Hello and welcome to the Indiana Golf 2024 rules presentation my name is Nathan Nichols Peterson and I’m this year’s new Junior program coordinator with the Indiana Golf office I’d like to highlight our pace of play initiative which includes the importance of playing ready golf playing two balls when you’re unsure about a
Certain scenario preparing for your shot efficient pre-shot routines and also taking multiple clubs when you’re indecisive on which one to hit this rues presentation will cover the most frequent rule situations and the relief options for each one this includes properly dropping a ball abnormal course conditions movable obstructions loose impediments embedded
Ball and unplayable ball bunkers lost ball or out of bounds ball searching provisional balls penalty areas ball that moves on the putting green and also the ihsaa coaching rule first let’s let’s go over correctly dropping a ball in the relief area so how to drop a ball so the ball
Must be dropped by the player straight down from knee height and in the relief area the ball must land in and stay in the relief area what the ball cannot do when you’re dropping it is strike the player equipment before it hits the ground be thrown spun rolled or dropped
In any other way to influence where the ball will come to rest and if a player does not drop it properly it does not count as one of the two drops a player must redrop the ball if it does not stay in the relief area if after a second
Drop the ball is still not in the relief area the player places the ball where the second drop struck the ground also keep in mind that when measuring the relief area the player may use the longest Club in their bag with the exception of their Putter and also note
That if the ball strikes the player or his or her equipment after it hits the ground and stays in the relief area this is a good drop if the ball moves once the player moves or moves his or her equipment the player replaces the ball with no penalty
Next let’s go over abnormal course conditions or also rule 16.1 the two fundamental principles of golf are play the ball as it lies and play the course as you find it but to make the game more fair you aren’t required to play from ground under repair temporary water animal holes or
Immovable obstructions such as cart paths and sprinkler heads these are known as abnormal Force conditions if you want to play your ball as it lies go right ahead but you are allowed to take relief without penalty here’s how first you need to determine the nearest spot no closer to the hole where the
Abnormal Force condition is no longer in your way it’s helpful to mark that spot with a t then determine the area within one Club length no closer to the hole drop your ball and play on so when determining your nearest point of relief uh from a abnormal ground
Condition the nearest point of relief is a reference point for taking free relief from the abnormal course condition a dangerous animal condition a wrong green or a no play zone also note a player must take complete relief which includes the ball area of intended swing and stance otherwise they are playing from a
Wrong place this diagram on the right also demonstrates how you would take complete relief from an abnormal course condition the first step in taking free relief from conditions such as ground under repair temporary water and immovable obstructions is to find the nearest point of complete release this is the spot either left of
Right of or behind where your ball lies that is not closer to the hole and where the condition you are taking relief from is no longer in your way you determine this spot by simulating The Stance swing and direction of play you would use to play your ball if the condition didn’t
Exist the nearest Point can be different depending on whether you are right or left-handed your height or your choice of Club Etc it’s important to remember the nearest point isn’t always the nicest point in this case the player’s nearest point of complete relief from this path
Is under the tree not to the left of the path in the clear so it’s a good idea not to lift your ball before figuring this out because sometimes the best option is to just play the ball as it Lies interference from an abnormal course condition exists when your ball touches or is in or on an abnormal course condition an abnormal course condition physically interferes with your area of intended stance or intended swing and and if your ball is on the putting green in an abnormal course
Condition on or off the putting green intervenes on your line of play you get relief however if your ball is not on the green and it intervenes with your line of play you would not receive relief when taking relief from an abnormal course condition in the genor
Area you must follow these steps first identify a reference point which is the nearest point of complete relief from that abnormal course condition next measure one Club length from the reference point which must be in the general area lastly drop in the relief area which must be in the general
Area when taking relief from an abnormal course condition in a bunker you must follow these steps identify a reference point which is the nearest point of complete relief inside the bunker if complete relief is not available the player may take relief using the ma point of Maximum relief in the bunker
But must stay in the bunker you next you measure one Club length from the reference point which must be be in the bunker and then lastly drop in the relief area that also must be in the bunker as an additional option with adding one penalty stroke for relief of
Abnormal ground conditions in a bunker a player uh may drop a ball back outside the bunker using back online relief going back as far as they wish keeping the spot where the ball was in the bunker between them and the hole relief from an abnormal course condition is not allowed when your ball
Is in a penalty area if the abnormal course condition is out of bounds it is clearly unreasonable to play the ball because of something other than an abnormal course condition or because you choose a club type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable for the
Stroke next let’s move on to movable obstructions or rule 15.2 movable obstructions can be moved anywhere on or off the course and the player also entitled to free relief if your ball moves when you move a movable obstruction there’s no penalty and you must replace the ball back to its original
