RULES OF GOLF QUESTIONS
2004

1. A player played the third shot to the green and the ball came to rest a foot from the hole leaving a steep downhill putt. The player marked the position of the ball, lifted and cleaned it, then replaced it. Without lifting the marker, the player prepared to make a short putt, but before the player had addressed the ball, it had rolled into the hole.

What is the ruling?

(a) There is no penalty and the ball must be replaced at the marker.

(b) The ball is deemed to have been holed by the last stroke for three.

(c) The ball is holed and the player must add a penalty stroke, making the score for the hole four

(d) There is no penalty. The ball must be replaced on the lip of the hole and must be putt out for four.

2. In a foursomes match, partners Andy and Bill start the round with just one set of 14 clubs in one bag which the partners share throughout the match. They win the match 4 and 3 and the two sides return to the clubhouse. After the match is over, but before the result is posted, the losing side, Dan and Eddy, ask the Committee whether their opponent's had been in breach of the Rules by sharing one set of clubs.

What should be the Committee's ruling?
    1. There is no infringement of the Rules. The result stands.
    2. Andy and bill are disqualified so Dan and Eddy win
    3. The state of the match must be adjusted to Andy and Bill being 2 up with 3 to play and sides need to go back out to finish the match.
    4. Andy and Bill should have been penalised two holes, however, Dan and Eddy's claim is too late so the result stands.

 

3. Two Players began a match at 10am. After the players had played nine holes John is 6 up. A member of the committee then arrives on the scene and advises them that the course had been closed since 9am, but no notice to this effect had been posted at the 1st tee.

What is the ruling?
    1. The players must begin their match again in its entirety when the course is re-opened for play.
    2. The match must be terminated and John declared the winner.
    3. The players are both disqualified.
    4. The players must resume their match at the 10th hole when the course is re-opened for play.

 

4. A player's ball comes to rest on a bridge over a lateral water hazard. He decides to play the ball as it lies but in so doing, he grounds his club at the address. What is the penalty?

 

 

5. In a match, a player's tee shot hits a tree; is then deflected by his opponent's golf cart, then hits his partner's golf bag ricocheting out of bounds. On re-playing from the tee ground what stroke was the player playing.

a His 1st

b His 3rd

c His 5th

d None. He had already lost the hole.

 

6. In a foursome stroke play competition, Peter puts his tee shot into a large green-side bunker. His partner, Paul, fails to get the ball out of the bunker with his shot and in anger hits the sand with his club. Peter rakes over Paul's footprints in the sand (without improving the lie of the ball or the area of his stance) before playing the ball from the bunker onto the green, where Paul holes out with a single putt. What is their score for the hole?
    1. 4
    2. 5
    3. 6
    4. 8

 

7. In a match, B removed the flagstick, places it on the putting green behind the hole and putts. A, believing that B's ball will strike the flagstick, picks it up, allowing B's ball to roll beyond the place where B and placed the flagstick. What is the ruling?
    1. B must replay the stroke
    2. A loses the hole
    3. There is no penalty

8. In a stroke play, A's ball lies near the hole in a position to assist B, whose ball lies off the green. A states his intention to mark and lift his ball. However B plays his shot before A has an opportunity to lift, and B's ball strikes A's ball. What penalty, does B incur
    1. B is disqualified
    2. B incurs a penalty of 2 strokes
    3. B incurs no penalty

9. In a handicap match play competition, the conditions provide that the full difference between handicaps would be used. However the players in one match, unaware of conditions, use three-quarters of the difference between handicaps and the lower handicap player won giving his opponent 9 shots instead of 12. What is the ruling?
    1. Both players are disqualified
    2. The match stands as played
    3. The match should be replayed

 

 

10. In a stroke play competition a competitor returns his scorecard correctly signed by his marker and himself. The hole by hole scores are correct, but he records a total score which is two strokes lower than his actual score. What is the ruling?
    1. The competitor is disqualified
    2. The penalty is disqualification but his may be waived by the committee
    3. The committee must correct the error, without penalty to the competitor

 

 

11. In a stroke play competition, before he plays, A looks into B's bag to see which club B has used for his last stroke. What is the ruling?
    1. there is no penalty
    2. A is disqualified
    3. A incurs a penalty of two strokes

 

 

12. In a stroke play, after finishing the 10th hole, A and B played from the 15th tee instead of the 11th tee because the two tees were closed together. Thay immediately realised their error, collected their balls from the 15th fairway, and played from the 11th tee and completed their round. What is the ruling?
    1. A and B are disqualified
    2. A and B each incur a penalty of two strokes at the 11th
    3. A and B should have completed the 15th hole before returning to the 11th tee

 

 

13. In a stroke play competition, a competitor preparing to drop his ball through the green, removes sand and loose soil from the area where he intends to drop the ball. What is the ruling?

(a) There is no penalty

(b) The competitor incurs a penalty of one stroke

(c) The competitor incurs a penalty of two strokes

 

14. In a stroke play competition, a competitor removes a white steak, defining out of bounds, which is interfering with his swing. What is the ruling?

