SAND COURSE & LOCAL RULES
GENERAL
The Rules of Golf as approved by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the United States
Golf Association. The following “Local Rules” also apply in accordance with the “Modified Rules for Sand
Courses” as approved by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (henceforth “Sand Rule(s)”).
Note: Rules of Golf is abbreviated ROG below and the Local Rules LR.
1.
OUT OF BOUNDS
1.1
Outside of any boundary fence or entrance gate.
1.2
On, or across the entrance road (holes 1/10; 5/14, 6/15; 9/18).
1.3
Beyond the clubhouse wall, on club house steps, on old patios, stakes or within the car park at
the top of the hill on hole 9/18.
2.
FAIRWAYS
2.1
The fairway is that playing area on each hole demarcated by a line joining the inside edges of
the white painted marker stones (or Blue, Yellow or Red distance marker stones on the edge of the
fairways) i.e. the side away from the rough.
2.2
The marker stones are deemed immovable obstructions (ROG 24-1 and LR 16 apply); Relief
may be taken for swing or stance. However, a ball originally lying off the fairway may not be placed
on the mat if the result of the nearest point of relief or a drop results in the ball coming to rest on the
fairway. See LR 16.5.
2.3
Area between fairway markers 2/6; 5/6; 7/8; 11/15; 14/15 & 16/17 are deemed rough areas
and must be played as the ball lies.
2.4
A ball resting on the fairway area of another hole, besides the one in play, may be placed on
the mat.
3.
ASTROTURF MATS
3.1
Mats, round, rectangular or square should be made of artificial grass or equivalent material.
Uniform in thickness, of even texture, lie flat and free of wrinkles and must contain at all times at
least two thirds artificial grass cover. The ball must be able to be played 1.5 inches from the edge of
the mat or from any bald spot in the mat; This means a mat must have 4 inches of ‘grass’ from any
bald spot to the edge of the mat.
3.2
No markings of any sort are allowed on the upper surface of the mat, however, a line caused
by gluing two pieces of grass to the mat backing is not considered a marking..
3.3
A damaged or lost mat may be replaced during play without penalty. Two or more players
may share a single mat until the damaged mat can be replaced, as long as the pace of play is not
hindered in any way.
3.4
A round of golf is to be commenced with one mat per player.
3.5
A ball maybe placed on a mat when on the tee.
(A player using an incorrect or illegal mat will incur a two-stroke penalty per hole in Strokeplay,
Loss of Hole per hole in Matchplay; and, disqualified if not corrected after 3 holes played).
1
4.
PREFERRED LIES
4.1
A ball, which comes to rest within the marked fairway, may at the option of the player,
without penalty:
a.
Be played as it lies, or,
b.
Be marked, cleaned and placed on the fairway within one club length of where it
originally lay, not nearer the hole, from where the ball lies without the use of Astroturf mat
or,
c.
The player may position an Astroturf mat immediately behind or to the side of the
ball. Lift the ball, clean it and place it on the mat not less than 1.5 inches from the outer edge
of the mat or any damaged part of the mat.
4.2
If the Astroturf mat is used on the Fairway the ground may not be smoothed in the area where
the mat is to be placed. No grass, weeds or imbedded stones may be removed or articles not defined
as loose impediments, as defined by the ROG, may be removed. (PENALTY: Two Strokes in
Strokeplay, Loss of hole in Matchplay).
4.3
If a ball moves as a direct result of placing the mat there is no penalty.
4.4
If a ball when placed on the mat moves, whether it moves off the mat or not, it must be
replaced without penalty.
4.5
If the ball will not remain stationary on the mat, the player must inform his Marker, who
should confirm and agree the fact that the ball will not stay stationary on the mat; then the ball
maybe placed off the mat at the nearest point of relief in accordance with local rule 4.1.b above.
4.6
If the ball moves after the player has begun his stroke and he does not check his downswing,
he does not incur a penalty for playing a moving ball (ROG 14-5), but is not exempt from any
penalty incurred under ROG 18-2a and b.
4.7
The player is the only person allowed to lift and place the ball on the mat.
5.
ROUGH
5.1
A ball coming to rest outside of the fairway must be played as it lies (ROG 13.2 applies).
Plants and grass which are rooted may not be moved, pulled out, destroyed, shorten or squashed.
