BDI 2024 REVISION OF RULES EXCEPTIONS TO THE USGA
The objective of this writing is to establish rules that are reasonable for our group with the objective of establishing a friendly but fair way to govern play and hopefully avoid conflict. We recognize that our players are of varying skill and familiarity with the detail Rules of Golf. In addition, some of our players often play in leagues where the Rules of Golf are taken very seriously and others play with little or no worry about those technicalities. When we are together it can be difficult for Rules to serve both of these groups not to mention that the latter group may not even know the Real Rules. Also, we have to take into consideration that the course conditions and setup may vary day to day or even hole to hole. Any Rule variation is meant to keep things moving, create fair competition and avoid conflict. Rules variations are not meant to be the only rules. Where we haven't created a specific Rule Book override, USGA rules will be applied. It is ultimately up to the players and their competitors to work these things out based on friendly but fair competition. For example, if you are not sure ask your opponents. Don't stop the game while you call BD as he has his own problems.
Some of these rules recognize that the course will not be tournament ready so hazard lines may not be marked; ground under repair or unplayable areas might not be marked; sand traps might have unplayable areas, etc.. All of this can change daily particularly if weather is involved. We hope these Rules will more helpful than hurtful.
Tee Areas
1. The Tee area is within two club lengths behind a line drawn between the markers.
2. It is not a penalty to accidentally knock your ball off of the tee.
3. Every day you will have the option of a Mulligan on your first hole only. If you hit a second ball, you play the second ball.
4. We will allow a second tee shot on every hole but you will be hitting three and it will never be a provisional. If you hit a second ball, you play the second ball. Once you leave the tee area you cannot go back to hit a second shot.
5. After teeing off we do not allow provisionals nor stroke and distance penalties.
Forced Carry from the Tee
1. We have eliminated the option of dropping on the green side of the hazard.
2. We will follow the regular rules of golf. Drop within 2 club lengths of the point of entry or walk back away from the green.
3. Par 3 Tee Shots will likely have a drop area. If none exists, drop within 2 club lengths of any portion of the cart path.
Fairway (your own)
1. You may improve your lie using the club, one club length, no closer to the hole or you may lift, clean and place, one club length, no closer to the hole.
2. The fairway is interpreted as the closely mowed area that continues as the shortest fringe around the green. You may lift, clean and place. No putting ball as you are in the fringe.
3. We will not assess a penalty for accidentally moving your ball; however, each player should be careful to avoid any misunderstanding.
Rough
1. The rough is the area off the fairway that is regularly mowed. We will cover areas beyond the rough as hazards.
2. You may lift, clean and DROP in the rough, one club length, no closer to the hole.
3. You may move the ball off of anything that could present a danger to your club or person.
Typically, Rocks and Roots.
4. You may not use the Rocks and Roots Rule to improve either your line to the green or the a backswing obstruction. You would then have to drop with a penalty stroke.
5. We will not assess a penalty for accidentally moving your ball; however, each player should be careful to avoid any misunderstanding. Be careful, though we allow a free drop, we do not allow fluffing the ball with your club or placing.
6. Around the green, not including the first cut of fringe (fairway), is rough and the rules above apply. So lift, clean and drop.
Waste Area (Sand Traps without Rakes)
1. You may ground your club and we will treat these with the same rules as the rough; however, a free drop must remain in the Waste Area.
2. You are not required to hit from an area that is packed down by cart traffic.
3. You may drop outside of the Waste Area with a one stroke penalty, no closer.
Hazards (not Waste Areas or Sand Traps)
1. For our purposes, any ball beyond the rough will be declared in a hazard. This includes, water, OB, forest, unplayable, lost ball, etc..
2. You have the option to hit the ball; however, there is no option for a free drop. You may not hit from OB and you get no relief from a OB boundary fence.
3. For your next shot, you will have the following options:
a. Drop within 2 club lengths of where it left the rough. One stroke penalty.
b. Laterally in the fairway, no closer than where you entered the Hazard. Two Strokes.
c. Walking away from the hole, keeping the spot where the ball last entered the penalty area between your drop and the green. One Stroke.
d. Walking back on your line of flight. One Stroke.
