Mixed Noticeboard

10/1/19 Divot taken on 6th green
Following a divot taken on the 6th Green in November we sent an email reminding members of the rule at that time. Unfortunately another divot has been taken on the back of the 6th green and with mats in use to protect the shorter grass this 100% should not have been the case.

It is unknown whether a member or visitor made the divot but we want to ask members to make sure themselves and their playing partners are following the rules. This is in regards to both using mats as advised and the general rules of golf, please don’t be afraid to advise your playing partners when in breach of either.

With the new rules of golf coming in to effect as of 1st January 2019 please see below for the current rule:

Rule 13.1f
Relief Must Be Taken from Wrong Green

Interference under this Rule exists when your ball is on a wrong green or a wrong green physically interferes with your area of intended stance or area of intended swing.

When there is interference by a wrong green, you must not play the ball as it lies. Instead, you must take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in the relief area as shown in Diagram 13.1f.(See below)

There is no relief under this Rule if interference exists only because you choose a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances.

Regards
Mark Lowe & Steven Lowe
Co-Chairmen of Handicaps

8/1/19 Mats on Tees
We would like to thank members (and visitors) for taking on-board our recent decision to use fairway mats off the Teeing areas. It has caused some debate and the idea behind this was to ensure that ALL golfers were using mats and that their playing partners could police this, making it fair for everyone. Although we still had some divot damage caused directly from a club on the 2nd tee area over the weekend we would like to amend the following rule:

On the tee :

If you are electing to use a Driver or Wood you can tee up without the use of a mat (including a winter mat if one is in place) within the marker posts within 2 club lengths.

Golfers electing to use an Iron or Rescue Wood etc. MUST use a Fairway mat or Winter mat (if one is in place) without exception, again within 2 club lengths.

Let’s all protect our course to the best of our ability, to ensure that minimum damage is being made before the start of the season.

Thanks for your co-operation and understanding on this.

Rob Owen
Co-Greens Chair

3/1/19
Following on from discussions today a decision has been made to use fairway mats on all tees until further notice.

If there’s a winter mat out on the tee these can be used or you can use your fairway mats. Where there’s no winner mat on the tee a fairway mat is to be used regardless of the club being used or if you are teeing the ball up or not the idea behind this is to protect the tees and turf.

30/12/18
Let us start by apologising as this could well be the longest message ever sent, however it is possibly one of the most important to date.

With 2019 just days away we thought it best to clarify a number of key changes to the rules, hopefully most will have been through the new rules and will already be aware of the changes below.

We are asking all members to read the below information and suggest if you have not already done so read through the new rules book in full to get familiar with the new simplified rules.

Please can members also ensure that they implement the new rules themselves as of the 1st January and ensure your playing partners are abiding by these too.

Before the listed key changes below we thought it best to advise that there has also been a change to the way course areas are defined:

1. General Area – This is the area of the course (including all teeing locations on the course that are not the teeing area and all wrong greens) that covers all of the course except for the other four defined areas. These are:
2. The teeing area – This is the area that the player must play from in starting the hole he/she is playing.
3. Penalty area – This was formerly known as a water hazard. This is the area which relief with a one stroke penalty is allowed, if the players ball comes to rest there. These areas are still defined by the two current colours red and yellow. If any penalty area colour is not defined it is to be treated as a red penalty area.
4. Bunkers – A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.
5. Putting green – This is the area on the hole the player is playing that; is specially prepared for putting, or the committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).

No play Zone – This is a part of the course where the committee has prohibited play. A no play zone must be defined as either an abnormal course condition or a penalty area.

The following are what we believe are key changes:

• Dropping procedure: When taking relief (from an abnormal course condition or penalty area, for example), golfers will now drop from knee height. This will ensure consistency and simplicity in the dropping process while also preserving the randomness of the drop.

• Measuring in taking relief: The golfer’s relief area will be measured by using the longest club in his/her bag (other than a putter) to measure one club-length or two club-lengths, depending on the situation, providing a consistent process for golfers to establish his/her relief area.

• Removing the penalty for a double hit: The penalty stroke for accidentally striking the ball more than once in the course of a stroke has been removed. Golfers will simply count the one stroke they made to strike the ball.

• Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties: There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

• Relaxed putting green rules: There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

Relief to be taken from wrong green: it is still the case that a player takes relief should their ball come to rest on the wrong green however, you are no longer permitted to take relief where your stance is interfered with by the wrong green. So full relief from the putting surface is now to be taken, in an expansion of this rule even if the players ball comes to rest on the fringe and their intended stance or area of intended swing is interfered with by the wrong green relief must be taken.

• Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

In regards to penalty areas, there was previously an option to take lateral relief on the opposite side of the red penalty area at an equal distance from the hole. This is now only allowed through the introduction of a local rule, this is currently not a local rule we are looking to introduce however members will be informed should this be introduced.

• Relaxed bunker rules: There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

• Pace-of-play support: Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

Embedded Ball: Relief was previously only permitted if a players ball was embedded in a closely mown area. Relief is now allowed only when your ball is embedded in the general area (previously known as through the green). But if your ball is embedded on the putting green, you may mark the spot of your ball, lift and clean it, repair the damage, and replace your ball on its original spot.

Please note that the below is a new local rule which could potentially be introduced, we have taken the decision at this time to not introduce this as a local rule.

• Balls Lost or Out of Bounds: Alternative to Stroke and Distance: A new Local Rule will now be available in January 2019, permitting committees to allow golfers the option to drop the ball in the vicinity of where the ball is lost or out of bounds (including the nearest fairway area), under a two-stroke penalty. It addresses concerns raised at the club level about the negative impact on pace of play when a player is required to go back under stroke and distance. The Local Rule is not intended for higher levels of play, such as professional or elite level competitions. (Key change: this is a new addition to support pace of play).

Please feel free to email us over the next few days should you require any clarification on any points. Just reply to this email and we will respond as soon as possible.

Kind regards,
Mark Lowe & Steven Lowe
Co-Chairmen of handicaps

27/12/18
Following an inspection at lunchtime today (Thursday) we are happy to re-open the 8th hole for General play with immediate effect. HOWEVER, great care should be taken when walking from the Tee to Green, and please keep away from the edge of any workings. Any ball landing in these areas should be deemed as compulsory GUR, unless safe to do so please do not retrieve any ball that enters the ditch. Again due to safety reasons please take relief if your ball enters any roped off area at the nearest point of relief. There are also 2 man hole covers partially open, and again please take great care whilst walking around these.

Although the 7th, the 8th and the 9th holes are open we will be recommending that these holes be omitted from any Pro-shop or Saturday Comps for the next couple of weeks, whilst Brett and the team complete the repair work and re-fills the open ditch.

Thank you for your understanding regarding the slight disruption whilst this essential work is being carried out.

Finally, I hope you have had a great Christmas, and I would like to wish you all a happy 2019.

Rob Owen
Co-Greens Chairman

14/12/18
Winter mats are now to be used on closely mown areas until further notice.

21/11/18 Greens Polite Notices
1) The roped off area on the 9th is there for a reason, we are trying to save the surround & the grass to the right of the green so if your on a buggie or in a golf cart please don’t drive on them, follow the lines that have been sprayed out.

2) Please can people who hire the golf carts from the pro shop please stop going down the 1st path on them. You need to go down behind the 6th green. The weight of the cart is crushing the pile on the AstroTurf & it’s also a risk of them sliding down.

Thanks Greens staff

14/11/18 Greens
This winter we will be using ‘Rake & Place’ in the bunkers.
If your ball is lying in the bunker you may mark your ball, lift it, rake the sand and replace your ball within 6 inches.
Regards
Greens Committee

21/9/18 Preferred Lies
Due to the recent rainfall we will as of tomorrow we will be introducing preferred lies in qualifying competitions until further notice.

“A ball lying on a closely mown area through the green may be lifted without penalty and cleaned. Before lifting the ball, the player must mark its position. Having lifted the ball, he must place it on a spot within six inches {150mm} of and not nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

A player may place his ball only once, and it is in play when it has been placed (Rule 20-4). If the ball fails to come to rest on the spot on which it is placed, Rule 20-3d applies. If the ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other rule apply. If the player fails to mark the position of the ball before lifting it or moves the ball in any other manner, such as rolling it with a club, he incurs a penalty of one stroke.”
Note: “Closely mown area means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.

Embedded Ball
Through the green, a ball that is embedded may be lifted, cleaned and
dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but
not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the
course through the green. (Appendix 1 Part A 3a of the Rules of Golf)

Kind Regards,
Mark & Steven Lowe
Co-Chairmen of Handicaps