Rule of the Month: Advice and Consent

“Life is short.  Break the Rules…” -- Mark Twain.

The above might be good advice from Twain, except when it comes to the game of golf. By offering the same advice to golfers during a round, Twain would almost be certainly breaching Rule 10, which covers preparing for and making a stroke; advice and help, and caddies.

One of the more constant debates among Rules officials is about which Rule gets broken most often by golfers. Some firmly believe it is substituting new balls on the putting green while others think it is players slyly improving their lie. Another camp holds that the Advice Rule is most often broken, whether intentionally or by accident. And I’m pretty much in the Advice camp.

But what about advice, either asked for or unwanted? Often times what seems like advice, isn’t. And what doesn’t seem like advice, often times firmly is. Which means that there is a lot of nuance in Rule 10.

So, let’s take a look at a key definition:

• Choosing a club,
• Making a stroke, or
• Deciding how to play during a hole or round.

• The location of things on the course such as the hole, the putting green, the fairway, penalty areas, bunkers, or another player’s ball,
• The distance from one point to another,
• Wind direction, or
• The Rules.”

1. In stroke play, during play of a hole, Player A asks Player B, a player that is not their partner, how to play a difficult chip shot, and B responds with a few tips. Only Player A gets the general penalty.
2. In a match between Player A and Player B, a caddie is carrying both players' bags. Before making a stroke, A asks the caddie what club B just used from about the same location. Player A gets a one-stroke penalty.
3. In both match and stroke play, during a suspension of play or between rounds, a player may give or ask for advice from other players without penalty.
4. In stroke play, Player A suggests to Player B, whose ball lies in very difficult conditions in the general area, that they should take unplayable ball relief Rule (19.2). Since information about the Rules is not considered advice, there is no penalty,
5. In stroke play, Player A is unhappy with the result of his tee shot on a par three shot and blurts out “I can't believe my 6-iron came up short.” Because a player in the group has yet to play from the teeing area, Player A gets the general penalty for offering advice.
6. ln stroke play, a player gets unsolicited advice from spectators (or in the case of junior golf, advice from a parent). The player does not get a penalty because of the advice.
7. A player's ball is on the putting green. Their caddie shows the line of play by pointing at it with the flagstick, and in doing so touches the putting green with the flagstick. The player gets one penalty stroke.
8. Player A’s tee shot comes to rest near some blackberry bushes. Because the player’s legs will be scratched in taking a normal stance, he decides to lay a towel over the brambles. The player is permitted to use the towel in this manner. 

1. False. Rule 10.2a. In this case, both players will get the general penalty. The Rule prohibits a player from asking anyone for advice, other than the player’s caddie or partner. The Rule also prohibits a player from giving advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course.
2. False. Rule 10.2a and Clarification 10.2a/1. There is no penalty in this situation. If a caddie is being shared by more than one player, any of the players sharing may seek information from the caddie, even information about what club the other player just used to make a stroke.
3. True. Rule 10.2a. The prohibitions on giving or asking for advice do not apply before a round, while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a or between rounds in a competition.
4. False. Rule 10.2a and Clarification Advice/3. Be careful here as A gets the general penalty regardless of the eventual play of B.  While public information, such as the Rules of Golf, yardages, or the location of penalty areas, are not considered advice, suggestions that might influence a another’s player play is advice.  Telling another player the mechanics of a Rule, versus suggesting they use a Rule, are two completely different scenarios. While this answer might seem murky at first glance, the key point to remember is that Rules generally fall into two categories – those that are intent based and those that are outcome based.  Because Player A in this question is trying to get Player B out of a tough situation by suggesting how to play the hole, they breach the Rule, even if Player B doesn’t follow through on the suggestion.
5. False. Rule 10.2a.  Much like the prior question, this is an intent based scenario. Player A’s outburst is treated as a casual comment because he was speaking out of anger because of the result of the shot and was not intentionally trying to influence the play of others.
6. True. Rule 10.2a and Clarification 10.2a/2.  However, if the player continues to get advice from the same person, the player must try and stop that person from giving advice. If the player does not do so, they are treated as asking for that advice and get the general penalty under Rule 10.2a.
7. False. 10.2b(1). There is no penalty as the Rule does not prohibit the touching of the green in pointing out the line of play, providing the touching does not improve anything. Also, please note that while a stroke is being made, the caddie is prohibited from standing in a position that would give something for the player to play towards or to do anything else that would provide such help, such as pointing out a spot on the ground.
8. False. Rules 10.2b(5), 8.1a and Clarification 10.2b(5)/2. A player is not allowed to improve the conditions affecting the stroke and use of the towel as described in the question would breach Rule 8.1a. However, a player is allowed to wear protective clothing and the towel may be wrapped around a player’s body or legs to protect them from the thorny brambles.