As we swing into spring golf season, it might not be a bad idea
to make this the year you
”
play by the rules.
”
After all, how can you fairly judge your progress as a golfer if
you aren’t counting your strokes properly?
As we swing into spring golf season, it might not be a bad idea to make this the year you “play by the rules.” After all, how can you fairly judge your progress as a golfer if you aren’t counting your strokes properly? I could spend this entire page on the rules of golf, but today let’s just talk about two of the most abused or misunderstood rules.
1. Out of Bounds:
All courses have those ugly white stakes or fence lines, which mark out of bounds. First, play is prohibited from out of bounds. As an example, you can’t go into the pasture at hole No. 2 or 3 at Gavilan, or No. 4 at Gilroy Golf Course, and hit the ball back into the fairway. If your ball goes out of bounds, you must drop a ball at the spot you hit the original one from and hit again. It is a two-stroke penalty – one stroke plus hitting the ball again equals two. You never go where the ball went out of bounds and drop one there.
2. Lost ball:
If you think you might not find your ball after a shot, you should hit a “provisional ball” from the spot where you hit the original. Then, if you can’t find your original, you can go directly to your provisional and play it, not having to waste time to walk back to hit another. The good thing about this provisional rule is if you happen to mishit your provisional ball, you can hit it again and again until you get to the spot where you think your original might be. If you find the original, play it. If not, play the provisional ball and add one stroke to your score plus every time you have hit the provisional.
For more information about all rules and decisions, pick up a USGA rule book.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
