have played my shot that way if I knew you were lying four.” Tony and George Sr. shrugged. What’s the call? George hit his ball into a bunker. He took a practice swing and touched the sand. George Sr. told him that was a penalty, but George thought it wasn’t. George proceeded to make several more practice swings, touching the sand. You make the call!
For giving wrong information prior to an opponent’s shot, George Sr. lost the hole. If he had corrected the information prior to George’s shot, there would have been no penalty. You are not allowed to touch the sand in a bunker prior to your shot; it is a two-stroke penalty. Because George Sr. had told him it was a penalty and he still proceeded to touch sand prior to the shot, another two-stroke penalty was invoked, regardless of the number of times it was done prior to the shot. Total penalty strokes were four. Any part of a ball lying within the boundaries of a water hazard makes that ball in the hazard and it must be played as such. Any part of a ball lying in-bounds makes the ball in-bounds and not out-of-bounds. All of the ball must be out-of-bounds to be considered out-of-bounds.
Arnold mis-hit his tee shot next to a lake. He was so mad that when he got to the ball he picked it up and threw it almost across the lake. What’s the call? Jimmy and Arnold switched over to the Scotch format. Jimmy hit a shot just short of the water. Arnold asked if he could whiff the ball and then Jimmy could take the next shot over the water. Jimmy mumbled something about a sissy man. Can they do that? If Jimmy believes an area is a dangerous situation with snakes, bees, and killer rabbits, in equity he should get a drop from that area. Arnold would lose the hole in match play for tossing the ball and would get a three-stroke penalty in stroke play – one stroke for picking up the ball while it is in play, and two for playing his next shot from a wrong position. The dreaded Scotch format provides much entertainment for players. In this case, had Arnold purposely whiffed the ball, and then Jimmy hit it on the green, the side would lose the hole in match play and get a two-stroke penalty in stroke play. Since Arnold had no intention of moving the ball, he did not play a stroke and it remained his turn to play. (The definition of ‘stroke’ includes the intention of hitting the ball). Had Arnold and Jimmy not corrected their mistake before hitting off the next tee, they would have been disqualified and Arnold would not have been allowed to run for Champion unless they changed the Rules. All is in jest – except the Rules. Making the call is never easy. People become very confused as to the details, and you may have to find a ‘Deep Throat’ to get the truth. Remember, golf creates real character in youth, but displays real character in adults. Don’t jump to conclusions, be sharp on the details, and give your PGA pro a fighting chance to make the call.
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I
hope you all got the answers right to Part I, the front nine.
If there are any lingering questions to Parts I or II, please
go to www.sendgolfballs.net and e-mail me through that website.
Put on your official’s cap, get your Rule Book, pencil and
paper, take a deep breath, and then you can make the call!
protest,
but Bill didn’t mind as he won the match. Hillary swore
she knew nothing of the third party – and Bill swore he
never invited her. What’s the call?
George
Sr. hit his ball near a water hazard. It landed on the red line
defining the hazard, half in and half out. George hit his ball
near the out-of-bounds. His ball stopped half in and half out
of the out-of-bounds markings. Both were confused and called Jeb
in to straighten it all out. Jeb had experience in hanging boundaries.
What’s the call?
Jimmy
and Arnold joined up for a round of golf. Jimmy hit his ball into
the woods and claimed he should get a drop from an area because
it was infested with killer rabbits. Arnold mumbled something
about a sissy man. What’s the call?