THE TEE BOX
THE MARSHALL
What is the penalty if your golf bag accidentally tips into
or rolls into a sand bunker? My bag recently rolled into the
bunker a long way behind where my ball was but didn’t
touch the ball or its lie.
Provided your lie, area of intended stance or swing, or
line of play have not been improved [Rule 13-2], and the
ball has not been moved [Rule 18-2a], there is no penalty
if your bag tips or rolls into a bunker. In the situation you
describe, you did not incur a penalty.
Now it’s the winter time We have the clean and place on
your own fairway, 6” not nearer the hole rule in force at
our club. In a recent tournament, a player put his clubhead
down beside the ball, picked it up and gave it a quick
wipe and then placed it on the fairway within 6” of his
clubhead. Another player queried should he have put a
proper marker down rather than using his clubhead?
You are permitted to mark your ball using a clubhead
both on the fairway and on the putting green.
The use of a ball marker or small coin is only a
recommendation for marking the position of your ball,
but it is not required. Decision 20-1/16 gives examples
of ways to mark your ball that are not recommended but
are, nevertheless, permissible:
• p
lacing the toe of a club at the side of, or behind, the
ball;
• using a tee;
• using a loose impediment;
• s cratching a line, provided the putting green is not
tested
I was recently playing in a monthly medal when I noticed
that my playing partner seemed to have a large square
type putter grip on his driver, I didn’t say anything as it was
the first time we had played together but is that illegal?
No, putter grips are to be used on putters only, using
that that type of grip on another club is in breach of rule
4-1.
I know that you can’t put a marker on the green in front
of the ball to aid your aim but can you leave the marker in
place or have it behind the ball? The reason I ask is, that to
keep my head still, I’m trying to focus on something in the
vicinity of the ball rather than the ball itself. Obviously
a marker would be easier than an imperfection in the
surface of the green.
When a ball is replaced on the putting green it’s in play
even if the ball marker isn’t removed (Decision 20-4/1),
there’s nothing in the Rules saying that the ball marker
must be removed before the ball is played.
14 | YOURCADDY MAG - ISSUE 06
But if the ball marker is left there to help the stroke
i.e. a spot on the green to aim at, the player would
be disqualified under Rule 14-3. If you are knowingly
placing a marker on the green (as you suggest you are)
then this is not allowed.
One of the guys I regularly play with is adamant that you
can be penalised for teeing off before your allocated tee
time even if you are called to the tee before your stated
playing time. His argument is the pro shop can’t call you
early unless the committee has given them permission, I
am tempted to call his bluff and get him to show me where
in the rule book where it confirms his claim but thought I
would ask if he is right or wrong?
It’s a penalty to start too early unless the players are
instructed to do so, decision 6-3a/5. However in the
majority of clubs the pro shop is acting on behalf of the
committee and allowed to manage the tee times in order
to regulate the place of play. The question here seems
to be – Has the pro shop been given the authority?
I was talking today with a new member at our club and he
asked me about the flagstick and being off the green. He
said that another member he was playing with a month
ago insisted that it had to be in and there was no exception.
I told him that it had to be either in or out of hole and
couldn’t be tended, but having researched this I think I
may be wrong.
When playing a stroke from off the green can the flag be
tended or can it be in or out of the hole and not tended?
This is one question that people ask a lot and it’s
surprising not many of us know the ruling considering
the situation is a regular occurrence on the course.
Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course,
the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or
held up to indicate the position of the hole.