You must never use a non-conforming club

Once in a while I receive questions from readers of this column on the Rules of Golf.

Most of the questions are a reflection of the discussions going on at clubhouses or happening on the golf course. I reckon that they will benefit a number of golfers. Here are a few of your questions.

Morning… We had an interesting discussion with the pro in my club. He says if a bunker is half flooded, as many are at the moment, then one must take relief in the section of the bunker that is dry — even if the relief taken is nearer the pin. The idea being relief must be taken in the hazard/bunker. I assumed, as most would have, that one would have to drop outside the bunker as anywhere in the bunker is closer to the pin. Your take Mwalimu?

Regards, David

Dear David,

If your ball lies in casual water in a bunker, then you may take relief and drop at the nearest point of relief within the bunker that is not nearer the hole. If there is no dry spot in the bunker, you may choose to drop the ball in an area that has less water as long as you don’t go nearer the hole. You must never take relief at a point that is nearer the hole.

Alternatively, if you don’t fancy getting wet, you may drop the ball 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. Getting out of the bunker is not free. You get a one-stroke penalty.

Hi Vincent, I wasn’t able to access your previous articles online but I keep reading the new writings every Friday.

Today I have a question – which side of the club should hit the ball? I played with a senior golfer this last Saturday and when it came to putting, he used the tip of his putter to hole in the ball as he was a few inches away. I thought that this was not proper and when I asked him he said the rule is you can use any side of your club to hit the ball. Since we could not agree, we decided to ask two pros, and to my amazement, they said one can use any part of the club to hit the ball! Is this the case or are these just ball hitters who pretend to be golfers?

Regards, Maina

Dear Maina,

The Rules of Golf state that a ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club. They don’t say that you must use the “face of the club” but the “head”. For this reason, you can use the toe, the back of the club or the most conventional, the face of the club. You cannot, however, use the shaft or the grip of the club. You must never use a non-conforming club or one that is substantially damaged as this will lead to your disqualification.

Hey Vincent, quick question: In your opinion, how many strokes are you penalised if you tee up the ball, hit it and it lands on your top pocket, you then pick it out and re tee and hit the ball to the fairway? Also under what rule would you be penalised?

Regards, Alan

Dear Alan,

This is must be the most bizarre incidence that I have heard on the golf course. The player and his friends will be making fun of the shot for many years to come. The player should have been penalised 2 strokes under two separate Rules for proceeding the way he did.

When the player stopped the ball (when it miraculously ended up in his pocket), he was in breach of Rule 19-2, ball in motion deflected or stopped by player, partner, caddie or equipment. Under this Rule, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty and plays the ball as it lies or in this case, drops the ball directly below the position where the ball came to rest.

Since the player elected not to drop the ball directly below where he was standing, by going back to the last place where he had played his previous shot, he was proceeding under Rule 27-1 (Proceeding under stroke and distance). Under this Rule, a player can at any time go back to where he played his previous shot under penalty of one stroke.

Dear Vincent,

I enjoy reading your articles.

Please let me know if what is happening at my club is legal. I was recently disqualified because I did not write down my home club. I had written my correct handicap though. When I inquired, I was informed that there is a Local Rule to that effect. The captain had also recently disqualified a player because the scores on his card as recorded by his marker were different from those that he had put down as the marker on the card that he was marking.

Regards, Wanjiru

Dear Wanjiru,

The issues that you have raised seem to be happening very often nowadays. I have received similar questions from other readers. Golf committees from various clubs may establish local rules for local abnormal conditions if they are consistent with the one provided in the Rules of Golf.

A Rule of Golf must not be waived by a local rule. These “local rules” that you mention are not consistent with those provided in the Rules of Golf.

What the Rules of Golf require you to do after a game is to ensure that your scores are correct, your handicap is correctly recorded and that you and your marker have signed your card.

The committee is responsible for providing you with a scorecard, writing your name (although they may request you to do this), write the date, write the name of the competition and add up your scores. In a stableford competition, the player is responsible for the gross score. The committee’s responsibility is to work out the stableford points and add them up.

You are not required to write down your home club and by disqualifying you, your committee erred. There is also no requirement under the Rules of Golf for the marker to keep his own score. This is optional. What matters is that the player’s score is correct and that both the marker and the player have signed for it.

Any score that is written in the markers column is completely irrelevant. While it is not required, there is nothing in the Rules to stop a committee comparing a player’s score on his scorecard with the score he has kept as a marker if available.

However, any discrepancies between the two sets of scores should not on its own be used to disqualify a player. If the committee happened to compare the two sets of score and came across any discrepancies between the two sets of scores, they should consult with the competitor and his marker to check the correct score for the hole in question.

I am always happy to answer your questions. It is my hope that this will help you and other golfers understand the Rules of Golf better and enjoy this great game that we all enjoy.

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The author is a Kenya Golf Union Executive