    1. The competitor incur a penalty of one stroke
    2. The competitor incurs a penalty of two strokes
    3. There is no penalty

 

15. In a stroke play event, a pool of casual water on the putting green lies between the competitor's ball, which is on the green, and the hole. Rather than move his ball the competitor mops up the casual water with a towel. What is the ruling?

    1. There is no penalty
    2. The competitor is disqualified
    3. The competitors incurs a penalty of two strokes

16. Player A of a partnership AB and in a fourball match marked and lifted an opponent ball on the putting green without any authority. Realising that he may have made a mistake, he quickly replaced the ball. What is the ruling?
    1. A and his partner incurred a penalty of one
    2. A incurred a penalty of one
    3. AB have lost the hole

17. In making a stroke at a ball, the shaft of a player's club broke during his downswing. He continued his swing but missed the ball. Unfortunately the separated clubhead fell on the ball and moved it. What is the ruling?
    1. The player made a legitimate stroke with no penalty
    2. The ball should be replaced
    3. The competitor incurs a penalty of one
  1. A stake which defines the margin of a water hazard has been removed. A player's ball comes to rest in the hole in which the stake had previously been placed.
    What is the ruling?

a Player can have relief with a penalty

    1. Player can have relief with no penalty
    2. Player cannot have relief

19. A ball may be lifted in a hazard to determine whether it is unfit for play

What is the ruling?

a Yes

b No

20 Greenkeeping equipment on a course has made a series of deep ruts through the semi- rough. In a stroke play event a player's ball came to rest in such position.

The player claimed relief under Rule 25-1 [Ground under Repair]

He calculated that by obtaining relief he would be able to drop the ball in a more advantageous position.

His playing partners were unclear if relief could be claimed.

The player decided to invoke Rule 3-3 and play a second ball, and stated that he wanted the score with this ball to count if the rules permit.

He claimed relief under Rule 25-1 for this ball

He holed out with both balls scoring 5 with the first ball, but 7 with the second ball. When he returned to the clubhouse he established that the area had now been marked Ground under Repair. What is the ruling?

a His first ball with a score of 5 count.

b His second ball with a score of 7 count.

21. A player and fellow competitor signed his score card in the wrong place.

What is the ruling?

a They both should be disqualified

b The committee should accept the card.

c The player should be disqualified.

 

22 A player, without realising it, knocked his opponent's ball marker closer to the hole.

What is the ruling?

a The player penalised one stroke.

b The ball marker should be replaced with no penalty.

c The marker should remain.
  1. A small amount of casual water lay between a player's ball on the putting green and the hole. He brushed this aside using his putter. What is the ruling?
    1. The player is penalised one stroke.
    2. The player is penalised two strokes. Lost of hole in a match play.
    3. The player is allowed to brush aside using his putter.

24. A Player, in searching for his ball in Ground under Repair, accidentally moved the ball during the search. He replaced the ball, but then decided that he would seek relief and played the ball where it had been replaced. What is the ruling?

(a) The player is penalised two strokes

(b) The player is not penalised

(c) The ball must be replaced
  1. In a stroke play competition, a competitor removes a white steak, defining out of bounds ,which is interfering with his swing. What is the ruling?
    1. The competitor incurs a penalty of one stroke
    2. The competitor incurs a penalty of two strokes.
    3. There is no Penalty

26. In stroke play, a competitor's ball lies in a bunker. The competitor removes loose impediment, which lies behind his ball and the ball moves. He replaces the ball and plays his next stroke. What is the ruling?
    1. He incurs a penalty of one stroke
    2. He incurs a penalty of two strokes
    3. He incurs a penalty of three strokes
  1. In stroke play, a competitor moves one of the tee-markers before playing a stroke from the teeing ground because, in his view, the tee-markers are aimed in the wrong direction. The tee-marker is not replaced. What is the ruling?
    1. No penalty
    2. He incurs a penalty of two strokes
    3. He is disqualified

 

 

 

28. A player plays his second shot, searches for his ball briefly and then goes back and drops another ball under Rule 27-1. Before he plays the dropped ball, and within the five-minute search period, the original ball is found. Which of the following statements is true.
    1. The player abandon the dropped ball and play the original ball
    2. The player may either play the dropped ball or abandoned the dropped ball and play the original ball
    3. The player must play the dropped ball

 

 

29 In a match, a player observes his opponent removing loose impediment from the bunker. He knows this is a breach of Rule 13-4 but he decides not to make a claim.

What is the ruling?

    1. The player is disqualified for breach of Rule 1-3
    2. There is no penalty as the player is entitled to overlook the breach.
    3. Both the player and the opponent are disqualified for breach of Rule 1-3

 

  30. A and B are partners in Foursomes match. A was practicing putts on the 11th green after B had driven from the 12th tee. What is the ruling?

(a) There is no penalty

(b) The side lost the 11th hole

(c) The side lost the 12th hole