LWGA 9 Hole league Rules - Etiquette & Tips

GIMME PUTTS:   (Following rule was adopted by LWGA 9-hole league on April, 2007)

The only time a Gimme putt cannot be used is during a tournament!!

A gimme putt is a putt that is 12” or less to the edge of the cup.  To be eligible to use a gimme putt, your putter must be marked by one of the golf pros at either LaFortune or South Lakes golf course.  To measure, rest the head of your putter inside the edge of the cup and if your ball is within the 12", then pick up your ball.  This is meant to speed up play.  Be sure to count the "gimme" as a putt on your scorecard.

If your putt is within the 12", you can say "that's a gimme" or another member of your group can say "that's good,"  and you may still attempt the putt.  Once a putt is conceded, but the player decides to make the putt for practice and misses, it is still good.  Remember, the whole point of gimme putts is to speed the pace of play, so try to limit these extra putts. 

(Rule 2-4. Concession of Next Stroke, Hole, or Match - This is a standard procedure, modeled after the Rules of Golf rule applicable to match play.)

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR GAME

PACE OF PLAY - Keep players behind you happy

       ALL GOLFERS

·         Be on time and ready to play

·         Carry extra ball and tees in your pockets

·         Keep pace with the group in front of you

·         Play “ready” golf. If two people are on opposite sides of the fairway, both can hit their balls.

·         On Tee Boxes 2 - 9,  if you are running behind, go ahead and tee off as soon as you get to the Tee Box.  We do not use “honors” on the Tee Box

·         Leave two players on the green and move on to the next Tee Box – It is not necessary for all players to remain on the green until all have putted out

·         Record your score at the next hole - Move away from the green to allow players behind you to hit

·         When you walk or ride up to the green, please go around to the back of the green with your push carts or to the side of the next hole before putting - This allows the people behind you to go ahead and hit onto the green.

·         Put your club in your bag at the next stop if your group is behind and clean clubs and put head covers on at that time if this is your routine

·         Take extra clubs around the green for pitches, chips and putts to allow your cart partner to go ahead to park the cart

·         Drop your cart partner off at her ball and proceed to yours, when feasible, or walk to your ball while your cart partner is preparing for her shot

• Take extra clubs with you to save a trip back to the cart on “Cart Path Only Days
• If you hit your ball into the water, take a quick look and if you don’t see it, drop another ball to hit and move on.  After hitting one ball into the water, you may carry the ball across and drop on the other side of the hazard.  Example, if you are lying 2, and your third shot goes in the water, count 3 in, 4 out, plus 1 to carry over.  After dropping on the other side of the hazard, you are lying 5, hitting 6.  You may try to hit over a second time dropping a ball behind point of entry, but after two balls in the water, you must carry over.
• If a player’s ball lands in a sand trap, the player could declare an unplayable lie and hit another ball from the same place before advancing.  The score would be counted the same as for a ball being hit into a water hazard – i.e., 1 in, 2 out, hitting 3.  The ball in the sand would be picked up as play progresses past the sand trap.

·         Sub-total your score on the next to last hole and be ready to total quickly when finished.  Compare your total with the person keeping the master card - This is really important if you are going on to play another 9 holes of golf.

·         Turn in score card and record Pars and Birdies after 9 holes of play, then proceed in a timely manner to next tee box. 

Sue Warner’s Rules & Etiquette 2009

To keep play moving, putt now and score later.  After completing a hole, move ahead to the next tee box before writing down your score.

The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player.  Each player should put an identification mark on her ball.

The use of cell phones on the golf course can be a distraction to the other players and should be limited to emergency calls only. 

Help your playing partners by watching the flight of their balls, especially off the tee.  Using a visual marker, such as a tree or bush, to remember where the ball landed will help your group find the ball quickly.

You may not ground your club or touch any part of the bunker with your club during set up or back swing.  This is a 2-stroke penalty. 

WHO’S AWAY?  The player who is farthest from the hole has the right to play first – even if that player is on the green and someone else is off the green.

Players should play at a good pace.  It is the group’s responsibility to keep up with the group in front, not ahead of the group behind them. 

When a player’s ball is in a hazard (sand trap), a stone lying in or touching the hazard may not be moved.

A player must hole out with the same ball that she played from the tee box unless the ball is lost or out of bounds.  (This means no substituting an old ball to get over the water!)

“Gimme” putts are not free!  They are to be counted as a stroke, the same as if the player actually struck the ball.  Also, “gimme” putts cannot be used during a tournament. 

