Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
STROKE OF THE DAY |
"A good golf course makes you want to play so badly that you hardly have the time to change your shoes. " |
-Ben Crenshaw |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
Instruction
|
||||
|
Golf is unique in its self-policing format. There are no referees or umpires, and rules officials only get involved when called into action. Each player is responsible for their conduct on the course. "The game relies on the integrity of players," said Mike Sweeney, director of rules and competitions for the Southern California Golf Association. "Every golfer should know the basics." For instance, no golfer should step on the course without knowing: • Rule 13 - Ball played as it lies; • Rule 26 - Water hazards; • Rule 27 - Ball lost or out of bounds. The rules are not just for assessing penalties. They can also save you strokes. Tiger Woods has become the poster child for Rule 24 - which deals with obstructions - because of his boulder incident in Phoenix in 1999. Understanding the rules helped Woods get relief from an immovable - albeit heavy - obstruction with the help of a number of eager spectators. While those are extreme incidents, the average golfer - and even young phenoms - can also benefit from a little knowledge. Michelle Wie has had a couple of widely reported rules infractions, the most recent at the British Open when she struck a piece of moss in the bunker. Wie thought that as long as she completed the stroke there would be no penalty, but once she hit the moss on the backswing, an infraction occurred. She violated Rule 13-4: Ball in hazard, prohibited actions. "Having known the rules would have saved her a two-stroke penalty," Sweeney said. "Rules are an integral part of the game and Michelle should factor that into her education and life on tour." Sweeney said there are a number of resources available to help all golfers understand the rules. In addition to the "Rules of Golf," rules seminars are held throughout the year by the SCGA, and a pocket resource guide is available online from the USGA. There also is a book published by the USGA titled "Golf Rules Illustrated," and the USGA sponsors two- and four-day rules seminars throughout the country. The last seminar for 2006 is being held at Moorpark Country Club on December 7. Additional seminars are being held January 25 at South Hills Country Club and January 30 at Desert Willow Golf Resort. Check the SCGA website for more information at www.scga.org. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
