rulespin
by Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger is a PGA professional at The
Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia.
perspicaciou
What one adjective would
you pick to describe the
Rules of Golf ? How about
“perspicacious”? According
to
Miriam
Webster’s
dictionary, “perspicacious”
implies unusual power to see
through and comprehend
what is puzzling or hidden.
The Rules are perspicacious
because they have been
carefully written to cover
virtually all conceivable,
puzzling and/or hidden
aspects
and
situations
pertaining to the Game.
As
perspicacious
as
the Rules may be, there
is simply no way that
they could possibly cover
absolutely everything that
might happen on the golf
course. Voila! Enter Rule
1-4 [Points Not Covered by
Rules]. That Rule states, “If
any point in dispute is not
covered by the Rules, the
decision should be made in
accordance with equity.”
In addition to Rule 1-4
helping to address points
not covered by the Rules
by treating like situations
alike, a number of Decisions
have been issued to address
specific
situations
that
were not contemplated by
the Rules. Here are those
Decisions in numerical
order:
Decision 2-4/6 [Putting
Out After Concession of
8
Stroke] indicates that “Rule
2-4 does not cover the
question of whether a player
may putt out after his next
stroke has been conceded.”
Decision 2-4/21 [Wrong
Form pf Play Used to Decide
Which
Side
Concedes
Match] states, “There is
nothing in the Rules of Golf
to prohibit players from
agreeing to a method of
determining which side will
concede a match.”
Decision
4-3/9.5
[Club Rendered Unfit for
Play by Outside Agency
or
Opponent’s
Side]
states, “Rule 4-3 does not
contemplate a situation
where the player’s clubs
are damaged by an outside
agency or opponent.”
Decision 7-2/10 [Match
Discontinued by Agreement
Cannot Be Resumed Until
Three Days Later; One
Player Wishes to Play on
Competition Course Prior
to Resumption] reveals
that “Rule 7-2 does not
contemplate such a case
and as it is unreasonable to
prohibit a player from playing
on the competition course in
such circumstances, in equity
(Rule 1-4), either player may
play on the course at any
time prior to the resumption
of play.”
Decision
13-4/16.5
[Flying Insect in Water