The Blathering Duffer
(TBD vol. 24.1)
The Blathering Duffer is Lady Links very own newfangled newsletter. This will be a fairly short discourse on golf topics that may be of interest to our members. Topics will include Rules, Etiquette, Equipment, game improvement strategies, course info, course strategy, golf statistics, scoring formats, fun games to play on the course and more. Pose a question to our fearless leader, Vicky, and she’ll pass on the query for us to answer. There will be a team of newsletter writers who will probe deep into the rabbit holes looking for the best answers we can provide. TBD will be available at Lady Links Venues, Facebook, by email (if requested) and website (https://www.sandiegoladylinks.com/).
Our first topic is Rule Changes since 2019. As this golfer recently returned to golfing, I was surprised to find out there had been a lot of rule changes. Most changes came in 2019, a few more in 2021 and again in 2023. Most of 2023 changes deal with accommodations for disabled golfers. Now I know a lot of us are just social golfers and don’t pay much never mind to rules, but as your game improves and the more you play the more you may want to know what is the actual rule for…. When your ball lands in an animal hole what do you do and is there a penalty? (Drop 1 club length from the nearest point of relief with NO Penalty) These rule changes even catch out the pros as Rory McElroy just took a penalty for not dropping properly for an unplayable lie at Pebble Beach due to rule change to in 2023. Some rule changes go towards speeding up the game. Remember to always play Ready Golf! I won’t go into huge detail in this issue, but below is a list of most of the more important rules that may come into play most often. In future issues, we may choose 1 rule to go into in more detail. You can download the App USGA Rules of Golf that has lots of helpful videos too.
(TBD vol. 24.1)
The Blathering Duffer is Lady Links very own newfangled newsletter. This will be a fairly short discourse on golf topics that may be of interest to our members. Topics will include Rules, Etiquette, Equipment, game improvement strategies, course info, course strategy, golf statistics, scoring formats, fun games to play on the course and more. Pose a question to our fearless leader, Vicky, and she’ll pass on the query for us to answer. There will be a team of newsletter writers who will probe deep into the rabbit holes looking for the best answers we can provide. TBD will be available at Lady Links Venues, Facebook, by email (if requested) and website (https://www.sandiegoladylinks.com/).
Our first topic is Rule Changes since 2019. As this golfer recently returned to golfing, I was surprised to find out there had been a lot of rule changes. Most changes came in 2019, a few more in 2021 and again in 2023. Most of 2023 changes deal with accommodations for disabled golfers. Now I know a lot of us are just social golfers and don’t pay much never mind to rules, but as your game improves and the more you play the more you may want to know what is the actual rule for…. When your ball lands in an animal hole what do you do and is there a penalty? (Drop 1 club length from the nearest point of relief with NO Penalty) These rule changes even catch out the pros as Rory McElroy just took a penalty for not dropping properly for an unplayable lie at Pebble Beach due to rule change to in 2023. Some rule changes go towards speeding up the game. Remember to always play Ready Golf! I won’t go into huge detail in this issue, but below is a list of most of the more important rules that may come into play most often. In future issues, we may choose 1 rule to go into in more detail. You can download the App USGA Rules of Golf that has lots of helpful videos too.
- Search time-Reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes
- Ball moved during search-Replace NO Penalty
- Embedded Ball-Free relief anywhere through the course (old was only in the fairway or green)
- Measuring a drop-Use longest club not the putter. (NO Belly Putters for this!)
- Dropping-Drop from knee height rather than shoulder
- Taking stance on wrong green is not permitted (If you hit your ball to another green and need to hit back, you must drop off that green to hit back, see rule 13.1.f)
- Ball Unintentionally hits player or equipment-No Penalty
- Double hit-No Penalty, counts as 1 stroke only (more likely to happen in sand or deep rough)
- Touching sand in bunker incidentally is permitted (e.g. getting in and out, still should not touch sand when taking stance or stroke)
- Loose impediments can be removed anywhere including hazards and bunkers, just don’t let your ball move
- Dropping ball out of bunker is allowed-2 stroke penalty (If bunker is unplayable due to conditions there is another rule) So if you suck at bunker play like me, you can move your ball out of and behind the bunker in line with the hole and just take a 2 stroke penalty. Then go get lessons to learn how to get out next time. ;-)
- Water Hazards are now called Penalty Area. The term Hazard has been removed and Penalty Area is now used for both yellow and red marked areas. Slightly different rules for taking relief from red vs yellow Penalty Areas. Talk later on this!
- Touching ground (grounding the club) in Penalty Area-No Penalty
- Ball moves on Green after being marked-replace ball, No Penalty
- Ball accidentally moved on Green-Replace, No Penalty (Applies to a practice swing accidentally hitting the ball)
- All damage on Green can now be repaired. (Do not try to improve natural lie of the green!)
- Positioning a club for alignment is not permitted
- Caddie assisting with alignment is not permitted
- Putting with flagstick in hole is Permitted
- Ball wedged against flag stick and side of hole is deemed as holed
- On the Tee-Ball is not deemed in play until stroke is made-accidental movement of ball does not count as a stroke, re-tee No Penalty.
- Removing loose impediments on the green-you may now use a towel or glove to brush aside No Penalty.
- Note: Sand on the Green is a loose impediment and may be brushed aside, but sand on the fringe is part of the lie of the course and may not be brushed aside.