Rules of Golf - Part C: Conditions of the Competition
Rule
33-1 provides, “The Committee must establish the conditions under which
a competition is to be played.” These conditions should include many
matters such as method of entry, eligibility, number of rounds to be
played, etc., that it is not appropriate to deal with in the Rules of
Golf or this Appendix. Detailed information regarding these conditions
is provided in “Decisions on the Rules of Golf” under Rule 33-1 and in
“How to Conduct a Competition.”
However, there are a number of matters that might be covered in the
Conditions of the Competition to which the Committee’s attention is
specifically drawn. These are:
1.
Specifications of the Ball (Note to Rule 5-1)
The following two conditions are recommended only for competitions
involving expert players:
a. List of Conforming Golf Balls
The USGA periodically issues a List of Conforming Golf Balls that lists
balls that have been tested and found to conform. If the Committee
wishes to require players to play a brand of golf ball on the List, the
List should be posted and the following condition of competition used:
“The ball the player plays must be named on the current List of
Conforming Golf Balls issued by the United States Golf Association.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF CONDITION:
Disqualification.”
b. One Ball Condition
If it is desired to prohibit changing brands and types of
golf balls during a stipulated round, the following condition
is recommended:
“Limitation on Balls Used During Round: (Note to Rule 5-1)
(i) One Ball Condition
During a stipulated round, the balls a player plays must be of the same
brand and type as detailed by a single entry on the current List of
Conforming Golf Balls.
Note: If a ball of a different brand and/or type is dropped or placed,
it may be lifted, without penalty, and the player must then proceed by
dropping or placing a proper ball (Rule 20-6).
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF CONDITION:
Match Play — At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is
discovered, the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for
each hole at which a breach occurred; maximum deduction per round — Two
holes.
Stroke Play — Two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred;
maximum penalty per round — Four strokes.
(ii)Procedure When Breach Discovered
When a player discovers that he has played a ball in breach of this
condition, he must abandon that ball before playing from the next teeing
ground> and complete the round using a proper ball; otherwise, the
player is disqualified. If discovery is made during play of a hole and
the player elects to substitute a proper ball before completing that
hole, the player must place a proper ball on the spot where the ball
used in breach of the condition lay.”
2. Time of
Starting (Note to Rule 6-3a)
If theCommittee wishes to act in accordance with the Note, the following
wording is recommended:
“If the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five
minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that
warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule
33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole
to be played in match play or two strokes in stroke play. Penalty for
lateness beyond five minutes is disqualification.”
3. Caddie
(Note to Rule 6-4)
Rule 6-4 permits a player to use a caddie provided he has only one
caddie at any one time. However, when there may be circumstances where a
Committee may wish to prohibit caddies or restrict a player in his
choice of caddie, e.g., professional golfer, sibling, parent, another
player in the competition, etc. In such cases, the following wording is
recommended:
Use of Caddie Prohibited
“A player is prohibited from using a caddie during the stipulated
round.”
Restriction on Who May Serve as Caddie
“A player is prohibited from having ___________ serve as his caddie
during the stipulated round.
PENALTY FOR REACH OF CONDITION:
Match play — At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is
discovered, the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for
each hole at which a breach occurred; maximum deduction per round — Two
holes.
Stroke play — Two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred;
maximum penalty per round — Four strokes.
Match or stroke play — In the event of a breach between the play of two
holes, the penalty applies to the next hole.
A player having a caddie in breach of this condition must immediately
upon discovery that a breach has occurred ensure that he conforms with
this condition for the remainder of the stipulated round. Otherwise, the
player is disqualified.”
4. Pace of
Play (Note to Rule 6-7)
The Committee may establish pace of play guidelines to help prevent slow
play, in accordance with Note 2 to Rule 6-7.
5. Suspension
of Play Due to a Dangerous Situation (Note to Rule 6-8b)
As there have been many deaths and injuries from lightning on golf
courses, all clubs and sponsors of golf competitions are urged to take
precautions for the protection of persons against lightning. Attention
is called to Rules 6-8 and 33-2d. If the Committee desires to adopt the
condition in the Note under Rule 6-8b, the following wording is
recommended:
“When play is suspended by the Committee for a dangerous situation, if
the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they
must not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of
play. If they are in the process of playing a hole, they must
discontinue play immediately and not resume play until the Committee has
ordered a resumption of play. If a player fails to discontinue play
immediately, he is disqualified unless circumstances warrant waiving the
penalty as provided in Rule 33-7.
The signal for suspending play due to a dangerous situation will be a
prolonged note of the siren.”
The following signals are generally used and it is recommended that all
Committees do similarly:
• Discontinue Play Immediately:
One prolonged note of siren.
• Discontinue Play:
Three consecutive notes of siren, repeated.
• Resume Play: Two short notes of siren, repeated.
6. Practice
a. General
The Committee may make regulations governing practice in accordance with
the Note to Rule 7-1, Exception (c) to Rule 7-2, Note 2 to Rule 7 and
Rule 33-2c.
b. Practice Between Holes (Note 2 to Rule 7)
It is recommended that a condition of competition prohibiting practice
putting or chipping on or near the putting green of the hole last played
be introduced only in stroke-play competitions. The following wording is
recommended:
“A player must not play any practice stroke on or near the putting green
of the hole last played. If a practice stroke is played on or near the
putting green of the hole last played, the player shall incur a penalty
of two strokes at the next hole, except that in the case of the last
hole of the round, he incurs the penalty at that hole.”