Spot next are loose impediments which is Rule 15.1 in these next few slides we’ll go over the removal of loose impediments and also how the player is entitled to free relief loose impediments defined loose impediments are natural objects that are not attached to anything no longer part of something growing not solidly
Embedded in the ground and can be easily picked out of the ground also not sticking to your ball you can remove them anywhere on or off the course without penalty some common examples of loose impediments include Stones loose grass leaves branches and sticks and pine needles and pine cones other items that
Are also loose impediments include worms insects and spiders living or dead and the Mounds and webs made by them clumps of soil and sand but not loose soil or sand and animal waste and dead animals loose impediments in a penalty area may be touched or removed without penalty
This includes when your ball and the loose impediment are in the same penalty area if you move a loose impediment in a penalty area and cause your ball to move you get a penalty of one stroke and you must replace the ball loose impediments in a bunker may
Be touched or removed without penalty this includes when your ball and the loose impediment are in the same bunker if you move a loose impediment in a bunker and cause your ball to move you also get one penalty stroke and you must replace the ball back to its original
Spot next we’ll go over the embedded ball rule or 16.3 and how a player is entitled to free relief your ball is only embedded if it is in its own pitch mark made as a result of your previous stroke or if part of the ball is below the level of
The ground your ball does not necessarily have to touch the soil to be embedded please note that your ball can only be deemed embedded in the general area a player cannot take relief for an embedded ball in a bunker a penalty area or a naturally standing area in the
General area so if you look at the diagram on the right the first image shows a ball that’s embedded because part of the ball is embedded in its own pitch mark and is also below the level of the ground second image the ball is embedded despite the fact that the ball
Is not touching the soil part of the ball is embedded in its own pitch mark and it’s below the level of the ground then if you look at the last image this ball is not embedded because even though the ball is sitting down in the grass relief is not available because no part
Of the ball is below the level of the ground when taking relief for an embedded ball you drop within one Club length of the spot right behind where the ball was embedded not near the hole the relief area must be in the general area and the ball must stay in the
Relief area when you drop next we will go over the unplayable ball rule or rule 19 and how to take penalty relief sometimes your ball ends up in a place where it is impossible or difficult to play from only you can decide if your ball is unplayable you can make that decision
Anywhere on the course except for one when your ball is in a penalty area where the penalty area rule applies when deciding a ball is unplayable you have three relief options but all come with a one-stroke penalty the most frequently used option is to drop within two Club lengths of the ball
But no closer to the hole the second option is to imagine a straight line from the hole through the location of the unplayable ball choose a spot on that line behind your ball then drop and play from within one Club length of it not nearer the hole and the least frequently used
Option is stroke and distance which means you can go back to the spot where you last played there is a fourth option that only applies when you decide your ball is unplayable in a bunker more on that in the video about bunkers so when taking unplayable ball
Relief you can use the unplayable ball relief options if your ball lies in the general area in a bunker in the teeing area or on the putting green this is not an option when your ball is in the penalty area no a player cannot deem a ball unplayable in a penalty area they
Must proceed under rule 17 which is penalty area relief options your first option when taking unplayable ball relief in the general area is you can go back where the player played the shot from and drop a ball within one Club length your second option is back on line relief to where
You drop a ball in the relief area that is based on a reference line going straight back from the hole through the spot of the original ball your last option is to take lateral relief the player may choose to drop a ball within two Club lengths of of where the ball
Lies the ball also must not be closer to the hole when taking unplayable ball relief in a bunker your first option is to go back to where the player played shot from and drop a ball within one Club length second option is to keep the point where the ball lies between you
And the hole and take back on line relief player may go back as far as he or she wants but the ball must stay in the bunker you then drop a ball within one CP length of that line inside the bunker your third option is to take
Lateral relief the player may choose to drop a ball within two Club lengths of where the ball lies but the ball must not be closer to the hole and it must stay in the bunker and your final option is to keep the point where the ball lies
And take back online relief the player may go back as far as he or she wishers and drop the ball outside of the bunker you then drop a ball within one Club length of that line and the player gets an additional penalty shots which means two penalty Strokes
Total next we will go over bunkers which is Rule 12 everybody has spent time at the beach and while it can be enjoyable on the golf course most players prefer to avoid these specially prepared areas of sand called Bunkers if you happen to find yourself in a bunker make sure you don’t deliberately touch the sand to test its consistency such as with your hand a rake or a club also don’t touch the sand behind or in front of the ball or during a practice swing even if by
