T-OFF July - Sept 2019 | Page 34

RULES 101 No 4: That you cannot practise chipping and putting on or around a green just completed if you will play it again during a round (e.g. on a nine-hole course during the first round). You can. Practising chipping or putting is permitted under the following circumstances: During play, players are permitted to practise chipping and/or putting on or around the first tee, the hole just completed, the next tee area or a practice putting green (please note: not on a practice range, Rules 5.5b and 13.1e). Such practice strokes must not be made from a bunker and must not unreasonably delay 34 play. Nevertheless, the competition committee may make it a condition of play that practice on or around the green just completed is prohibited under general penalty. No. 5: That you cannot tee up the ball when playing under penalty of stroke and distance if the previous stroke had been made from teeing area. You can. Not only is teeing permitted when proceeding under stroke and distance, but whenever a stroke is made from the teeing area, even when a ball is already in play. The teeing area of the hole being played has become privileged. All other teeing areas on the course are defined as general areas. Rule 6.2 states that “whenever a player is required or allowed to play a ball from the teeing area, including when starting play of a hole, the player will play again from the teeing area under a rule or the player’s ball is in play in the teeing area after a stroke or after the player has taken relief under the rules, the ball may be re- teed or played from the ground. This means that if a player makes a stroke at a ball that remains or lands back on the teeing area after the stroke, the ball may be re-teed without penalty. SK Mwaura is a Golf and Golf Rules enthusiast for over 25 years and volunteers to do competitions refereeing assignments. [email protected]