Golf can be weird. In his book The Principles Behind the Rules of Golf, Richard Tufts notes “the tremendous variety of conditions, objects and circumstances with which the Rules must cope in their world-wide application to the game of golf.” These ever-changing factors will inevitably lead to some peculiar scenarios where the knowledge and application of the Rules is crucial in determining the correct procedure.
If you watch enough televised golf, you’ll eventually see some bizarre Rules scenarios: a ball stuck in a tree or an animal moving a player’s ball. The announcers will spend a fair amount of time analyzing the anomaly, and the rules analyst will be brought in to clarify the exact procedure.
I recall being called into one of these odd Rules scenarios while officiating a CDGA competition. The event was being held at The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club in Rockford, which has a building to the right of the 18th hole that comes into play with an errant shot. Anticipating the challenges of a ball winding up there, the Committee defined the area as out of bounds, with part of the boundary being the outside face of the building walls. Sure enough, during the tournament, a player’s tee shot made its way onto the roof of this building and came to rest in the gutter. Because the structure is partially underground, with the hillside sloping up around it, the player could easily spot where their ball came to rest. While peculiar enough for a player to find their ball in the rain gutter of a building, the scenario was made even more complex because the structure itself was out of bounds. However, because the boundary line stopped at the exterior face of the walls, the ball resting in the overhanging gutter technically remained in bounds. As the ball was in play but resting in an immovable obstruction, the player was entitled to free relief and was able to drop in an area free from interference.
Across the various Qualifiers, Championships and Social Competitions administered by the CDGA each year, there are well over 8,000 rounds of golf played with CDGA Rules Officials present. Additionally, there are countless other organized or casual rounds played each year in the Chicago District. With so much activity on such a variety of courses, each with their own unique features and quirks, there is ample opportunity for uncommon scenarios to arise.
So, what can you do if you find yourself in one of these odd predicaments? Most golf is played without a Rules Official on the course, so most of the time you’ll need to determine how to proceed without the help of an on-site expert. The USGA Rules of Golf app is a convenient way to look up Rules quickly. Additionally, if you’re in a stroke play competition, you have the option to play two balls under Rule 20.1c(3) and determine the correct action after the round. The expert staff at the CDGA is happy to help you determine how the Rules apply to your scenario. Also, with the recent USGA announcement that they’ll be pursuing the integration of AI features into the GHIN and Rules of Golf apps, it will likely become easier than ever to get a correct ruling when you find yourself in a bind.
Whether you’re involved in a scenario you never thought possible on a golf course or a common relief instance, there are many resources available to give you the confidence that you’re handling any predicament correctly.
Ronnie Oakes is a CDGA Governor and Chair of the CDGA Rules Committee. He has been a CDGA Blue Coat since 2012.
