The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.
I play in a weekly league whose leaders have decided that the ball may be moved one club-length without penalty both in the general area and penalty areas. We don’t post our scores — but we are adhering to the league’s rules, and this doesn’t seem much different from the “ball in hand” played in many competitions due to course conditions. If we can’t post our scores, can the “lift, clean and place” crowd? – Clint Humphrey, Union, KY
Is it called “The Fast & Loose League”? Because it sounds like that’s how the powers that be are playing with the rules.
For starters, there’s a relief procedure to get out of penalty areas for one stroke and nothing that lets you just move a ball a club-length there.
But the real crux of the question seems to be: Are scores using preferred lies acceptable for posting purposes? The answer: The Committee at the golf course may adopt a Local Rule for preferred lies when course conditions warrant it. This Rule should be limited in duration and reviewed daily. Scores made while it’s in effect must (!) be posted for handicap purposes — unless score posting has been temporarily suspended.
You should check with the course before teeing off. Should you and your group adopt preferred lies on your own, your scores are still postable. That said, preferred lies should only be used when conditions justify it, because frequent use may yield a Handicap Index that’s too low, or what some people refer to as a “vanity-cap.”
Rules Guy: Is it legal to post scores when a rangefinder’s slope function was engaged?
For more score-posting guidance from our guru, read on …
The pace of play was really slow the other day, but the starter squeezed me in as a single. To kill time between shots, I played two balls, using the same ball first every shot and scoring only that ball. Can I post the round for handicap purposes? – Ray Mainville, McKinney, Texas
Rules Guy has been there, done that and bought the T-shirt, as the kids like to say nowadays. (Do they still say that? RG hopes so.)
What he didn’t do is post his score, because for a score to be acceptable for handicap purposes, the round must be played under the Rules of Golf — and playing two balls is not considered to be doing so.
The other fly in the ointment is that you also must play in the company of at least one other person for a score to be acceptable for handicap purposes. That was a somewhat controversial rules change but, remember, Rules Guy doesn’t make the rules — he’s just a guy who tries to elucidate them.
Need a handicap? Get started here.
Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.