Accident the good news is you can move loose impediments and movable obstructions and even touch the sand with your Club elsewhere in the bunker as long as it is not to test the condition when you decide your ball is unplayable in a bunker there are several one stroke penalty options to
Consider in the bunker you can either drop within two Club Lings or go back on the line or for a two stroke penalty you can get out of the bunker by going back on the line as far as you like also going back to where you last played is an alternative under stroke
And distance It is not a penalty to touch a sand in a bunker when you dig in with your feet to take a stance for a practice swing or your next stroke lean on a club to rest to stay balance to prevent a fall place or toss your club’s equipment including
Your golf bag a rake or other objects in the bunker take actions permitted by rules such as measuring marking lifting placing Etc smooth the bunker to take take care for the course and lastly strike the sand in frustration or anger even though this is considered poor golf
Etiquette when your ball is in a bunker you get a penalty if you test the condition of the sand to learn information for your next stroke with your hand a club a rake or any other object and also if you touch a sand with a club right behind or in front of your
Ball as you make a practice swing or as you make your back swing for stroke loose impediments anywhere on or off the course may be touched or removed without penalty including when your ball and the loose and Pen are in the same bunker and if you move a loose
Impediment in a bunker and you cause your ball to move you get one stroke penalty and you must replace the ball back to its original spot next we’ll go over a lost ball and out of bounds which is R 18 we have all experienced losing a ball or hitting one out of bounds
When that happens you are penalized one stroke and must reestablish your progression of playing from the te into the hole by going back and playing again from where you last played this is called playing under stroke and distance if your previous stroke was from the tea Tee It Up Again from anywhere within
That area if your last stroke was made from the Fairway the rough a bunker or a penalty area simply go back and drop a ball within one Club length of and not nearer the hole than the spot where you last played stroking distance is your only
Option for a ball that is out of bounds or lost except when there is a local rule in effect that provides an alternative you can learn about in another video if your ball is lost or out of bounds you must play Under stroke and distance you have three minutes to
Search for your ball before it becomes lost if the search begins and is temporarily interrupted for a good reason the time between the interruption and your search resumption does not count in your 3 minutes now let’s go over the ball search which is Rule seven we’ll go over
The time allowed for a ball search properly searching for a ball and then identifying your ball under the 2019 rules there is no penalty if you accidentally move your ball while searching for it if you do replace your ball back on its original spot if you don’t know the original spot exactly
Like this player simply estimate it including how the ball was lying under the grass and replace the ball there to learn more please visit usga.org rules if a player or another person accidentally moves his or her golf ball while searching for it there’s no penalty and the ball must be
Replaced you may fairly search for your ball by taking reasonable actions to find and identify it such as moving sand and water moving bending or breaking grass bushes tree branches Etc only if such breaking is a result of other reasonable actions if reasonable actions as a part of a fair search improves the
Conditions effect ing the stroke there’s no penalty if the Improvement results from actions that exceeded what was reasonable the player gets the general two-stroke penalty now let’s go over the provisional ball which is Rule 18.3 if you hit your golf ball out of bounds or you just lose it the rules
Require you to play another one from where you last hit under the penalty of stroke and distance looking for a lost ball only to have to return to the previous spot and play the next shot take a long time and disrupt the pace of play to help with this consider playing a provisional
Ball I’m going to need to hit a provisional not only does it save time it also takes away from the uncertainty if you find your original ball inbounds within the 3 minutes search time then finish playing the hole with it and pick that provisional up but
If you can’t find it or it is out of bounds then just continue playing the provisional Ball you may play provisional ball if your ball might be out of bounds or lost anywhere other than in a penalty area it’s important to note that a player cannot hit a provisional ball for a ball hit into a penalty area when you want to play provisional ball you must follow One requirement
Before making a stroke you must announce your intention to play a provisional ball you must use the word provisional or otherwise clearly indicate that you are playing a provisional ball here are some examples that clearly indicate a provisional ball saying that I’m playing a provisional ball or saying I’m playing
A ball under rle 18.3 some examples that do not clearly indicate a provisional ball is if you say things such as I’m going to reload I’m going to play another or there’s no announcement made when to abandon your provisional ball you find your original ball within 3 minutes your provisional ball must be
Abandoned you may play your original ball or proceed under the rules or your original ball is known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area your provisional ball must be abandoned you may play your original ball or proceed under an appical option of the penalty area rule or rule
17 now let’s go over penalty areas or rule 17 penalty areas include any body of of water on the course plus any other areas that have been Marked if you happen to find your ball in a penalty area you can play your ball as it lies if possible to do so before playing the stroke it’s okay to ground your Club take practice wings that touch the ground and move loose impediments penalty areas can be marked
