Rules

RULES OF THE GAME

 

It has come to the attention of your SIRs Branch #8 Golf Committee that many of us are misinterpreting or misapplying various rules of golf. This causes inaccurate posting of scores and creates an uneven playing field during our competitions.   In an attempt to have everyone playing the same game, we have decided to clarify some of the most miss-applied rules and to define a few, which will we call SIR LOCAL RULES.  Remember, the game of golf is the only one where a player calls penalty strokes on himself, thus, integrity and honesty are

 

  1. USGA rules apply at all times unless modified by the golf course and/or the SIRS Golf Committee.  Members of SIRS are expected to know the basic rules of golf and to turn in accurately posted scorecards.
  2. The player’s actual score for each hole should be entered on the scorecard.  Adjustments based on mainstays of the game. handicap, (stroke limits) will be made later by a member of the Committee before the scores are sent to the NCGA for handicapping.
  3. There are no “Mulligans” at any time during a round of golf.  All Mulligans are to be taken on the driving range prior to starting your round.
  4. To speed play, follow up missed putts without marking if you can do so without stepping on another player’s line.
  5. The SIR six inch bump (clean and place) will apply at all times except in a sand trap, hazard or on the green.
  6. OUT-OF-BOUNDS PENALTY. Normally, USGA rules require an out-of-bounds shot to be replayed from the point where it was originally hit, whether on the tee or from a subsequent shot down the fairway, with a penalty of ONE stroke.  If a TEE shot goes out of bounds, for example, your next shot from the tee would be your THIRD after adding a penalty stroke. Should you discover your ball to be out-of-bounds some distance down the fairway, with no provisional ball played, and you want to keep from holding up play while you go back to the original spot to re-hit, you may elect to drop a ball on the fairway, no nearer the hole, adjacent to where it went out-of- bounds.  The penalty in this case would be TWO strokes; one stroke for the out-of-bounds penalty and one stroke for the distance. You would now be hitting 4.  In the interest of faster play you are discouraged from taking the extra time to go back and replay the out-of-bounds shot.
  7. LOST BALL PENALTY. A lost ball, within the boundaries of the golf course is counted in the same manner as described for an out-of-bounds penalty in #6 above. An exception to a lost ball penalty would be in situations where a ball becomes lost in a wet, mushy area of the fairway or where another person mistakenly plays your ball. Other players in your group, however, must agree that this was the case before you may take a FREE DROP.
  8. If there is an open hole between your group and the one ahead of you, YOU ARE PROBABLY PLAYING TOO SLOW!  Walk faster, drive faster, play faster and make up the time.  You get the idea.  If the first group finishes in 4 ½ hours the last group should as well.
  9. PLAY READY GOLF.  If you can safely play your shot, without distracting a fellow player, even though someone else is further away, PLAY IT….  Don’t wait.
  10. PRE-PAY EVENTS.  Normally, green fees at courses other than Boundary Oak are to be paid for in advance by the published DUE DATE.  Your check, made payable to “SIR Branch 8 Golf”, is to be mailed to the Golf Committee Treasurer before the due date.