AUCKLAND & NORTH HARBOUR GOLF REFEREES ASSOCIATION (INC)
INCORPORATED 1986
DOUBLE HIT
Issue No. 17 - September 2012
www.golfref.co.nz
President
Bruce Hayhow
In this Issue
Upcoming Events
1
Level One Course Review
2
Vice President
Phil Lanigan
the world
3
New Publications
5
Secretary/Treasurer
Judy Hayhow
Teeing the Ball
6
Interesting Local Rules
8
Competition Time
9
Refereeing Opportunities
10
Rules incidents from around
Committee
Jan Beaumont, Neville Holt,
John Heanaghan, Eugene Shepherd,
Kevin Tregunno, Graham Williams,
Ian Grant (immediate Past-President)
All correspondence should be addressed to
The Secretary
ANHGRA
39/124 Stancombe Road
Flat Bush
Auckland
or phone 09 274 0409
Upcoming events
******************************************************************************************************
Level 2 Rules course - (Selected Invitation)
Seminars 10th September, 15th October and 26th November.
Practical test on 2nd December.
Club Night - Tuesday 4th December 2012 - 7.30pm
See Page 10 for list of upcoming tournaments
1
Level One Rules Courses
We have completed another year of our Level One full courses held at Remuera and North
Shore Gold Clubs. As usual, our thanks to our resident lecturer and life member, Mr Ian Grant
for his expertise and continued support of the Association in his first year as Immediate Past
President.
We had 20 Graduates from the course as follows:
Chris Carroll
Manukau
Alice Harris
Pakuranga
Greg Clarke
Peninsula
Joy May
Whitford Park
Marie Goldthorpe
Pakuranga
Cecilia Clarke
Royal Auckland
Lynne Booth
Whangaparaoa
James Brownlee
NZGA
Kath Clark
Huapai
Elizabeth Farley
The Grange
Lexie Loof
Akarana
George Van Der Loos
Clarks Beach
Margaret Robinson
Waitemata
Lesley Bicknell
Chamberlain Park
Brian Roe
Remuera
Elaine Bentley
RNZAF
Margaret Germon
Clarks Beach
Alan Harris
Clarks Beach
Russell Fraser
Huapai
Diana Bates
North Shore
Congratulations to you all and special note to the three candidates highlighted at the top of the
table for achieving an Honours Pass of 90% or over. Well done.
Certificates were awarded at the recent Club night where we reviewed each question of the
exam.
2
Rules incidents from around the world
Graeme McDowell has declared there to be some "strange little fiddly rules". At a recent tournament
his closing bogey six turned into a triple bogey eight.
McDowell's drive was leaked into the trees and as he went to weigh up his options for his second shot
the ball moved. "I was standing probably from here to you," the Northern Irishman said, indicating a
distance of some six feet. "I'm not sure what I could have done, but I felt something was wrong - the
whole area felt like it was just kind of bouncing."
McDowell requested that the incident be reviewed on television, which it was, only for the referee to
judge that he had caused the ball to move, incurring a one-shot penalty. McDowell then failed to
replace it to its original position before chipping out, adding one more to his score.
He said: "How are you supposed to attempt to place the ball when you're not sure it's moved in the
first place? It's just a harsh one - one of those freak scenarios in golf. "It's my fault. I probably should
have called in a referee. The rules of golf are very precise and very in-depth and it's impossible to
know every idiosyncrasy of them.
"I've cost myself a shot there by getting a little careless. Once the ref is there we are protected
because we can't do anything wrong at that point - even if he gives you a wrong ruling it's correct
because he's told you to do it.
"There's cameras around and so many strange little fiddly rules that we are all so damned scared to
take relief. "It ends up slowing the pace of play down because you have to call a ref and he might be
10 minutes away."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mark Wilson called a penalty on himself in the second round of a tournament when his caddie
inadvertently barked out the loft on a hybrid club that Wilson had just used on a par-3 hole. Wilson
didn't think anything of it at the time, but as they walked to the green, he realised his caddie might
have been in violation of Rule 8-1. He summoned a rules official and was told it was a 2-stroke
penalty.
Had Wilson said nothing, it was unlikely anyone would have thought about the rules breach. It turned
a round of 64 into a 66. And it didn't come to light until two days later, when Wilson found himself in
contention. He ended up winning the tournament in a sudden-death playoff that would not have been
necessary without the penalty.
"I don't think I would be here if I had not called it on myself because I would be thinking about it, and if
I had not called it on myself, every time I look at the trophy, it would be tarnished," Wilson said.
Wilson violated a rule, but that doesn't mean a player could not look in his bag to get the same
information. And although giving advice is against the rules, there seems to be a code among caddies
to dispense such information through hand signals.
