WATER IN BUNKER

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...

GOOD THINGS TO KNOW

Situation: You may NOT improve the lie of the ball, the stance and intended swing area, the line of play or the area for a drop.

Penalty: Two strokes

Rule: 13-2

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Situation: You may NOT test the condition of a hazard, touch the ground or the water in a hazard with your hand or a club before a stroke, or touch/move any loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.

Penalty: Two strokes

Rule: 13-4a, b and c

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Situation: A ball is struck more than once during the same swing

Penalty: Count of the stroke + one penalty

Rule: 14-4

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Situation: Playing a moving ball

Penalty: Two Strokes

Rule: 14-5
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Situation: The ball falls of the tee while addressing

Penalty: No penalty - re-tee

Rule: 11-3

WHAT IF...

Greetings,

As promised, the BLOG winter will discuss golf situations and the the rules that address them.

A member emailed about a situation she encountered that she had never had happen before and the remedy.

What do you do when your ball lands so close to another ball that you can't take your next shot without hitting the other ball?

We all know that on the green, both players mark their balls and continue to putt out. But, if your are anywhere but on the green, USGA says:

22-2. Ball Interfering with Play

Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that another ball might interfere with his play, he may have it lifted.

A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned, unless it lies on the putting green (see Rule 21).

In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball.

Note: Except on the putting green, a player may not lift his ball solely because he considers that it might interfere with the play of another player. If a player lifts his ball without being asked to do so, he incurs a penalty of one stroke for a breach of Rule 18-2a, but there is no additional penalty under Rule 22.

Playing the Ball as it Lies on the Course

*You must play the ball as it lies. You may not move it to a better spot.

*You may not improve your lie by pressing down behind the ball. The club may be grounded only lightly behind the ball.

*You may not improve the area of your intended swing or line of play by bending or breaking anything growing, such as tree limbs or weeds.

*In a hazard you may not touch the sand, ground or water with the club before or during your backswing.

*In a hazard you may NOT remove loose impediments such as leaves, twigs or other natural things. You MAY remove obstructions such as bottles, rakes or other artificial objects.

TO MAKE PLAYING THE BALL AS IT LIES NOT EASIER, PLEASE FILL YOUR FAIRWAY DIVOTS WITH SAND, and REPAIR BALL MARKS ON THE GREEN. IF YOU FIX YOURS AND ONE OTHER, SOON THE COURSE WILL BE IN TIP TOP SHAPE!!!!

FAQ Forum

We have been asked "When I check my handicap on the UGA computer at Sun Hills, it appears that all of my scores haven't been posted. What's going on?".

Answer: When you go into the area on the UGA computer to check your handicap, the only scores you will see are those that are actually 18 hole scores, or those 9 hole scores that have combined to make 18 holes. In order to see all the scores, you need to go into "Peer Review". This choice is located on the bottom left of the main screen of the computer. Then you can find your name or enter your UGA number and check all the scores posted for you.

Hopefully, this helps!

CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER PLAYERS

USGA states:

• Players should always show consideration for other players on the course and should not disturb by moving, talking or making unnecessary noise during a shot.
• Players should ensure that any electronic device taken onto the course does not distract other players. Please set your cell phones to vibrate or better yet turn them off.
• On the teeing ground, a player should not tee her ball until it is her turn to play.
• Players should not stand close to or directly behind the ball or directly behind the hole when a player is about to play.
• On the putting green, players should not stand on another player's line of putt or, when she is making a stroke, cast a shadow over his line of putt.
• Players should remain on or close to the putting green until all the players in the group have holed out.

CARE OF THE COURSE

BUNKERS: Before leaving a bunker, players should carefully smooth over all holes and footprints made by them and any nearby that were made by others. If a rake is within reasonable proximity, the rake should be used for this purpose.

BALL MARKS/DIVOTS: Players should carefully repair any divot holes made by them and any damage to the putting green made by the impact of a ball (whether or not made by the player herself).