If a ball lands in casual water (such as a puddle from rain or the sprinkler system) a player may move the ball (no closer to the hole) without penalty. 

Pat Swift’s Rules & Etiquette 2007

Rule 18-5:  If your ball is accidentally moved on the green by another player’s ball, you must replace it to its original position.

Rule 19-5: The other player plays her ball where it came to rest.

Rule 28: Unplayable Lie:  If a player deems her ball to be unplayable, one option is to drop a ball within two clubs length of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, with one-stroke penalty. 

Rule 4-4: A player must have no more than 14 clubs in her bag during a round of golf. 

Rule 19-4: If your chip shot should fall short of the hole after it hits a club of another player who left it lying half on and half off the green, neither player incurs a penalty.  It’s your responsibility to check for any obstructions.  You must play your ball where it came to rest. 

Rule 25-2: If your ball comes to rest in the fairway in mud or casual water, you may take relief by locating the nearest unsaturated area and drop, without penalty, one club-length. 

Rule 24-2:  Immovable obstruction - Definition:  anything artificial that is in bounds and is not easily moved.  Examples:  Cart paths, electric power boxes, maintenance sheds, ball washer, etc.  If your ball is on the obstruction, or stance or swing is interfered with, you may take a drop, without penalty, within one club length of the nearest point of relief.

Rule 25.1: Water in bunker - Drop the ball in the bunker without penalty.  Or drop the ball outside the bunker, in line where the ball lay, with a one stroke penalty. 

If a player’s club strikes the ball more than once in the course of a stroke, the player must count the stroke and add a penalty stroke, making two strokes in all.

Whoever finishes putting first should pick up the flag stick and be ready to put it back in the cub when the last person has holed her put.

Boundaries:  If any part of your ball touches a hazard line, it’s in the hazard.  Same goes for the putting green and tee box area.  But, a ball must be completely out-of-bounds or it’s still in bounds.

A ball is considered lost when it is not found by anyone within five minutes of searching.  The penalty for lost ball is a stroke plus distance.  If you go back to the original place the ball was struck, it is a one stroke penalty. If you drop a ball and hit from the place you thought it was lost then the distance becomes one stroke, therefore, if you do this it is a two stroke penalty.

To speed pace of play, after hitting one ball into the water, you may carry the ball across and drop on the other side of the hazard.  Example, if you are lying 2, and your third shot goes in the water, count 3 in, 4 out, plus 1 to carry over.  After dropping on the other side of the hazard, you are lying 5, hitting 6.  You may try to hit over a second time dropping a ball behind point of entry, but after two balls in the water, you must carry over.

A ball barely touching the green is on the green.

You cannot repair a divot in the fairway or rough if it is in your line of play.

To keep things moving, putt now, score later.  After completing a hole, move ahead to the next tee box before writing down your score.

Doris Jenkins’ Rules & Etiquette 2006

Question:

If there are several twosomes behind you, does a foursome have the right away?

Answer:

I talked to Pat at LaFortune and he said the two twosomes should make a foursome. But in the event that you do have more than one twosome behind you, as long as you keep moving, you should not have to let them play through.  If you let more than one twosome play through, you would be so far behind that it would not be practical.

Be on Time (arrive 30 minutes early).

If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off the tee by the player addressing it, it may be re-teed without penalty.  However, if a stroke is made at the ball, the stroke counts.

If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at the wrong ball (that is not in a hazard) he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

 PLAYING TROUBLE SHOTS:

Side Hill – Ball Above Your Feet:  Shorten grip, use open stance, play ball off right foot 

Side Hill – Ball Below Your Feet:  Stand closed to ball, close stance, play ball in center 

Uphill Lie:  Play ball forward of center, swing along slope, aim to right of target 

Downhill Lie:  Play ball back of center, aim to left of target  

Trap-Explosion:  Plant feet firmly, use a wider more open stance.  Play ball off left foot.  Hit sand an inch or two behind ball, and follow through completely 

Trap-Chip:  (When trap is shallow and ball is sitting well) Use an open stance, feet close together, play ball off right foot.  Hit ball first 

Playing Crosswind:  Change target, use one more club that usual 

Playing Downwind: Tee ball higher, use run-up shot to green, don’t pitch

Playing Headwind:  Pitch to green, use two more clubs than usual 

Playing out of Divot:  Use plenty of wrist and hit down on ball

Deep Rough:  Use from five to nine iron; don’t try to power ball