OTHERS

Competitor and Marker Sign Score Card in Wrong Places
Discontinuing Play Due to Inoperable Motorized Cart
Entering Clubhouse or Half-Way House for Refreshment During Round
Hole Scores for First Nine Holes Recorded in Boxes for Second Nine and Vice Versa
No Score Entered for One Hole But Total Correct
Player Returns to Tee to Retrieve Forgotten Club
Player Unable to Distinguish His Ball from Another Ball  
Requirement That Score Be Entered into Computer
Score Corrected by Competitor After Marker Leaves Area in Which Card Returned  

6-6b/1  Competitor and Marker Sign Score Card in Wrong Places
There is no penalty if a marker signs the competitor’s score card in the space provided for the competitor’s signature, and the competitor then signs in the space provided for the marker’s signature.

6-8a/4  Discontinuing Play Due to Inoperable Motorized Cart
Q. In stroke play, two competitors are sharing a motorized golf cart. During the round the cart becomes inoperable. The competitors discontinue play and return to the clubhouse to obtain another cart. Should the competitors be penalized for discontinuing play?

 A. If the competitors reported to the Committee as soon as practicable after discontinuing play (as required by Rule 6-8a), it is recommended that, since it may not always be reasonable to expect players to carry their own bags, the Committee may consider the reason for discontinuance satisfactory, in which case there would be no penalty provided the competitors resume play when directed to do so by the Committee.

6-8a/2.7  Entering Clubhouse or Half-Way House for Refreshment During Round
Q. May a player, between the play of two holes, enter the clubhouse or a “half-way house” to obtain a refreshment if he then proceeds immediately to the next tee and consumes the food and/or drink while continuing his round?

 A. Yes. A player may enter the clubhouse or a half-way house without penalty (see Note to Rule 6-8a). However, the player must not unduly delay either his own play or that of his opponent or any other competitor (Rule 6-7).

6-6d/3  Hole Scores for First Nine Holes Recorded in Boxes for Second Nine and Vice Versa
Q. A competitor who started at the 10th hole returns a card with scores for the first nine holes recorded in the boxes for the second nine holes, and vice versa. Should he be disqualified since the scores for some holes were lower than actually taken?

 A. Yes.

6-6d/1  No Score Entered for One Hole But Total Correct
Q. In stroke play, A returned his score card. The Committee discovered that no score had been entered for the 17th hole; however, A’s total score for the round as recorded on the card by A or his marker was correct. What is the ruling?

 A. A should be disqualified for a breach of Rule 6-6d.

6-7/1  Player Returns to Tee to Retrieve Forgotten Club
Q. A player arrives at a green and discovers that he has left his putter at the tee. He returns to the tee to retrieve the putter. If this delays play, is the player subject to penalty?

A. Yes. Rule 6-7 (Undue Delay; Slow Play) and not Rule 6-8a (Discontinuance of Play) applies in this case.

6-6b/8  Requirement That Score Be Entered into Computer
Q. May a Committee, as a condition of competition, provide that a competitor must enter his score into a computer?

A. No. Such a condition would modify Rule 6-6b. However, while it is not permissible to penalize a player under the Rules of Golf for failing to enter his score into a computer, a Committee may, in order to assist in the administration of the competition, introduce a “club regulation” to this effect and provide disciplinary sanctions (e.g., ineligibility to play in the next club competition(s)) for failure to act in accordance with the regulation.

6-6b/7  Score Corrected by Competitor After Marker Leaves Area in Which Card Returned
Q. A marker signed a competitor’s score card, gave it to the competitor and left the area. The competitor discovered an error in his score for the 14th hole; the marker had recorded a 5 when, in fact, the competitor had scored 4. Without consulting the Committee, the competitor corrected the card, signed it and handed it in to the Committee. Later, the Committee heard what had happened, interviewed the competitor and his marker and established that the competitor did, in fact, score 4 at the 14th hole. Was the competitor in breach of Rule 6-6b and thus disqualified?

 A. Yes. When the competitor altered the score card, he invalidated the attestation of his score by the marker. Therefore, he effectively returned a score card which was not signed by the marker. If the competitor had informed the Committee, before returning his card, that he was correcting the error, he would not have been subject to penalty.

27/10  Player Unable to Distinguish His Ball from Another Ball

Q. A and B hit their tee shots into the same area. Both balls were found but, because A and B were playing identical balls and neither had put an identification mark on his ball, they could not determine which ball was A’s and which was B’s. What is the ruling?

A. Since neither player could identify a ball as his ball, both balls were lost — see Definition of “Lost Ball.”  This incident underlines the advisability of the player putting an identification mark on his ball — see Rules 6-5 and 12-2.