Rules of Golf
Match Play Basics
What’s New For 2014
Stroke and Match Play
• 2014 is a Decision Book update year
• Smart Phone/tablet APP is very useful
• Modest Number of Decision changes
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Eye, not TV, judge of whether ball moved
Smartphone apps, change in what is legal—more later
Change in how far you can go and still play a “provisional”
Modest change in when OK to play out of turn in match play—more
later
– Some changes for four ball
• Groove Rule goes into effect for “elite amateur
competitions” (all USGA qualifiers)
Match Play Mindset
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It is just you and your opponent
We aren’t “protecting the field”
More forgiving format for rules errors
Fewer opportunities for a DQ penalty
Knowing the Rules in Match Play
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Not knowing a Rule is OK
Overlooking a breach by an opponent is OK
Agreeing to waive a Rule is DQ
Very different than stroke play
Order of Play
• Order of play is a major part of match play
• Order of play does not care whether you are
on or off the putting green
• Penalty for playing out of turn: opponent MAY
recall the shot.
• Don’t putt out if it isn’t your turn
• For team matches, visiting team has honor on
the first tee (local rule)
When OK to Play Out of Turn
• Limited Permission to grant opponent right to
play first to “save time”
– Forgot club on a previous hole or similar situation
– Not limited to tee shot (previous decisions)
– Not OK for continuous putting or because one
player can go for green and the other cannot
Concessions
• Can concede the next stroke; this is not concession of hole
(anyone can pick up the ball)
• Can concede the hole or match before conclusion of hole or
match (don’t have to complete hole or match)
• Cannot concede after conclusion of hole or match
• Good Good is OK anytime after start play of hole
• Shaking hands is concession of next stroke of both players
• Cannot refuse or take back a concession
Penalties
• All stroke play 1 stroke play penalties are the
same in match play
• Moving your opponent’s ball in play is a 1
stroke penalty. Ask before marking opponent’s
ball or it is a penalty.
• The general penalty is loss of hole; there are
no 2 stroke penalties in match play
• Loss of hole is immediate
Doubt as to Procedure
• Don’t play second ball (stroke play option
only)
• Try to agree with opponent on correct play
• If you don’t agree, do what YOU (the player)
think is right; PLAY ON. Don’t stop play to get a
ruling
• If opponent disagrees she may make a claim if
it affects the outcome of the hole
Making a Claim
• Make the claim before teeing off on next hole
or leaving last putting green
• Example: I am making a CLAIM and want a
RULING because THIS wasn’t right
• Late claims allowed only
– If facts unknown to player AND
– Given wrong information by opponent (opponent may not have known
it was wrong)
– After results posted (sheet signed by both captains), opponent must
have known it was wrong
Focus on the Facts
• Most bad rulings result from bad or incomplete facts
• Understand what your opponent believes her score
for the hole is
• If you disagree on outcome of hole, first focus on the
facts, not the penalty:
– What do you agree on
– What do your disagree about
• Watch your language
– Partner, competitor, opponent
– Wrong, incorrect
WGAP Protests Are Not Claims
• Claims involve a disagreement about the outcome of a
specific Hole in a single match
• Protests are for issues involving a match or the whole set of
matches
– You have made a claim and think you have been given an incorrect
ruling that affects the outcome of the match
– You believe a team match procedure has been violated
– You believe a player or the team has been treated in a way
inconsistent with the spirit of the game
• Be clear about the difference when asking for help
Status of the Match
• Your opponent is entitled to know where things
stand:
– If asked, you must provide CORRECT information on number of strokes
taken BEFORE opponent plays her next shot
– If you have had a penalty stroke and your opponent did not see it, you
must inform her as soon as practicable
• Difference between incorrect and wrong information
– Timing can turn incorrect info into wrong info
– Incorrect info isn’t wrong Info if it doesn’t affect outcome of the hole
Adjustment Penalties
(More than 14 Clubs)
• Adjustment to the state of the match
penalties include club and caddie penalties
• These are NOT loss of hole penalties or stroke
penalties
• Play out and determine the result of the hole
by skill; then adjust state of match
Playing Outside the Teeing Ground
• Opponent MAY recall the shot
• This includes things like teeing off on the
wrong hole or from the wrong teeing ground
(white tees versus red tees)
Scorecards
• No scorecard required in match play
• Score cards are for the players’ convenience
• Match play scores should be posted for
handicap.
Stroke and Match Play Reminders
Ball at Rest Moved
• If YOU move your ball, replace, 1 stroke penalty
– Includes balls moving after address since you are deemed
to have moved it; new exception “known or virtually
certain” something other than gravity moved it
– Don’t replace is a 2 stroke penalty
• If your ball moves on its own, play it from new
location, no penalty
• This rule covers lots of other situations
– Kick ball in frustration after missing putt
– Pick up ball to take relief and then decide relief is no good
Water Hazards
• Regular (yellow) 3 options
– Play ball as it lies
– Stroke and distance
– Draw line from flag to where last crossed margin and drop as far back
on that line as desired
• Lateral Hazard (red)
– All 3 options for regular
– 2 club lengths from where last crossed margin
– 2 club lengths from equidistant point on opposite margin of hazard
• Dropping zones only in play if on local rules sheet
DMD’s and other devices
• Use of DMD’S is a DQ penalty UNLESS a local rule is in effect. 1
measurement is DQ
• WGAP does not permit use of smartphones during stipulated round
• 2014 decisions in effect make it OK to use smartphones as DMD’s where
the club or association allows use of smartphones on the course
• What changed
– Decision that said using a compass is OK
– Decision that said a weather app is OK
– What is not OK is having on the phone an app that measures something that changes
and is on the course (wind speed at the airport 5 minutes ok does not tell you what the
wind speed is on the 8th tee box)
• If using a medical device (fingers taped together, arthritis gloves), report it
ahead of time.
Local Rule Sheet Avoids Rule
Problems
• Use specimen local rules in rules book for proper and
complete wording
• Lift clean and place must specify “distance”
• Embedded ball “through the green” recommended
• Are you using dropping zones?
• Do you have sandy areas that are not bunkers (waste
bunkers)?
• What defines out of bounds?
• Are flower beds mandatory ground under repair?
• Any other ground under repair that isn’t marked by white
lines? Any new sod (consider sod seam rule)?