(1) Facts: A Confession

Foremost was hammering away at golf balls on the range the other day when he was approached by Reader SM who said he had been losing sleep over his failure to timely self-report a violation in BMCC’s recent Scottish Day match-play competition.

“That is sad to hear”, said F. “I’m sure this will haunt you for years”, F added. “So, what happened?”

SM explained that he had been in a green-side bunker, when his opponents had conceded the hole, as they had been in water and out-of-bounds, etc. He said he gone ahead and played his bunker shot before moving on to the next hole, and that although he had thought nothing of the incident initially, as the round progressed it had occurred to him that he might have violated the prohibition against practicing during a round.

Later that evening, SM said he had consulted his Rule Book, which had confirmed his worst fear … that his play from the green-side bunker after the concession was prohibited “practice”. SM looked visibly relieved to just share this story with someone and unload this heavy burden of guilt he had been carrying.

F pondered this situation momentarily, and advised SM that no violation had occurred.

Issue

Who was correct?

Ruling

In his review, SM had relied on R5.5b which is entitled “Restriction on Practice Strokes Between Two Holes”). This Rule states that a player may only practice putting or chipping “on the hole just completed and any practice green, and…(T)he teeing area of the next hole.” Specifically, R5.5b says such practice strokes “must not be made from a bunker”.

Accordingly, SM had concluded that by practicing from a bunker between holes (after the concession), he should have assessed himself the General Penalty (Loss of Hole), applicable to the next hole. (R5.5).

SM’s finding of a “practice” infraction, however, was incorrect. A stroke made “in playing out a hole whose result has been decided” is not a “practice stroke”. (R5.5a).

F gets one right occasionally!

(2) Facts: F’s Partner Calls Rules Violation on F

On the 4th hole of a Four-Ball match play competition at BMCC, with his partner TH in his pocket, F left a 10-foot birdie putt several inches short. Opponent PD quickly conceded F’s remaining putt and turned his attention to his own 8-foot putt for a birdie and the win. F was already walking to the hole, and he tapped his ball into the hole as he reached down to pick it up.

PD missed his putt and F breathed a sigh of relief as he and his partner, TH, remained only three-down after four holes. A rough start! As the players approached the 5th Hole teeing area, however, TH solemnly advised the group that the PD/DS team had actually won the preceding 4th hole as F had committed an infraction by holing his putt after it had been conceded.

F was stunned that his own partner had called a penalty on him! He politely disputed the the suggestion that he had committed an infraction, and the conclusion that his action had cost his team the hole.

TH was grinning triumphantly. F suddenly remembered that he had called this same penalty on a TH team a few months prior.

The prior incident was particularly messy. TH’s partner,JS, had faced a downhill 8-footer on the island green 16th hole for a birdie and the win. As TH had surveyed his own 30-footer for par along the same line, F had conceded his putt. TH had putted anyway, at which point F had advised his opponents that JS’s score could no longer count for the hole. As F recalls, tempers had flared somewhat, particularly when F had added ….a final insult … that JS’s score could not count for carry-over team greenies as well.

So partners be danged….this was a simple case of revenge!

Issue

Is it an infraction to hole a conceded putt in four-ball match play?

Ruling

Not always. It’s a violation to continue play of a hole after a concession only if the stroke “would help his or her partner”. If the conceded stroke might help the partner, and the player continues play, the conceded stroke and score would stand without penalty, and the partner’s score would not count for the side. (R23.6 “Sides Order of Play”).

In the case at hand, however, F’s stroke was not assisting his partner, TH, (who had completed the hole anyway). F’s score for the hole would stand.

The players teed off in agreement that the PD/DS side was three holes up.

Issue

The more perplexing issue for F in retrospect (one which kept him awake later that night) was whether his partner TH had conceded the hole. Clearly, TH had advised the opposing team that they had won the hole as they stood on the 5th tee, and a concession cannot be withdrawn! (R3.2b).

-Was this declaration by TH, even if misinformed, tantamount to a “concession”?

Ruling

A “hole” can be conceded only “before” the hole is completed (R3.2b, referencing R6.5 “Completing Play of a Hole”). Accordingly, F finds that while the partners and sides might have had a Rules dispute as to the status of the hole, this dispute was not one that could be resolved by a concession, as the hole had been completed.

Unresolved Issue

Assuming F’s partner, TH, and his opponents had all agreed that F’s action had cost his side the hole (a 3-1 vote), would a Committee entertain a Ruling request by a player (F) against his own partner? Hmmm…..

A Commentary

Many of us will soon find ourselves with extra time on our hands due to travel and other restrictions imposed on society in response to the Coronavirus. (Let’s hope golf courses aren’t closed!) In any event, F may have time to read a book!

F appreciates that this is an esteemed and learned group (with the exception of the Yank), and so he would like to invite Readers, if so inclined, to share recommended readings in Comments to the blog. This might be a fun and interesting exercise.

A F recommendation for starters: “Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers” by Brian Kilmeade. Pretty good.

F has, also, been watching a lot of bad movies instead of golf tournament reruns. Mrs. F caught him one night and now sings out “GUNFIGHTER” upon his approach, which was one of these memorable movie titles she heard in song as she passed by.

She missed F’s favorite movie title, however, which F has decided to adopt as his 2020 golf theme….the Netflix classic…”Kill Them All and Come Back Alone”.

As usual, all questions or comments are welcome!

Respectfully submitted,
F