The RCGA “Rules of Golf” book is available from the Captain or Vice Captain. All competitions of the Men’s Mid-week Club are played under the Rules of Golf as approved by the Royal Canadian Golf Association except as provided for under the following local rules.
Ball Unplayable, Ditches, Lateral Water Hazards (2nd hole lake):
If a player deems a ball unplayable any place on the course, or in a
hazard marked by red stakes or a red line, he must, under
Penalty of one stroke (Rules 26, Hazard & 28, Ball Unplayable):
a. Replay the ball from the original spot, or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, if unplayable, or entered the hazard, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped, or
c. Drop a ball within two (2) club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay or entered the hazard, but not nearer the hole.
Out of Bounds, play a Provisional Ball:
Competition Play: In the likelihood that his ball has gone out of bounds or may be lost, a player must hit a provisional second ball.
Out of bounds is defined by the nearest inside point of white stakes or fence posts bordering the golf course at ground level.
Penalty - stroke and distance
Open Play: If a player fails to hit a provisional ball and subsequently discovers the first ball is out of bounds or lost, he may, in the interest of maintaining the pace of play, substitute another ball as close to the point where his first ball crossed the out of bounds line or at the nearest point
of relief, but no nearer the hole.
Penalty – two strokes
Ball lost through the green:
Where there is reasonable evidence that a ball is lost on the fairway or open rough areas in abnormal ground conditions, including casual water, ground under repair, plugged, or an area heavily littered with leaves or other debris, a player may substitute another ball and take relief by dropping a ball at the approximate location of the first ball or if necessary within one club length of the outermost limit of the abnormal ground condition.
No penalty (adapted from Rule 25-1c(i))
Cart paths and roadways:
Lift the ball to the nearest point of relief then drop ball within one club length no nearer the hole.
No penalty
Aeration Holes:
On the putting green a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot, not nearer the hole.
No penalty
Obstructions:
An “Obstruction” is anything artificial, including paths, a staked tree and 150-yard marker bush. On holes 1 and 5, netting and guy wires are obstructions when this structure interferes with stance or swing. A player is allowed to lift and drop the ball on the fairway side of the netting within one club length not nearer the hole without penalty. Similarly, if a playable ball lies between the netting and boundary fence on holes
1 and 5, a player may lift and drop within one club length of, but not nearer the hole on the fairway side of the netting without penalty (Rule 24-2 applies). An unplayable ball located between the boundary fence and the netting may be played on the fairway side of the netting, as above, penalty one stroke. Stones in bunkers are considered movable obstructions and may be removed without penalty (Rule 24-1) applies.
Playing the ball
Play the ball down, as it lies:
Effective May 1st, or later, subject to course condition and the
call of the Captain.
Exception: A ball that comes to rest in a divot anywhere on the
course may be moved 6” no nearer the hole without penalty.
Preferred Lie Rule: (Winter Rules)
Effective October 1st to April 30th subject to course condition and the call of the captain
You are encouraged to play the ball as it lies. If you must move the ball 6”, do so using the intended club once. A ball lying “through the green” may be marked, lifted, cleaned and placed by hand within 6 inches of
where it originally lay, but not nearer the hole, without penalty.
Note: “through the green” is the whole area of the course except:
1. The teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played.
2. All hazards on the course.
Exception: If the ball lies within 3 feet of, or against, a tree trunk, the preferred lie rule does not pertain. The ball must be played as it lies. Alternatively, it may be declared unplayable and dropped within two club lengths of the spot no nearer the hole. (Rule 28 applies).
Penalty - one stroke
Ground Under Repair:
If a player’s ball comes to rest in an area marked “Ground Under Repair”, he may lift and drop within one club length, no nearer the hole. No penalty
All planted flower areas are “Ground Under Repair”, from which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies in this area or the area interferes with the player’s stance or his intended line of shot, he must take relief.
(Rules 25-1 & 33-2 a.(iii) apply) No penalty
If a player’s ball has come to rest in a location that he believes should have been marked or declared “ground under repair”, he may treat it as such only after obtaining the agreement of his playing partners including, if appropriate, any opponent(s). No penalty
Change to the Requirement to Putt Out
In the interest of fair play, the Men’s Midweek Club instituted
a requirement this year “that all putts must be putted out when
making or missing the putt would affect a score submitted for handicap
calculation or medal/stroke play competition.”
We have recently revisited this requirement and have decided that the
interests of fair play can be adequately served by allowing gimmies of
10” or less whenever it is the intention to post a score from a
round for medal/stroke play competition. Although no putt is too short
to be missed, 10” is proposed as a practical distance of “virtual
certainty” and a distance that can be “eyeballed” with
some accuracy. Most putter grips are 10” long.
This means that in situations where you are involved in a match play
event but also want to enter a score for medal/stroke play competition,
a very common situation in our Club, you must continue putting to within
at least 10” even if your opponent has conceded a longer putt for
match play purposes. If you are the player conceding a putt of longer
than 10” for match purposes do not knock your opponent’s
ball away.
In the situation where your putt is conceded in match play and you wish
to enter a score only for handicap calculation purposes the RCGA makes
provision for you to determine your most likely score for that hole.
The most likely score consists of the number of strokes already taken
plus, in your best judgment, the number of strokes you would need to
complete the hole from that position more than half the time. However
because it is so common in our Club for players to want to post a medal
score for current competition purposes (e.g. weekly low net, weekly par
points competitions or an overlapping medal event) we recommend that
everyone get in the habit of following the procedure of putting everything
to within at least 10”.
April 25, 2005
Jim Richards, Captain
Charlie Harris, Vice-Captain
Mens Mid-Week Club, UGC
