PRO'S TIP OF THE WEEK

Pro's Tip of the Week:

Now that we have water in the ponds we should discuss the options you have when hitting a ball into the hazard. If a water hazard is marked with yellow stakes or lines it is a "Regular Water Hazard" and you have 3 options to play your next shot. If the hazard is marked with red stakes or lines it is a "Lateral Water Hazard" with two additional options. In both cases you have the option to:

 1) Play the ball from the hazard.

 2) Play from where you hit your shot from that went into the hazard, adding 1 penalty shot.

3) Take a drop, keeping the point where your ball crossed the margin of the hazard between you and the hole and go back as far as you like and add a 1 shot penalty.

 If marked Red, you have these 2 other options.

 4) You may drop within 2 club lengths no closer to the hole, from the point the ball crossed the margin of the hazard, adding 1 penalty stroke.

 5) You may drop on the other side of the hazard, within 2 club lengths of the water no closer to the hole. I'm sure this is crystal clear now.....?

 Just remember there is no such thing as dropping back on your "line of flight" that the ball went into the hazard on.

Pro's Tip of the Week:

How can you get out an impossible lie in a deep bunker? Instead of whacking away in a deep sand bunker, you have 1 option that may save you some strokes as well as your sanity. You may, with a 1 stroke penalty, go back to the spot from where you hit into the bunker and replay the shot from there. (Just make sure you avoid the bunker the next time.) Also, if your ball is in an impossible lie in a sand bunker you have another option as well. You may drop within two clublengths of where your ball lies, in the bunker, with a 1 stroke penalty. But at least you may get the ball to a spot where you can get it out. Best advice...Stay out of the sand!

PRO'S TIP OF THE WEEK

Marking Your Ball on the Green

The rules of golf allow you mark your ball on the green and clean it if you like. There are only a couple of musts when marking your ball. You must mark the ball before you pick up your ball and you must replace your ball in the exact spot you lifted it from. Other than that you have a several choices; you may use any object to mark your ball, (a tee, leaf, casino chip etc.) but it is recommended that you use a small round, flat object.

 When moving your ball marker out of the line of another player, use the putter head and line up with something like a tree that won't move so you can replace your marker exactly where you moved it from. Finally, you must putt with the same ball you lifted from the green.  You may not use one ball to play with and another to putt with.

Hit 'em long and straight!!


SIDE NOTE:  From last week's tip...when you are taking relief from burrowing animals, announce your intention to your group.  Once you have determined complete relief, drop your ball from that point.  The ball can't bounce more than one club length from where you drop.

PRO'S RULE OF THE WEEK

Pro’s rule of the week:
As we come out of the winter you will see some damage from burrowing animals like mice runs, gopher holes, muskrat holes etc. If you find your stance or intended line of your swing, or your ball is in a hole made by a burrowing animal you may take free relief from any of those conditions. You may pick up your ball and move it to the nearest point that gives you complete relief from the holes or runs, never closer to the hole. Drop your ball from there and play it from where it lies. Always take advantage of the rules when you can!!

EQUITABLE SCORE

Ladies,

Since there was no league play this week, let's take this time to review "Equitable Score". 

Your equitable score is what will be posted after any hole by hole stroke adjustments have been made based on your handicap.  Depending on handicap a player is only allowed to post a maximum number of strokes per hole.  They are:

0-9 - Double Bogey
10 thru 19 - 7 strokes
20 thru 29 - 8 strokes
30 thru 39 - 9 strokes
40 and above - 10 strokes

These adjustments are made ONLY FOR RECORDING PURPOSES. In competition, all strokes taken must be factored to determine the outcome.

Therefore, when we are playing any type of regularly scored golf - league, tournaments, or leisure - you must always record your actual strokes taken on your scorecard.  Equitable adjustments are made only when recording your score.

For our league play, your recap sheet has a line for "Gross" score.  This is the score will all strokes taken during that round.  There is a line for "Adjusted" score.  This is where you record your score after hole by hole adjustments have been made.  And this is the score we will post for you.

Hopefully, this is helpful information.  If you have any questions, please comment on this post and we will answer them.

WATER IN BUNKERS REVISITED

Today, there is alot of water in bunkers, hence the re-run:

With all the rain we have received, the question of what to do if your ball landed in a bunker that has water in it has been asked. To paraphrase The Rules of Golf:

Rule 25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions:

(a) Without penalty, the ball may be dropped at the nearest point of relief, in the bunker and no nearer the hole. If complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, the ball may be dropped in the bunker where maximum available relief is possible. This could result in the possiblilty of the player and/or the ball still being in the water.

(b) Under penalty of one stroke, the ball may be dropped outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. There is no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

Hope none of need this information, but just in case...