By Senior Rules Officials, Pete Scholz and Terry McEvilly
June is Effective Communications Month and fitting to once again highlight what every golfer needs to know regarding when and how communication on the course must be handled. Certain Rules require a golfer to announce their intention or action and failing to do so may result in a higher than desired score for a hole. In addition to the golfer effectively communicating, the Committee in charge of the competition must properly communicate the format, terms and any Local Rules in effect for the competition. Effective communications by both parties mentioned will produce an orderly and enjoyable tournament.
So let the effective communications start right here. June is also National Accordion Awareness Month and the very first day of the month is Dare Day. So we dare anyone to bring their accordion with them to the course on the 8th of June, Best Friends Day, and see how many best friends you have left on the 9th. Please remember that consideration of others is paramount and any music played should not distract other golfers playing on the course. By the way, we salute anyone who can actually play the accordion.
June 18th is Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day to all Dads.
Test your knowledge regarding effective communications when playing golf with the following questions.
Questions: True / False
1) A player must announce to someone that they are going to play a provisional ball.
2) The Committee is required to place a flagstick in each hole to communicate the location of the hole on the putting green.
3) A player may ask anyone not playing on the course during that competition for advice provided play is not delayed.
4) In a stroke play handicap competition, the player is required to communicate their handicap by listing it on their scorecard before returning the scorecard to the Committee.
5) In match play, a player may ask their opponent for the number of strokes the opponent has taken on the hole or, after the completion of a hole, for how many strokes the opponent took to complete the hole.
6) In response to the player’s query in question #5, the opponent must communicate well by giving the correct number of strokes taken and must do so in a timely manner.
7) When a player in stroke play is uncertain regarding how to proceed, he or she may complete the hole with two balls. The player is required to announce their intentions to another player and must select which ball they wish to count.
8) When players decide to play two balls, either to correct an error of a serious breach of playing from a wrong place or when uncertain how to proceed, they must report the facts to the Committee before returning their scorecard. Failure to communicate this information results in the disqualification of the player.
9) In stroke play, a player says to another player “the wind is behind us on this hole, so be sure to land the ball short of the green”. Since wind direction is a statement of public information, there is no penalty for giving advice.
10) In match play, when a player incurs a penalty, they must inform their opponent as soon as reasonably possible, unless the opponent witnessed the action.
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Answers:
1) True. Rule 18.3b. We have placed this question first to highlight the importance of this communication. Failing to announce that a second ball played from the previous spot is a provisional ball would result in putting the second ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance. And the original ball is now a wrong ball and must not be played.
2) False. Definition of Flagstick. A flagstick is a movable pole provided by the Committee, but there is no requirement in the Rules that the Committee provide such. Rather, this volunteered communication is a gift from the Committee.
3) False. Rule 10.2a. A player is not allowed to ask for advice from anyone, other than his or her own caddie, a partner in a Foursome and Four-Ball competition, and the partner’s caddie.
4) False. Rule 3.3b(4). It is the responsibility of the Committee to calculate every player’s handicap and apply it to the player’s score. So even if the player communicates poorly and returns their scorecard with a wrong handicap, there is no penalty.
5) True. Rule 3.2d(1). This is to allow the player to decide how to play the next stroke and the rest of the hole, or to confirm the result of the hole just completed.
6) True. Rule 3.2d(1). If the player asks during play of a hole, the opponent must give the correct number of strokes taken. If the opponent gives the wrong number of strokes taken or doesn’t answer, the error may be corrected by the opponent giving the correct number of strokes before the player makes their next stroke. If the incorrect information is given after the completion of a hole, it may be corrected up until either player makes a stroke to begin the next hole. This answer does not cover every situation and this Rule can be difficult to sort out. Please see Rule 3.2d(1) for further situations when a penalty might apply when wrong information is given.
7) False. Rule 20.1c(3). There is no requirement in the Rules that the player must announce their intention to play two balls or which ball they wish to have counted in their score. However, if the player doesn’t announce which ball they wish to have counted, the Committee will determine the player’s score for the hole by following the guidelines laid out in (4) of the same Rule.
8) True. Rule 14.7b(2) and 20.1c(3). Effective communication is paramount in order to remain in the competition. In the scoring area, any Rules issues may be addressed and, in this case, must be addressed. Remaining silent is not an option.
9) False. Definition of Advice and Interpretation Advice/3. Because this statement also contained information that was intended to influence the other player in making the stroke, it is considered advice and the player making the statement gets two penalty strokes. In this case, effective communication went too far and breached Rule 10.2a.
10) True. Rule 3.2d(2). This Rule applies even if the player didn’t know they had incurred a penalty. Every player is expected to know when they have breached a Rule or taken relief involving a penalty. Failure to inform their opponent results in a loss of hole penalty.