6.
WATER HAZARDS (ROG 26 applies)
6.1
Ditches demarcated by yellow stakes are water hazards and those by red stakes are lateral
water hazards.
6.2
The stakes are immovable and deemed to be part of the hazard and may under NO
circumstances be removed. As yellow/red stakes are deemed to be immovable obstructions (ROG
24-2 applies) and relief may be taken for swing or stance if the ball lies outside the hazard, but not
line-of-sight. There is no relief from the yellow/red stakes, yardage markers or fairways markers if
the ball lies in the water hazard.
6.3
A line drawn along the outside edges of the stakes indicates the outer edge of the water
hazard.
6.4
Bridges over a water hazard are integral parts of the hazard and therefore are not deemed to
be immovable obstructions.
6.5
A ball can be played as it lies without a penalty stroke.
6.6
A player wishing to take relief from the hazard may do so no closer to the hole at the expense
of 1 penalty stroke. The ball may be placed on the mat if the relief has resulted in the ball being
dropped on the fairway.
7.
BUNKERS
7.1
It is the player’s duty to ensure that bunkers are adequately raked after playing out of them.
7.2
Stones in bunkers are deemed movable obstructions (ROG 24-1 applies) and they can be
removed.
7.3
The front wall, side and rear walls of the bunker are considered to be part of the bunker i.e.
any part which is not horizontal to the earth’s surface. In major competitions the boundary of
bunkers will be defined by a line. A ball lying on any part of the line is deemed to be in the bunker.
2
8.
PUTTING BROWNS
8.1
The “Putting Brown” is all the ground of the hole being played that is specially prepared for
putting and is treated with swept, oiled sand.
8.2
A ball is on the putting brown when any part of it touches the brown. For the purposes of
applying the Rules, the putting brown is the equivalent of the Putting Green.
8.3
A “wrong putting brown” is any putting brown other than that of the hole being played.
(ROG 25-3 applies).
8.4
Balls must be marked on the browns with a flat marker or a coin before being picked up. The
ball must be replaced on its original position. Scribing lines on the surface or pushing the ball into
the surface of the putting brown is not acceptable as a means of marking the ball.
8.5
Loose impediments on the line of put may only be moved by hand; or, by smoothing with the
head of the putter; or, by brushing across the line of putt with the broom. Should a mark be made on
the line of putt by any of these actions the line should be re-brushed.
8.6
Marks should not be made behind or the putter grounded in front the ball, and therefore,
could be said to assist the golfer in designating the line of the putt.
8.7
The surface of the brown along the line of putt may be repaired from pitch marks, but then it
must be swept across the line of the putt.
8.8
It is the players’ duty to ensure that the browns are swept after putting. The browns should
preferably be swept in a circular pattern away from the hole up to a radius of at least 3 metres from
the hole.
8.9
Pitch marks and animal prints on browns maybe repaired. Any other irregularities may not
be repaired.
8.10 If a backswing of a putt is impeded by the lip designating the edge of the brown, lumps of
grass or grass/weeds lie between the ball and the hole, the ball maybe moved sideways by up to one
putter length (short handled putter), no closer to the hole.
8.11 A player may smooth the brown behind the ball by marking the ball and then brushing over
the marker. However, care must taken not to move the marker in the act of brushing otherwise a one
stroke penalty is incurred (ROG 20-1)
9.
TREES
9.1
Trees, bushes and shrubs are integral parts of the course and no free relief is permitted.
10.
BALL UNPLAYABLE (ROG 28)
10.1 A player may deem his/her ball unplayable at any place on the course except when the ball is
in a water hazard. The player is sole judge as to whether the ball is unplayable.
10.2 If the player deems the ball unplayable he/she must under the penalty of one stroke:
a.
Play the ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last
played.
b.
Drop the ball behind the point where the ball lay, 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.
c.
Drop the ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the
hole.
10.3 A ball which has been dropped in the rough must be played as it lies. A player may not touch
the ball, nor improve the drop area prior to or after the drop. ROG 13.2 Applies.
11.
UNDUE DELAY
11.1 Players should keep pace with the group in front of them. If a group is more than one clear
hole behind the group in front of the group, the group must, if requested to do so, allow the group
behind to play through (ROG 6.7 applies).
