2024 USGA RULES OF GOLF APPLY EXCEPT AS MODIFIED BY THE FOLLOWING:

 

GROUND UNDER REPAIR: (Rule 16.1) Defined by white-circled lines/areas.

 

OUT OF BOUNDS: (Rule 18.2) Defined by inside edges at ground level of white-stakes, fence-posts or lines. The clubhouse area, maintenance area and the parking lots are of bounds. The area to the right of the cart path by the 18th Green is Out of Bounds. The area left and behind 9th Green is Out of Bounds.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS AND LOCAL RULES: (Rule 16.1) White-lined areas tying into cart paths have same status as cart paths – that of immovable obstructions and considered one single abnormal course condition. All artificially - surfaced roads, sides of roads and cart paths, stakes and guide wires supporting trees (not the trees themselves), tagged trees, poles, buildings, bridges and bridge supports (except in a water hazard) exposed pipe lines, protective fences, steps leading into bunker and drainage trenches (French) with stones - Nearest point of Complete Relief, no closer to hole; no penalty.  Wood chips and mulch AT THE BASE OF TREES are LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS, NOT OBSTRUCTIONS, and the player does not get free relief from wood chips and mulch at the base of trees, but may move/remove the woodchips. If a player's ball lies in a newly-sodded area or touches a sod seam, the player may, without penalty, lift the ball and clean it.  The player may drop a ball within a one club length relief area from the nearest point of complete relief from the newly sodded area, and the ball must be dropped in the general area.

 

MODEL LOCAL RULE: F-5 is in effect, allowing relief from immovable obstructions close to putting greens. The local rule providing line of play relief from immovable obstructions close to the putting green is in effect. 

“Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be taken under Rule 16.1.

The player also has these extra options to take relief when such immovable obstructions are close to the putting green and on the line of play:

 

BALL IN GENERAL AREA: The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if an immovable obstruction is:

Exception – No Relief If Line of Play Clearly Unreasonable. There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.

 

PENALTY AREAS (Rule 17): Defined by YELLOW or RED stakes and/or lines (Lines Prevail). Stakes and/or lines are in the penalty area and the edge extends vertically upwards and downwards. Penalty area stakes are movable obstructions. If a player's ball is in or is lost in a RED penalty area, the player must either: (1) Play the ball as it lies inside the penalty area, OR (2) Proceed under a penalty of one stroke under RULE 17.1 and drop a ball outside the red penalty area.

 

(YELLOW PENALTY AREAS) – There are NO YELLOW penalty areas on the course. ALL PENALTY AREAS ARE RED PENALTY AREAS.

 

(RED PENALTY AREAS) – In addition to the bodies of water that are on the course, ANY & ALL UN-MOWN/UN-MAINTAINED AREAS ARE TO BE PLAYED AS RED PENALTY AREAS, the edge (margin) of which is where the edge of the regular bluegrass rough or the edge of the bunkers meet the edge of the un-mown/un-maintained areas, whether on the perimeter of a body of water or not. The mown cut-through paths within the un-mown/un-maintained areas are considered part of the RED penalty area. If a player's ball is in a RED penalty area, the player does NOT get relief from an embedded ball or any abnormal course condition, nor can the player declare a ball in a penalty area to be “UNPLAYABLE.” A player must NOT play a provisional ball solely because it might be in an un-mown/un-maintained area.

 

SUSPENSION OF PLAY: In case of inclement weather, a temporary suspension of play will be signaled by one long blast of a siren and PLAYERS MUST DISCONTINUE PLAY AT THAT TIME … INCLUDING PRACTICE AREAS, UNTIL THE COMMITTEE DECLARES THEM RE-OPENED.

 

RESUMPTION OF PLAY: A resumption of play will be signaled by three short blasts of a siren.

 

RESOLVING RULES ISSUES DURING ROUND:

Players must not unreasonably delay play when seeking help with the Rules during a round.  If a referee or the Committee is not available in a reasonable time to help with a rules issue, the players must decide what to do and play on.

 

20.1b – Rules Issues in Match Play

(1) Deciding issues by agreement.  During a round, the players in a match may agree how to decide a Rules issue:

 

The agreed upon outcome is conclusive even if it turns out to have been wrong under the Rules, so long as the players did not deliberately agree to ignore any rule or penalty they knew applied (see Rule 1.3b(1)).  In the absence of a referee, if the players do not agree or have doubt about how the Rules apply, either player may request a ruling.

 

Once the result of a match has been officially announced, a claim may not be considered by the Committee.

 

Contact the golf shop at 414-258-4870 for all rulings that need attention on the golf course.  Please remember all rulings must be resolved in match play before teeing off on the next hole.