Either red or yellow and for one penalty stroke you have several relief options the first one is to play a ball under stroke in distance from where you made your last stroke another option is to take back on the line Relief by imagining a straight line from the hole
Through the spot where your ball last crossed into the penalty area choose a spot on that line then drop and play from within one Club length of it not nearer the hole you do have a third relief option if your ball is in a red penalty area
That allows allows you to find the spot where your ball last crossed into the penalty area and drop a ball within two Club lengths of that spot no closer to the hole also there may be an area marked as a drop zone that could be available as an additional
Option so penalty areas are any area of the course that can be marked or defined by the committee as a penalty area including areas of water such as a pond or lake densely wooded or overgrown areas and areas of tall unmaintained grasses penalty areas do not have to
Include water and the player can ground their Club take practice swings but you cannot improve the LIE of the ball the area of your stance or the area of your intended swing you may take penalty area relief when your ball lies in a penalty area or you have knowledge or virtual certainty
That your ball is in a penalty area even if you cannot find it having knowledge or virtual certainty means there is a conclusive evidence that your ball is in the penalty area or it is 95% or more likely that your ball is in the penalty area even if there is
A small degree of Doubt loose impediments in a penalty area may be touched or removed without penalty this includes when your ball and a loose impediment are in the same penalty area if you move a loose impediment in a penalty area and cause your ball to move you get a penalty of
One stroke and you must replace the ball back to its original spot the player has three relief options when it comes to a red penalty area the first option is to replay from the previous shot and drop within your relief area of one Club length your second option is to take
Back on line relief from where the ball last crossed the margin of the penalty area and drop within one Club link your last option is to take lateral relief which is relief area is two Club lengths from where the ball crossed in all options are a one-stroke
Penalty when taking relief from a yellow penalty area there are only two options compared to the red penalty area which has three the first option for yellow penalty area is to replay from your previous shot and drop within one Club length of the relief area and your
Second option is to take back online relief from where the ball last crossed the margin of the penalty area and drop within one Club length both of these options are also a one stroke penalty next let’s go over the putting green which is Rule 13 the rules allow many special
Permissions on the putting green that you don’t get anywhere Else marking lifting and cleaning your ball on the green is always permitted and while you cannot repair airation holes natural surface imperfection or any normal wear on the green there’s lots you can do it’s okay to repair most damage such as ball marks old hole plugs Spike marks and anything caused by shoes
Animals or maintenance practices all of those fixes must be done promptly and not improve your line of play beyond the repair the green is also the only place on the course where you can remove sand and loose soil and touching the green to point where you expect to aim or putt is also
Permitted so without penalty you may repair damage to the putting green caused by people animals artificial objects and natural objects a player may not repair natural imperfections or aerification holes when is a ball hold your ball is hold when it is at rest in the hole and
The entire ball is below the surface of the putting green when your ball is resting against the flag stick in the hole your ball is treated as hold if any part of the ball is below the surface of the putting green now let’s go over if a ball moves
On the putting green which is 13.1 D there’s no penalty for accidentally moving your ball or ball marker on the putting green examples of you doing this accidentally would be bumping the ball with your Club dropping the ball on the ball marker moving the ball while picking up your ball marker or kicking
The ball while repairing damage on the putting green if this happens you must replace the ball and the ball marker with no penalty if your ball on the putting green is moved by wind or no apparent cause such as gravity if you have marked lifted and replaced the ball you replace
The ball on back to its original spot with no penalty if you have not marked lifted and replaced the ball you must play that ball from the new position caused by that wind or no apparent cause with no penalty lastly let’s go over the IH s AA coaching
Rule when it comes to golf coaches giving advice during an ihsaa round during a round only one single identifiable coach from each team may give advice to their players the single identifiable coach must cease to give advice when their player steps onto the putting surface with the intention of
Marking or putting a golf ball that has come to rest on the putting surface coaches are not permitted on the green unless there is a rules question from a golfer in the group coaches are deemed outside agencies at all times therefore there’s no penalty if the coach or their
Cart are hit by a ball in motion the penalty for a coach or non-app appointed individual giving advice in violation of this rule would be a general penalty of Two Strokes per incident for the golfer also note we want to reiterate that the spirit of that rule is that coaches are
Not permitted to read putts for players in ihsaa competitions to summarize our Howard Bailey Junior golf program it’s a Statewide junior golf program reaching over 1,000 kids it has over 80 events throughout Indiana there are also individual and team events and three membership levels the prep tour which is
Ages 7 to 12 the junior tour which is ages 13 to 19 and our master’s tour which is also ages 13 to 19 if you have any questions about the rules of golf or need a ruling you can contact myself at 317 981 2973 or my email n Nichols indianagolf.org thank
You for listening to to this presentation and I’m looking forward to a great 2024 year