4. For balls hitting over a hazard and for speed of play reasons we do not want anyone to have to go back after discovering that their ball has not carried a hazard. For this reason, if you hit a ball over a hazard but you are not sure it is over the hazard, hit another ball with a one stroke penalty. If the ball is found in or beyond the hazard, you may then play that ball or play from the hazard. If not, play the ball for which you have taken a penalty. In the case where you believe you have carried the hazard and the ball came back into the hazard on the other side, you would need agreement from your opponents that that is the case. If so, you can drop where you believe it entered the hazard. Otherwise, if you don't find the ball or find it in the hazard, it will be assumed that it didn't carry the hazard. Now, if you believe you carried the hazard and you don't find you ball over the hazard and didn't play another ball, you will not go back to take a drop with a penalty stroke, you will drop across the hazard and take a drop with two penalty strokes. Again, this ruling is for speed of play purposes. You may also choose to go to the other side and take a 2 stroke penalty.
Sand Traps (will have Rakes)
1. We will allow a free PLACE but you must stay in the trap, no closer. We are doing this because traps may in some cases be poorly maintained or be in bad shape do to weather. Also, to eliminate plugged lies. The area for the place will be within one club length of a line drawn from the ball away from the hole. You may also rake and place. You may go farther from that drop zone only to find the nearest playable area.
2. We will allow a place anywhere within one club length outside the trap, with a one stroke penalty. The area for the drop or place will be within one club length of a line drawn from the ball away from the hole as far back as you desire.
3. If the entire trap is unplayable, you may DROP as described in Point 2 above but without a penalty stroke. Unplayable can only be described as there being no way that the ball and the stance can be in an area without standing water.
Greens
1. You are allowed to use a different ball for putting but not from the fringe.
2. Give Me's need to be limited to a foot. No begging! It is important for the integrity of handicapping.
3. Obviously team members cannot give each other putts. That applies to a four man team for the "Least Putts" game.
4. We will not assess a penalty for accidentally moving your ball.
Drops
From knee to shoulder height.
P.S.
It goes without saying that rules are there to govern situations where the members of the foursome are not in agreement. For example, if you hit a ball that is clearly in play close to the fairway and all players agree then you get a free drop in an agreed on area. Said another way, there is no way to cover every situation that might occur so respect the rules but when there is a question and all agree on the call, play on. If not in agreement, use the rules as best you can and bring the disagreement to the rules committee after the match for a ruling.
Some of these rules recognize that the course will not be tournament ready so hazard lines may not be marked; ground under repair or unplayable areas might not be marked; sand traps might have unplayable areas, etc.. All of this can change daily particularly if weather is involved. We hope these Rules will more helpful than hurtful.
Tee Areas
1. The Tee area is within two club lengths behind a line drawn between the markers.
2. It is not a penalty to accidentally knock your ball off of the tee.
3. Every day you will have the option of a Mulligan on your first hole only. If you hit a second ball, you play the second ball.
4. We will allow a second tee shot on every hole but you will be hitting three and it will never be a provisional. If you hit a second ball, you play the second ball. Once you leave the tee area you cannot go back to hit a second shot.
5. After teeing off we do not allow provisionals nor stroke and distance penalties.
Forced Carry from the Tee
1. We have eliminated the option of dropping on the green side of the hazard.
2. We will follow the regular rules of golf. Drop within 2 club lengths of the point of entry or walk back away from the green.
3. Par 3 Tee Shots will likely have a drop area. If none exists, drop within 2 club lengths of any portion of the cart path.
Fairway (your own)
1. You may improve your lie using the club, one club length, no closer to the hole or you may lift, clean and place, one club length, no closer to the hole.
2. The fairway is interpreted as the closely mowed area that continues as the shortest fringe around the green. You may lift, clean and place. No putting ball as you are in the fringe.
3. We will not assess a penalty for accidentally moving your ball; however, each player should be careful to avoid any misunderstanding.
