Foremost flipped the chip high into the air to determine honors in a recent match play competition at BMCC. “What happened to that obnoxious coin”, asked a grinning JS who had immediately noticed F was not using his prized Silver Dollar Trump coin. “Was it impeached?”

The teeing ground conversation then turned to handicaps. EC told F to quit referencing the GHIN system with a hard “G” as in Gimmee”, when the correct pronunciation of GHIN is “Gin” with a soft “G”. F argued that this pronunciation made no sense as the “G” in “GHIN” stood for “Golf”. They continued this debate for a couple of minutes until EC suggested they seek a Ruling on the proper pronunciation.

As this group had requested and received a first tee Ruling in its previous outing, however, all finally agreed that asking for a Ruling again at this time was probably not a good idea. (For the record, EC was correct).

Facts: To the Trenches

From the day’s outset, it was clear to all that the issue of the day would center on the “edging grooves” cut into the turf around many of the Putting Greens. These trenches were about a foot and half wide, and cut for later sodding, which trenching and sodding F understands is necessary to prevent encroachment of other grasses onto the putting greens. Unfortunately, the trenches were catching quite a few balls, and they were characterized by lips which were just too deep to putt out of or over.

Foremost quickly advised that the trench work was “ground under repair”, an “Abnormal Course Condition” which would require players who wished to take relief, to drop taking nearest relief, no closer to the hole. That is “bull….”, F’s group responded collectively, as this requirement meant players would have to drop behind and chip over any trench, when in the absence of a trench, the players would be putting that same shot 100% of the time. Nevertheless, the group grudgingly complied.

The miscues started to pile up on almost every hole as players faced short-sided or downhill chips instead of relatively easy putts.(The greenskeeper had to be enjoying his pin placements!). F finally stopped the trench-bleeding with a long two-putt for a bogey, net par, on the 7th hole. “How come you got to drop on the green and putt?”, asked opponent EC, who thought he had won the hole with a par.

F pointed out that due to the circumference of the green where his ball was trenched, his nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole, allowed him to drop on the green. EC was none too pleased with this explanation, but he shrugged it off after examining the drop point with F.

On the 9th hole it was EC’s turn to take relief from the trench. (He had a simple uphill two-putt for a par). He dropped on the green as well, and asked F to confirm his drop. F said he thought it was closer to the hole, but that he would certainly defer to EC’s judgment on that issue. F noted, however, that unlike F’s relief on Hole 7, EC would not be able to take complete stance relief from the Abnormal Course Condition of the GUR unless he stood on the putting green with the ball behind his back foot as he lined up his putt.

EC stared back at F with what might be described as a Pelosi-SOTU- look. He muttered something indecipherable, and quickly dropped his ball behind the trench ending the discussion. He then precipitously stubbed his chip shot back into the trench, from which point he precipitously bladed his ball on the next chip past the hole racing it into the trench on the far side of the green, from which point he precipitously stubbed another chip, finally picking up for his Net Double Bogey 6. EC was not a happy camper.

F began to sense that his polite recommendations on relief from an ACC, recommendations which were intended to be helpful, were instead sowing general disgust and confusion. He decided to stop in at the turn and ask the Committee to clarify the Rule respective to relief…

Ruling

The Committee consulted the Rules and advised F that he was absolutely correct in two respects: first, that a player who wishes to take relief from a trench must take nearest “complete” relief (including stance relief); and second, that the drop must be “no nearer” the hole. (R16.1b). F was feeling pretty good about his understanding of the Rule so far.

Unfortunately, however, the Committee advised further that the Relief Area defined under the Rule was restricted to the General Area. In other words, F’s “no closer” drop onto the Putting Green on Hole #7 was an illegal drop. F had played from a “Wrong Place” and should have incurred the General Penalty, Loss of Hole. (R16.1 referencing R14.7a).

(F notes that a Committee could adopt Model Rule F19 for “edging grooves” relief, but this Local Rule seems to offer only the same relief as the Rule. Could the Committee establish “drop zones” by Local Rule on the putting green during this repair work?).

Facts: Ready Golf

Merrily, the group proceeded to the back nine. On the 11th hole, F placed a soft, delicate pitch over the edge of the green-side trench leaving his ball on the lip of the cup for a tap-in par, net birdie … a brilliant shot. EC, perhaps still smarting somewhat from his misfortunes on Hole #9, politely asked F to cancel and replay his shot, as his own partner JS had not played and was out (factually correct), with the result being that F had played out-of-turn. (R6.4a(2)).

F’s partner, Sandwich, began vehemently contesting this demand, stating that the group had previously agreed to play “ready-golf”. EC countered that while ready-golf courtesies had been extended selectively (as they must, he implied, when playing with Sandwich), they had not been extended or agreed upon as a general rule for the day. F thought this argument was well-stated and convincing, and he agreed to replay his shot, which he did less skillfully on his second attempt with his pitch shot just barely holding the green. F then ran his first putt four feet past the hole leaving himself a tricky come-backer for a bogey.

EC then faced a downhill two-putt for a par and a certain halve (as he was giving F a stroke). His first putt ran three feet past the hole. F watched silently as EC approached his ball, lined it up, and stroked it in. After the putt was made, F advised EC that he would need to cancel and replay that shot, as he had putted out of turn (factually correct) as F still had his 4-footer.

F made his putt. EC defiantly refused to putt again, stating that he had the right after his first putt to continue putting. He proceeded to the next tee. F declared he would be seeking a Ruling on this issue as he believed EC had played out of turn.

Issue

Does a player who is not “out” have a right to continue putting and finish a hole in match play?

Ruling

In Stroke Play, players are “both allowed and encouraged” to play out of turn in a “safe and responsible way”…”ready golf”. Examples cited include a player “holing out” when his ball is a short distance from the hole. (R6.4b(2)).

There is no allowance, however, for “ready play” or holing out in Match Play. Order of play is determined by whose ball is “out”, although to save time a player may “invite” his opponent to play first, or “agree” to the player’s request to play out of turn. (R6.4a(2), See, Exception). Clearly, no such invitation was extended or agreement reached in the case at hand.

Match Play, of course, presents its own unique sets of challenges and strategies in its head-to-head format, and F certainly had the right to require EC to wait and ponder his three-footer until it was his turn to play. The penalty for playing out of turn had to be Loss Of Hole, since EC never completed the hole after F cancelled his shot.

Aftermath

As the players relaxed at the 19th hole, a bystander jokingly asked F if he thought the weather might require an adjustment in the posted handicaps for the day under the new World Handicap System. F replied that posted scores for the day might have indeed run higher requiring an adjustment, not due to weather, but instead due to the Abnormal Course Condition of the darn “edging grooves”.

“Hah. Are you kidding?”, said the bystander. “Not in our group….we just dropped the balls on the green…”

As usual, all comments or corrections are welcome!

Respectfully submitted,

F