Comments on: About Barry Rhodes

By: Barry Rhodes

Barry Rhodes — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:02:51 +0000

Phillip, Sorry for the delay in replying. I did not see this incident, but suspect that the official would have let Phil tighten (repair) the screw, providing it had come loose during the normal course of play (Rule 4-3a).
Barry

By: Phillip Sexton

Phillip Sexton — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 03:42:04 +0000

Barry:

Did you happen to see Phil Mickelson request an Master’s official if he could tighten a screw on his driver that had come loose? Was he in violation of Rule 4-2.

By: Barry Rhodes

Barry Rhodes — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:21:34 +0000

If the player decides to take relief from the cart path they must drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole. The presence of an out of bounds wall is not relevant. Of course, the player may play their ball as it lies on the cart path, or return to where they played their last stroke from under penalty of stroke and distance.
Barry

By: Mike Clark

Mike Clark — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:28:07 +0000

A player’s tee shot comes to rest on a cart path. The nearest point of relief is a 3 foot wide grass area, but dropping here, the out of bounds wall would impact the swing. What are the options?

By: Barry Rhodes

Barry Rhodes — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 09:33:31 +0000

Phillip,

No, a player, whether an opponent or fellow competitor, may always mark their ball at rest if they think that it might assist any other player, Rule 22-1a.

Regards,

Barry

By: Phillip Sexton

Phillip Sexton — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 03:56:43 +0000

Barry: Is there a decision that says in match play you can have your opponent leave his ball where it is on the green (if you’re off the green) and he cannot mark his own ball even though he wants to – and if he does mark it and you don’t want him to, he can lose the hole?

By: Barry Rhodes

Barry Rhodes — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:33:55 +0000

Mike,

I am confident that no Rule was not breached in this incident, which I did not witness. Caddies have to stand somewhere and unless they draw attention to the positioning of their feet in order to point a line for putting for the player there is no penalty. Decision 8-2b/2 provides the ruling;

Q.A player’s ball lies on the putting green and his caddie attends the flagstick for him. The caddie suggests, before the stroke, that the player aim at the caddie’s left foot. Is the player in breach of Rule 8-2b?
A.If the caddie had placed his foot in position for the purpose of pointing out the line for putting, the player was in breach of Rule 8-2b as soon as the caddie placed his foot in that position. The breach could not be corrected by the caddie subsequently moving his foot.
If the caddie did not initially place his foot in such a position for the purpose of pointing out the line for putting but subsequently suggested the player aim at his left foot, the player would be in breach of Rule 8-2b if the caddie did not move that foot to another position that does not indicate a line for putting prior to the stroke.
The same answer would apply if a player’s partner attends the flagstick for him.

Barry

By: Barry Rhodes

Barry Rhodes — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:21:34 +0000

Jack,
This situation is covered by Decision 28/5;
Q.A player plays a stroke from Point A to Point B. Point B is in an area from which it is very difficult to extricate the ball. The player considers deeming the ball unplayable but this would result in a stroke-and-distance penalty (Rule 28a). Dropping behind under Rule 28b is impossible due to a boundary fence and dropping within two club-lengths under Rule 28c is not feasible because it would require a considerable number of such drops to escape the area. The player plays from Point B and moves the ball a few feet to Point C, where the ball is clearly unplayable. Under Rule 28a, may the player:
(a) deem the ball unplayable at Point C and drop a ball under penalty of one stroke at Point B, and then
(b) deem the ball unplayable at Point B and drop a ball, under an additional penalty of one stroke, at Point A?
A.No. Under Rule 28a, the player would be entitled to drop a ball only at the place from which he played his last stroke (Point B).
In the circumstances, the player’s only alternative is to invoke Rule 28c a sufficient number of times (starting at Point C and dropping the ball sideways within two club-lengths each time) to get the ball into a playable position.
Barry

By: Jack Callahan

Jack Callahan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:17:34 +0000

If someone hits their ball into brush, tries to hit it and moves it into a worse spot but cannot get relief with two club lengths and cannot go backwards since there is brush. What can they do?

By: Phillip Sexton

Phillip Sexton — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:49:00 +0000

Barry:

I am on your Newsletter list. I’m also a tournament official for the Northern California Golf Association. The reason for my requests is for clarity. I have a very good feel for the rules overall, but I still struggle with some phases on interpertation. I hopefuly will become rules cerified in 2012. and your blog allows me to question myself and get an expert opinion. Once I have your explanation I usually have the rule clear in my mind. Hopefully I’m not too much of a pest.

Thank you,
Phil