7. Advice in
Team Competitions (Note to Rule 8)
If the Committee wishes to act in accordance with the Note under Rule 8,
the following wording is recommended:
“In accordance with the Note to Rule 8 of the Rules of Golf, each team
may appoint one person (in addition to the persons from whom advice may
be asked under that Rule) who may give advice to members of that team.
This person (if it is desired to insert any restriction on who may be
nominated insert such restriction here) must be identified to the
Committee before giving advice.”
8. New Holes
(Note to Rule 33-2b)
The Committee may provide, in accordance with the Note to Rule 33-2b,
that the holes and teeing grounds for a single round competition, being
held on more than one day, may be differently situated on each day.
9.
Transportation
If it is desired to require players to walk in a competition, the
following condition is recommended:
“Players must walk at all times during a stipulated round.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF CONDITION:
Match play — At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is
discovered, the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for
each hole at which a breach occurred. Maximum deduction per round: Two
holes.
Stroke play — Two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred;
maximum penalty per round: Four strokes. In the event of a breach
between the play of two holes, the penalty applies to the next hole.
Match or stroke play
10.
Anti-Doping
The Committee may require in the Conditions of Competition, that players
comply with an anti-doping policy.
11. How to
Decide Ties
Rule 33-6 empowers the Committee to determine how and when a halved
match or a stroke play tie shall be decided. The decision should be
published in advance.
The USGA recommends:
Match Play
A match that ends all square should be played off hole by hole until one
side wins a hole. The play-off should start on the hole where the match
began. In a handicap match, handicap strokes should be allowed as in the
prescribed round.
Stroke Play
(a) In the event of a tie in a scratch stroke-play competition, a
play-off is recommended. The play-off may be over 18 holes or a smaller
number of holes as specified by the Committee. If that is not feasible
or there is still a tie, a hole-by-hole play-off is recommended.
(b) In the event of a tie in a handicap stroke-play competition, a
play-off with handicaps is recommended. The play-off may be over 18
holes or a smaller number of holes as specified by the Committee. If the
play-off is less than 18 holes the percentage of 18 holes to be played
should be applied to the players’ handicaps to determine their play-off
handicaps. Handicap stroke fractions of one-half stroke or more should
count as a full stroke and any lesser fraction should be disregarded.
(c) In either a scratch or handicap stroke-play competition, if a
play-off of any type is not feasible, matching score cards is
recommended. The method of matching cards should be announced in
advance. An acceptable method of matching cards is to determine the
winner on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If the
tying players have the same score for the last nine, determine the
winner on the basis of the last six holes, last three holes and finally
the 18th hole. If this method is used in a handicap stroke-play
competition, one-half, one-third, one-sixth, etc. of the handicaps
should be deducted. Fractions should not be disregarded. If this method
is used in a competition with a multiple tee start, it is recommended
that the “last nine holes, last six holes, etc.” is considered to be
holes 10-18, 13-18, etc.
(d) If the conditions of the competition provide that ties are to be
decided over the last nine, last six, last three and last hole, they
should also provide what will happen if this procedure does not produce
a winner.
12. Draw for
Match Play
Although the draw for match play may be completely blind or certain
players may be distributed through different quarters or eighths, the
General Numerical Draw is recommended if matches are determined by a
qualifying round.
General Numerical Draw
For purposes of determining places in the draw, ties in qualifying
rounds other than those for the last qualifying place are decided by the
order in which scores are returned, with the first score to be returned
receiving the lowest available number, etc. If it is impossible to
determine the order in which scores are returned, ties are determined by
a blind draw.
UPPER HALF LOWER HALF UPPER HALF LOWER HALF
64 QUALIFIERS 32 QUALIFIERS
1 vs. 64 2 vs. 63 1 vs. 32 2 vs. 31
32 vs. 33 31 vs. 34 16 vs. 17 15 vs. 18
16 vs. 49 15 vs. 50 8 vs. 25 7 vs. 26
17 vs. 48 18 vs. 47 9 vs. 24 10 vs. 23
8 vs. 57 7 vs. 58 4 vs. 29 3 vs. 30
25 vs. 40 26 vs. 39 13 vs. 20 14 vs. 19
9 vs. 56 10 vs. 55 5 vs. 28 6 vs. 27
24 vs. 41 23 vs. 42 12 vs. 21 11 vs. 22
4 vs. 61 3 vs. 62 16 QUALIFIERS
29 vs. 36 30 vs. 35 1 vs. 16 2 vs. 15
13 vs. 52 14 vs. 51 8 vs. 9 7 vs. 10
20 vs. 45 19 vs. 46 4 vs. 13 3 vs. 14
5 vs. 60 6 vs. 59 5 vs. 12 6 vs. 11
28 vs. 37 27 vs. 38 8 QUALIFIERS
12 vs. 53 11 vs. 54 1 vs. 8 2 vs. 7
21 vs. 44 22 vs. 43 4 vs. 5 3 vs. 6
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