 2016 RULES CHAIRWOMAN Carrie Campbell-Wood With the resignation of Jean Sloman, who has been our Rules Chairwoman for many years, I have been asked to fill the spot. I hope I can do the job justice. Thank you for letting me give it a try. I have always said that golfers are "behind the eight ball" when it comes to the rules. The Rules of Golf manual - 1/4" thick. The Decisions on the Rules of Golf manual - 1 1/4 inches thick! That means there is a lot of discussion and decisions pertaining to the rules. This is because each situation may have a twist, lie, angle or slight difference from another. The small things can make a difference in the rules. Additionally, once you know all the rules, they are changed every four years. Bottom line--if you are not sure of a rule, ask. If nobody knows the answer--well, there is a RULE for that! In short, RULE 3-3. Doubt as Procedure says during stroke play, if you are not sure of what you should do in any situation, play two balls. Tell your playing partner what you are doing and which ball you think should count toward your score. Play them both and let the rules committee know what happened and make the ruling after the play has been completed. There is one way to learn a rule and that is to be caught breaking it. It happens to all of us. Sometimes you do things you should not do even when you know better. OOPS. Remember golf is a game. Especially for us. Learn, do better the next time and move on. I have always believed that if you know the Definitions of the terms used in golf, that makes understanding the Rules easier. Take the term "STROKE". The definition of a stroke is "A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the club head reaches the ball he has not made a stroke." | This means that in order to make a "stroke" in golf, you must have MEANT to hit the ball. That is why when you try to hit the ball but miss it (whiff), that counts as a stroke. You INTENDED to strike the ball! It is also why if you take a practice swing and hit the ball, it is NOT a stroke. You had no INTENT to hit the ball during the practice swing, so - not a stroke. However, since you moved the ball against the rules of golf, you get a PENALTY and the ball is replaced to its original position. As I said, the rules are interesting and they sometimes seem difficult to understand. The definitions of things is a good place to start. Below are a few good definitions to know. Let's start with these. Some good definitions to know: ADVICE - "Advice" is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a STROKE. Information on the RULES, distance or matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green , is not advice. STROKE - A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the club head reaches the ball he has not made a stroke. CASUAL WATER - "Casual Water" is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not casual water. A ball is in casual water when it lies in or on any part of it touches the casual water. LINE OF PLAY - The "line of play" is the direction that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke, plus a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction. The line of play extends vertically upwards from the ground, but does not extend beyond the hole. |