Rough
1. The rough is the area off the fairway that is regularly mowed. We will cover areas beyond the rough as hazards.
2. You may lift, clean and DROP in the rough, one club length, no closer to the hole.
3. You may move the ball off of anything that could present a danger to your club or person.
Typically, Rocks and Roots.
4. You may not use the Rocks and Roots Rule to improve either your line to the green or the a backswing obstruction. You would then have to drop with a penalty stroke.
5. We will not assess a penalty for accidentally moving your ball; however, each player should be careful to avoid any misunderstanding. Be careful, though we allow a free drop, we do not allow fluffing the ball with your club or placing.
6. Around the green, not including the first cut of fringe (fairway), is rough and the rules above apply. So lift, clean and drop.
Waste Area (Sand Traps without Rakes)
1. You may ground your club and we will treat these with the same rules as the rough; however, a free drop must remain in the Waste Area.
2. You are not required to hit from an area that is packed down by cart traffic.
3. You may drop outside of the Waste Area with a one stroke penalty, no closer.
Hazards (not Waste Areas or Sand Traps)
1. For our purposes, any ball beyond the rough will be declared in a hazard. This includes, water, OB, forest, unplayable, lost ball, etc..
2. You have the option to hit the ball; however, there is no option for a free drop. You may not hit from OB and you get no relief from a OB boundary fence.
3. For your next shot, you will have the following options:
a. Drop within 2 club lengths of where it left the rough. One stroke penalty.
b. Laterally in the fairway, no closer than where you entered the Hazard. Two Strokes.
c. Walking away from the hole, keeping the spot where the ball last entered the penalty area between your drop and the green. One Stroke.
d. Walking back on your line of flight. One Stroke.
4. For balls hitting over a hazard and for speed of play reasons we do not want anyone to have to go back after discovering that their ball has not carried a hazard. For this reason, if you hit a ball over a hazard but you are not sure it is over the hazard, hit another ball with a one stroke penalty. If the ball is found in or beyond the hazard, you may then play that ball or play from the hazard. If not, play the ball for which you have taken a penalty. In the case where you believe you have carried the hazard and the ball came back into the hazard on the other side, you would need agreement from your opponents that that is the case. If so, you can drop where you believe it entered the hazard. Otherwise, if you don't find the ball or find it in the hazard, it will be assumed that it didn't carry the hazard. Now, if you believe you carried the hazard and you don't find you ball over the hazard and didn't play another ball, you will not go back to take a drop with a penalty stroke, you will drop across the hazard and take a drop with two penalty strokes. Again, this ruling is for speed of play purposes. You may also choose to go to the other side and take a 2 stroke penalty.
Sand Traps (will have Rakes)
1. We will allow a free PLACE but you must stay in the trap, no closer. We are doing this because traps may in some cases be poorly maintained or be in bad shape do to weather. Also, to eliminate plugged lies. The area for the place will be within one club length of a line drawn from the ball away from the hole. You may also rake and place. You may go farther from that drop zone only to find the nearest playable area.
2. We will allow a place anywhere within one club length outside the trap, with a one stroke penalty. The area for the drop or place will be within one club length of a line drawn from the ball away from the hole as far back as you desire.
3. If the entire trap is unplayable, you may DROP as described in Point 2 above but without a penalty stroke. Unplayable can only be described as there being no way that the ball and the stance can be in an area without standing water.
Greens
1. You are allowed to use a different ball for putting but not from the fringe.
2. Give Me's need to be limited to a foot. No begging! It is important for the integrity of handicapping.
3. Obviously team members cannot give each other putts. That applies to a four man team for the "Least Putts" game.
4. We will not assess a penalty for accidentally moving your ball.
Drops
From knee to shoulder height.
P.S.
It goes without saying that rules are there to govern situations where the members of the foursome are not in agreement. For example, if you hit a ball that is clearly in play close to the fairway and all players agree then you get a free drop in an agreed on area. Said another way, there is no way to cover every situation that might occur so respect the rules but when there is a question and all agree on the call, play on. If not in agreement, use the rules as best you can and bring the disagreement to the rules committee after the match for a ruling.