UNNECESSARY DAMAGE: To avoid causing damage to the hole, players should not stand too close to the hole and should take care during the handling of the flagstick and the removal of a ball from the hole. The head of a club should not be used to remove a ball from the hole.

Players should not lean on their clubs when on the putting green. This is particularly true when removing the ball from the hole.

Signs limiting the movement of golf carts should be strictly observed. Golf carts should never be driven on the fringe of a green or between bunkers and putting greens. If a player needs special accommodation, they should consult with course management and abide by the course regulations.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to the USGA, a female bogey golfer "is a player who has a course handicap of approximately 24 on a course of standard difficulty. She can hit tee shots an average of 150 yards and reach a 280-yard hole in two shots".

FAQ Forum

As a result of all the rain we have been getting, let's talk about something that we might encounter during our round of golf...Casual Water.

Casual Water is defined as any temporary puddle of water, caused by rain or over-watering, that is visible before or after the player takes her stance. If your ball or stance is in casual water, you may either play the ball as it lies, or find the nearest place no closer to the hole that gives you relief and drop the ball within one club-length of that place. There is no penalty.

Soft, mushy earth is NOT casual water unless water is visible on the surface before or after you take your stance. You cannot step all around the ball to force up water on the surface.

If a bunker contains casual water, you may drop the ball in the bunker at a place that provides maximum available relief (in 1 inch of water rather than 5 inches) without penalty.

Or, with a one-stroke penalty, you may drop the ball outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and where the ball is dropped. There is no limit on how far behind the bunker you may drop the ball.

Carry on and have a great game!!!

Golf Cart Etiquette:

• Don't park your cart on one side of the fairway and walk to your ball on the other side. Park close enough that it won't interfere with your partner's or your swing.
• If your ball and your cart partner's are close to the same distance, but across the fairway from each other, park in the center and each walk to your ball. It will save time!
• Please don't drive your cart forward if someone else in your group is addressing their ball.
• Before you drive into an adjacent fairway, please make sure that you are no interfering with someone else's shot.
• If an area is roped off, don't drive there.
• Please keep carts behind the cart signs near the greens.
• Unless you have a handicap flag, please park your cart on the cart path when you go to putt and not anywhere around the green.

**If you have any questions or comments on Golf Cart Etiquette, please feel free to comment!

Good Afternoon!

One of our members asked "if their regular foursome plays without guests on June 10th are they eligible for the play of the day".

Yes, you are. You will pair-off and play the 2 women scramble at 5:30. If for some reason there are just 3 of you, then let one of the Board know and we will put you down as a 3-women scramble. The only time you wouldn't be eligible is if you don't do the 5:30 shotgun with the rest of the league.

Thanks for the question!

Q: Who should hit first or has "honors"?

A: The person who is further from the hole, whether on or off the green, has "honors". However, in most non-professional cases, the "ready golf" term could apply. This means that, even if you are closer to the hole and you won't interfere with others in your group, if you are ready to hit please do so.

This is the type of golf we like to see played on the Sun Hills Ladies Association. This way we can keep the pace of play moving and not cause back-ups.

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Q: When do you let the group behind you "play through"?

A: If you are keeping up with the group in front of you, then keep playing in the order you were sent out.

However, if you have an empty hole in front of you and the group behind is waiting for you, please let them play through. It will make for a more pleasant experience for everyone.

Good Morning Ladies!

We on the Board have been putting our heads together to come up with ways to make this BLOG work for the league. The one thing that we unanimously identified was to use it as a "GOLF TIPS, ETTIQUITE, and Q & A FORUM".

There are always questions of various types that are asked and answered during the season that everyone doesn't get to hear. So we are going to create a FAQ Forum and address these issues in the BLOG. We will go to Golf Professionals, UGA or other sources to find answers.

You will be able to find/read/review past posts under the label "FAQ Forum". If you have any questions you would like us to address please leave a comment on this or any other "FAQ Forum" post. We won't use names so don't let that be a deciding factor.

We hope you will enjoy this new feature!