Rules You May Not Know....

Today’s Blog focuses on a couple of rules that most golfers know but do not know the extent of the rules.  To the fans that watch PGA and LPGA events please review the rules before calling in to the tournament headquarters.

Mike Dudurich wrote about the following rules in his article for the Bleacher Report

Removing Morning Dew from Your Ball

If you are one of those golfers who loves to get out early, a.k.a., a "dewsweeper," your ball is almost always covered with that morning dew. If you are in the habit of wiping that dew off with your hands or a towel, you are in violation of Rule 13-2. Dew-wiping is a two-stroke offense. Dew, frost or water may be removed on the tee box before hitting the ball.

 Flagstick Attended, Removed or Held Up

Good old Rule 17-1, Note 1 refers to something we all do without realizing that it’s against the rules.

You are chipping or putting from off the green, and someone is standing near the flagstick on the green. If that person is close enough to touch the stick, he is deemed to be attending it while a stroke is being made. So if your ball hits the flagstick, you are penalized two strokes, even though you were playing off the green.

 A Bunker Under Water

If you’re playing on a rainy day and insist on continuing even when the heavy stuff comes in, you may encounter the bunker that’s completely filled with water.

The only relief a player may take is to move the ball within the bunker to where there is less water.

The only way to drop the ball outside the bunker is to take a penalty stroke, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and where the ball is dropped.

 Who’s Ball Is It?

You’ve played one of your favourite balls with a “1” on it and hit it into a greenside bunker. Your playing partner hits his ball to almost the identical spot, and when you get there, you discovered he was playing the same ball with a “1” as well.

Neither one of you put an identifying mark on the ball. What to do?

Rule 12-2 says that both balls are viewed as lost and both players are penalized a stroke and need to go back to play their previous shots.