11.2 At the discretion of the Committee or competition organiser, in a competition, the player
responsible for the slow play will be penalised 1 stroke if a group has fallen more than 2 holes
behind the group ahead. (ROG 6.7 Applies).
3
12.
SCORECARDS
12.1 Players must hand their scorecards, including incomplete cards, to the Club Committee as
soon as possible after completion of their round.
12.2 Any scorecard not signed, unreadable, or incorrect will be disqualified.
12.3 Once a scorecard is handed in, it may not be returned to the player nor may a player
subsequently amend it.
12.4 Any alterations to a scorecard - e.g. score erased and new score written in - should be
initialed by the scorer.
13.
MOBILE PHONES
13.1 Mobile phone use (speaking or texting) is not permitted on the course during tournament play
except in cases of medical or family emergency or the golfer being on call. (PENALTY – 1st offence
two strokes in Strokeplay, Loss of Hole in Matchplay; 2nd offence - Disqualification).
14.
SHOES
14.1 Only flat-soled shoes or trainers are permitted. Spiked shoes are not permitted.
15.
CADDIES
15.1 The caddy is not allowed to lift and place the ball onto the mat
15.2 Caddies should not touch the ball and or its surroundings.
15.3 If the caddy is a non-regular club caddy a breach of the above two rules is permitted once.
15.4 A caddy is the agent of the player and as such any breach of the Local Rules or Rules of Golf
by the caddy is penalised as if the player carried out the act.
15.5 Abuse of caddies is not permitted under the Club Constitution.
16.
IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS (ROG 24)
16.1 All tracks, roads, paths and steps are deemed to be integral to the course and no relief is
permitted. The same applies to the pump building between the 13th and 5th holes.
16.2 All man-made objects such as ball washers, seats, litter bins, pipes, hose pipes, grass cutting
machines are deemed to be immovable obstructions and relief maybe taken for swing and stance.
Line of sight relief is not permitted.
16.3 Tee boxes and the steps up are deemed as immovable obstructions for swing and stance. No
relief is permitted for line of sight. Players are strongly advised to be careful of ricochets when
playing close to tee boxes.
16.4 The boundary fence of the course is an out of bounds marker and therefore no free relief is
allowed. Exception: The fence to the left of holes 5/14 is deemed an immovable obstruction from
where the fairway starts to where the fairway markers come away from the fence; the ball can be
moved and played from the mat within 2 club lengths of the fence, no closer to the hole. Outside of
the above area the ball is to be played as it lies with nofree relief from the fence.
16.5 If relief from an immovable obstruction means the ball has gone from the rough to the
fairway a mat is not to be used, however, if the ball was on the fairway and the nearest point of relief
is in the rough a mat may be used.
16.6 A ball striking the overhead wires on holes 5/14, and remaining in bounds, may be re-played
without penalty.
17.
ANIMAL SCRAPES AND MOLEHILLS
17.1 Active or old ant holes are considered animal scrapes and relief may be taken through the
green..
17.2 With old or active molehills, through the green, a player may:
a.
Smooth the molehill with a foot and then place the mat or
b.
Take relief for swing or stance within 1 club length from nearest point of relief. In the
fairway put the ball on the mat or in the rough drop the ball and play it as it lies. Taking
relief in the rough does not allow a player to put the ball on the mat even if relief has meant
the ball is now within the bounds of the fairway.
4
18.
WINTER RULES
18.1 The Committee or Competition Organiser will designate when ‘winter rules’ are in play.
When ‘winter rules’ are being played the following procedures can be a taken if the ball lies on a
fairway:
a.
The ball is to be marked with a tee.
b.
One club length (head cover off) is measures in any direction not nearer the hole. A
further tee marks this limit.
c.
The mat is placed between the tees and the ball may be played from that position.
19.
QUERIES
17.1 Any player who may have a query regarding the local rules should continue under ROG 3-3
and ROG 3-3b; play two balls using the rules thought to apply. Mark both gross scores on the score
card and ask the competition organiser after the round to make a ruling.
Penalty for breach of a local rule, unless otherwise stated under the Rules of Golf, is:
Strokeplay – 2 Strokes
Matchplay – Loss of Hole
BISHARAT GOLF COMMITTEE
Sep 2013
5