There are some strange rules in golf, but not giving advice has solid ground. If one player has a huge
lead over another, what would stop him from giving advice to help the other out? That would not be
fair to the rest of the field.
"I don't think there's a guy I know on tour who wouldn't have done the same thing," PGA Tour player
Paul Goydos said of Wilson. "That's just the way the game is. I saw Mark on TV, and he didn't even
want to talk about it. I like how he handled it; he didn't want to come off as a martyr."
3
Rules incidents from around the world (continued)
American, Pete Oakley was left red-faced – after losing his wife in the Turnberry rough at the Senior
British Open.
To make matters worse, the player was also hit with a two-shot penalty.
His wife Jennifer, who is his caddie, had wandered on to the wrong hole and left him without his clubs.
Oakley, who won the Senior Open in 2004, had sent Jennifer down the 13th fairway to ball-spot while he
teed off. But when he got to his ball, in a bunker, his caddie was nowhere to be seen.
It turned out that, while sheltering behind a toilet, she had mistaken a ball landing in the rough for her
husband’s when it was actually from another group back on the 10th tee.
As Jennifer helped in the search, she was told by a Referee that she was looking for the wrong ball.
Despite guiding her back to her bemused hubby, they had wasted too much time to escape a penalty for
undue delay under Rule 6-7.
Fortunately for Jennifer, it didn’t matter much as Pete was never going to make the cut after bombing out
at the halfway stage on 16 over par.
After the penalty pushed his second round up to 83, Pete said: “As I said to Jennifer, if you were going to
do something like that, then today was the right day to do it.
“I might not have been laughing so much about it if the two-shot penalty had seen me miss the cut.”
Jennifer said: “I was trying to spot the balls and then I’m like, ‘What’s going on? Then somebody hit in
the rough so I thought it was maybe Pete’s ball. But it was actually from the group on the 10th tee
because I was looking at the wrong fairway. It’s the first time in four years that anything like that has
happened. Hopefully, it’ll be the last time.”
European Tour senior referee Andy McFee said: “One of our Referees spotted Pete walking back to the
13th tee. “Assuming he had lost his ball, he went to pick him up in his buggy.
“But when he got to him, Pete said: ‘I’ve lost my caddie.’
“Pete stood by the bunker for a good two or three minutes.
“Then he spent a couple of minutes wandering back to the tee, then another good couple of minutes for
the rules official to go and get the caddie from the 10th and bring her back.
“So all in all it was at least seven minutes.
“That’s as clear a breach of the undue delay rule as you can get, so a penalty of two strokes was
applied.
“Undue delay penalties are quite rare but incredibly it is the second one we’ve had in three months.”
4
New Publications
For Referees wanting to avoid taking the bulky Decisions on
the Rules of Golf book onto the course, an iPhone and iPad
App is now available to download.
The App contains the 2012-2015 Rules of Golf together with
over 1200 Decisions, but also has numerous videos and
imagery illustrating key Rules.
Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Requires iOS
4.2 or later and is available in many territories around the
world. It can be downloaded for GBP9.99 at :
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/decisions/id535094690?mt=8
No news on an App for Android devices as yet.
************************************
We all know how intimidating a Rules book can be to the
novice, but help is on hand in the form of a basic rules book
that had been produced by Jan Beaumont of our Association.
It covers the main points of the more common Rules
encountered on the course.
Thanks to the Lion Foundation, the books are available free
to clubs. If you would like more details, please contact NZ
Golf
5
Teeing the ball
Our Association received an enquiry as to whether using a bottle top as a tee was permitted. The
enquirer said it was regularly used by someone at their club. It was debated and further information was
sought. The following article courtesy of the R&A closes the matter with the final sentence giving the
answer.
Teeing The Ball
The act of teeing the ball has changed significantly over the years. In the early days of the game, a golfer
generally teed his ball from a small mound of sand or an irregularity in the surface of the ground. Today,
there is a vast array of devices available to golfers on which to tee their ball and the modern Rules have
had to cater for this by developing a definition of what constitutes a ‘conforming’ tee.
Whilst Rule 11-1 still permits the player to hit his tee shot from the surface of the ground (which includes
an irregularity of surface) and from sand or other natural substance, any other object which has been
placed in or on the surface of the ground in order to tee the ball must meet the definition of a tee – as
detailed in Appendix IV, 1:
“A tee is a device designed to raise the ball off the ground. A tee must not:
• be longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm);
• be designed or manufactured in such a way that it could indicate line of play;
• unduly influence the movement of the ball; or
• otherwise assist the player in making a stroke or in his play.”
