LadyHawks/Local Rules Update

The USGA Rules of Golf govern play

Local Rules

  1. All Local Rules printed on the RedTail Golf Course scorecards shall apply to all play, including tournaments.
  2. Distance measuring devices may be used in tournaments and Day’s Play without penalty if other information that would aid the player such as slope or weather conditions are not accessed. 
  3. The goose poop rule.  If a ball lands in or “dangerously near”, you may pick up, clean, and place your ball one club length, no closer to the hole.
  4. Through the green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not closer to the hole.  The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.  On the putting green, the ball may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation.
  5. In a Bunker Local Rule:  If the bunker has considerable deep footprints or other damage and your ball lies within that damage, you may place the ball within 11” of where it lies in the bunker at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole without penalty. 
  6. Lost Ball - Determine where your ball went out of bounds or area lost.  Find the nearest fairway edge, no closer to the hole and drop within 2 club lengths of that relief spot (this includes dropping in the fairway).  2 stroke penalty OR go back to original spot and hit again with a 1 stroke penalty.
  7. Hole #4 – left side of the tee area to the left approach of the fairway, the tall grass is considered red staked penalty area. If your ball lands there, follow the penalty area rules. You can either play it as it lies, or drop a ball within two club lengths from where the ball crossed into that area, no nearer the hole, adding one penalty stroke.
  8. Hole #12 – right side of fairway, the tall grass is considered red staked penalty area. If you are virtually certain the ball landed within the tall grass, drop a ball within two club lengths of the tall grass area, no nearer the hole. This will likely still be in the rough. One penalty stroke.
  9. New water drop areas on 3, 7, and 11 – one penalty stroke
  10. Hole 7 – PUMP HOUSE - If it is virtually certain that your ball went into that Ground Under Repair, play the ball as it lies, or you have this choice for FREE Relief:
    1. if you find where the ball went in, determine the closest point of relief. It can be either to the right or to the left or to the back in the line WITH the flag.  (if you can’t find the ball, use your best estimate of the location). 
    2. If taking free relief to the right or left of the pump house: put a tee down at that point and drop a ball within one club length.
      1. If taking free relief on back of line of the flag: determine the point of nearest relief and drop a ball on a spot that keeps the spot of the original ball between the hole and that spot.  You have one club length in any direction from the spot where the ball first touches the ground when dropped. If your ball rolls further than one club length, re-drop the ball. 
    3. For ONE penalty stroke, using the nearest point of relief either to the right or left of the pump house area, place a tee and drop a ball within two club lengths.
    4. For ONE penalty stroke, on back of line with the flag, as far back as you want, you can drop a ball on a spot that keeps the spot of the original ball location between to flag and that spot. You have one club length, in any direction, from that spot where the ball first touches the ground when dropped. If your ball rolls further than one club length, re-drop the ball.

Preferred Lies

  1. When “Winter Rules” are in effect and your ball is in the general area through the green, you may mark your ball, lift, clean, and place your ball once. In the closely mown areas, no more than one club length and no closer to the hole. In the rough no more that 6”, no closer to the hole. When it lies within 36 inches of the base of a tree or boundary line, or in a penalty area, “Lift, Clean and Place” does not apply. The ball cannot be moved under this rule. Movement of the ball would fall under unplayable rule.
  2. Cleaning the ball due to course conditions may be done anywhere on the course through the green, including the rough but not penalty areas. You must first mark, then you may lift, clean, and replace your ball in the original lie.  "The player may not take relief under this Local Rule if interference by anything other than the condition covered by this Local Rule makes the stroke clearly impracticable. "
  3. Embedded Ball rule: A ball may be dropped within one club length no nearer the hole where known or virtually certain the ball came to rest not in a penalty area nor out of bounds. No Penalty.
  4. If the ball lies in standing water IN A BUNKER, free drop IN THE BUNKER no closer to the hole.
  5. In a Bunker with Deep Damage, with One Stroke Penalty. (Rule 16.1c #2) If there is considerable deep damage in the bunker, with a one stroke penalty you may drop the ball outside the bunker straight back from the hole through the spot of your original ball with no limit on how far back on the line you may go.