It’s important to get it right as a player will be disqualified if he makes a stroke at a ball from a nonconforming tee. This article tries to highlight some of the most common questions received in relation to
tees and the Rules of Golf:
Traditional Tee Peg
Normally made from plastic or wood, consisting of a pointed, vertical peg which sticks into the ground and
a small cup on which to place the ball. The peg can sometimes be shaped to incorporate a ridge to assist
the player in obtaining a consistent teeing height. Conforming – as long as the total length of the tee does
not exceed 4 inches.
Stacking two or more conforming tees on top of one another is also permitted – again, as long as
the total height of the stacked tees does not exceed 4 inches.
6
Teeing the ball (continued)
Tees with Integrated Alignment Aids
Such tees are expressly prohibited by Appendix IV (as they indicate the line of play) and the photograph
below depicts some of the designs that have been submitted to us in the past for a formal ruling – and
ruled to be a breach of the Rules. As a general principle, if there is any feature on the tee which can be
viewed by the player at address and used as an effective alignment aid, then such a tee is likely to be
non-conforming.
Two or More Tees – Connected by a Length of Cord or String
This is a fairly common question and, if considered in the light of the above comments, then you might
reasonably assume that such a configuration would be considered non-conforming – as the string could
effectively be used to aid alignment. However, this is one of the Rules with an Exception.
In many countries, but particularly in the UK, the use of two or more tees tied together with string has
been fairly common for many years – especially in the winter when the ground can be hard due to frost,
or when winter mats are in use.
Therefore, within The R&A’s area of jurisdiction (i.e. everywhere except the USA and Mexico) the use of a
conforming tee which is connected to one or more other conforming tees by a length of cord or string is
permissible – provided the cord or string and other tees are not used to aid the player in his alignment.
Such a practice would render the player in breach of Rule 8-2a (Indicating Line of Play).
Tee Connected to a Weight or Other Anchor (e.g. a pitch mark repair tool)
A tee connected to a pitch mark repair tool or other weight or anchor by a length of cord or string would
be regarded as non-conforming as it could be used to aid alignment. The distinction between this
configuration and the above example of two or more connected tees is purely on ‘traditional’ grounds.
Brush Tee
Instead of having a plastic or wooden cup on which to place the ball, a brush tee would generally have a
series of bristles extending upwards from the peg and forming a circle on which to place the ball (see
image). These have become fairly common in recent years and often include claims of reduced friction. In
the absence of any evidence to suggest that a brush tee does “unduly influence the movement of the
ball”, as long as such a tee meets all of the other requirements of a conforming tee, then they are
permissible under the Rules.
Anti-Slice Tee
This is a plastic tee with a shield extending upwards from the tee-cup, which protects the ball from the
club. This shield is designed to reduce the spin applied to the ball by the club and, hence, reduce the
amount of slice, which is one of the most common problems faced by golfers. As this device is clearly
intended to influence the movement of the ball, and it interferes with the impact between the club and the
ball, it is a non-conforming tee.
Portable Teeing Mat
A section of artificial turf is not a natural substance and is not interpreted as being a tee. Therefore,
playing a ball from such a device – without or without tee peg – would not be permitted. However, it
should be noted that a Local Rule requiring the use of such mats on certain parts of the course is
permitted for a limited duration, e.g. in the winter in order to protect the turf, and even all year round on
sand courses (where clearly special rules apply).
Home-Made Tees
Home-made tees which have been fabricated out of materials such as rubber piping or bottle corks may
be permissible, dependent on the design of the tee. Such a tee would need to be evaluated in
accordance with the Rules of Golf – and this can be done via our submissions process. Using another
object as a tee – for example a tin can, a bottle or a pencil – would not be permissible as such
items were not designed to be tees.
7
Interesting Local Rules
In our last newsletter we asked for examples of incorrectly worded Local Rules. To those not
familiar with the Rules, ambiguous wording can lead to a Rules breach for which an incorrectly
worded Local Rule would be no defence.
An example received from a New Zealand club scorecard (all too common):
"Ball must be dropped 1 club length from all staked trees." Here, we picture a player
dropping a ball anywhere on the 360 degree circumference around the tree at a distance of
exactly one club-length.
The Rules book has the correct wording that all clubs should use to ensure consistency and
accuracy. The ruling bodies seldom waste words. The correct wording should be:
"Protection of young trees identified by stakes. If such a tree interferes with a player's
stance or the area of his intended swing, the ball must be lifted, without penalty, and
dropped in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 24-2b (Immovable
Obstruction). PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke
play - Two strokes."
It is the responsibility of all players to know the Rules, so they should familiarise themselves with
the relief procedure prescribed under Rule 24-2b. It is not something that needs to be replicated
on the scorecard.
_____________________________________________________________________
Club Local Rules often like to quote standard Rules of the game. There is no need for this. An
example from the same club as above reads:
"All power poles, sheds, hoses, connections, seats, bridges, tracks and paths are deemed
obstructions (Rule 24) - Free Drop. EXCEPTION: Area of bridge over water hazard."
All these are obvious examples under the standard definition of an obstruction, so no need to
mention them unless any are being declared an integral part of the course.
_____________________________________________________________________
Local Rule of the Month award goes to the Pattaya Club in Thailand:
"SCORECARDS - In a tournament, ALL PLAYERS must exchange cards. CARDS must be
properly and clearly completed with NAME, SURNAME & PSC No., together with the date and
tee played. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. Caddies MAY NOT mark a card.
Members of the same family MAY NOT mark each other’s card and friends should AVOID
repeatedly marking EACH OTHER’S card."
Apart from being an unauthorised Local Rule on many fronts, it seems trust may be an issue in
that part of the golfing world!
If anyone has any examples of suspect Local Rules, please forward them to [email protected]
8
Competition Time
Many thanks to all those that entered the last competition. We asked for a list of penalties that
can be incurred in legitimately completing play at the Par 3, 2nd hole whilst only making one
stroke at a ball. Basically, a hole in one had it not been for penalty strokes. Each part of a Rule
could only be breached once and the player had to avoid disqualification.
Naturally, the answers contained some ludicrous situations leading to some very high scores, but
the winning entry was submitted by Bob Thompson from New Plymouth. His player managed to
conjure up a score of 93 for the hole. Yes, 93 !! Please visit the competition page on our
website (www.golfref.co.nz) to see a full listing of penalties incurred by Bob's unfortunate player
during this fictional hole.
Congratulations, Bob. Half a dozen golf balls have been despatched to you.
_________________________________________________________________
New Competition
This time we are looking for a definitive answer to a question that has been discussed among
Rules enthusiasts in the past.
With no Rules breaches at all in a match, we all know it can be won on the 10th hole by a score
of 10 & 8, but once you get into penalty situations it can finish much earlier.
Here is the task:
A singles match between A and B is stipulated for 18 holes starting at the first tee. Compile a
sequence of Rules breaches incurred by Player A to show how quickly he can lose the match to
Player B. There are no concessions or disqualification in the match. Include any legitimate Local
Rules or Conditions of Competition that you wish. Assume the match is not controlled by a
Referee, but it will be assumed without needing to say, that all Rules breaches are claimed in a
timely manner by Player B. The winner will be the entry that shows the earliest finish to the
match.
Playing for half a dozen balls again. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn by lot. All
entries to [email protected]
Entries once again are accepted from any member of a Golf Referees Association nationwide.
Competition closes on 31st October 2012.
Good luck.
9
Future Refereeing Opportunities.
Our Association relies on our members to assist with the events being held in our area for which
local clubs, Auckland Golf, North Harbour Golf or New Zealand Golf approach us for help.
If an event is being held at your home course, your local knowledge is especially important for
identifying Rules hotspots.
Please volunteer where possible so we can share the load. We are relying too heavily on a
select few. Our Association is supported financially by the local District Associations, so we
need to ensure we have sufficient volunteers to cover each tournament.
Thank you.
Emails are sent out closer to each tournament asking for help.
If anyone has not been receiving email requests for assistance and would like to put their
Rules knowledge to practical use, please email [email protected] so we can contact you
nearer to each tournament. We'd love to see you out there.
Please make a note of the scheduled tournaments for the rest of 2012:
Sun 23 Sep
Auckland Men’s Masters Stroke Play
Remuera
Sat 13 & Sun 14 Oct
Inter-district Quadrangular
Grange
Sat 27 & Sun 28 Oct
Stewart Gold Cup
Grange
Fri 2 to Sun 4 Nov
Auckland Men’s Stroke Play
Sat 10 & Sun 11 Nov
Garrard Shield and Ralph Cup
Sat 17 & Sun 18 Nov
Auckland Men’s Match Play
Sun 25 Nov
Roy Pye Cup
Sun 25 Nov
North Harbour Women’s Champ of Champs
Mon 25 to Thurs 29 Nov
NZ Women’s Veteran foursomes
Waitemata
Sun 9 Dec
North Harbour Men’s Champ of Champs
Waitemata
Sun 9 Dec
Auckland Men’s Champ of Champs
Mon 17 Dec
Auckland Age Group Championships
Manukau
Royal Auckland
Pukekohe
Akarana
10
RNZAF
Aviation
Whitford Park