USGA & Local Rules of Golf
The SBRWGA plays to the USGA Rules of Golf as defined in their most current publication of January 2019. These rules are adhered to in order to protect the field during competition. League members should know the most common of these rules; such as those which address lost or out of bound balls, unplayable lies, and relief from penalty areas and cart paths.
The Rules of Golf smartphone app can be downloaded here.
If there is a dispute over a possible breach of a rule between two players, or some doubt on how to proceed with a situation, you should play a second ball, record both scores, and obtain a ruling following the round.
The SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club Local Rules
SBRWGA members should be acquainted with our local rules. Rather than being punitive, these rules are intended to offer welcome relief for a number of situations, often with the added benefit of helping to maintain a good pace of play.
OUT OF BOUNDS: Homeowners’ property lines, walls, fences, streets and parking lots shall define out-of-bounds when white stakes are not present.
GROUND UNDER REPAIR: All newly sodded areas, landscaped areas, areas outlined by white lines, staked trees and embedded stones in the turf area are Ground Under Repair from which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies within the area or if it interferes with the player’s stance or intended swing, the player must take relief under rule 16.1. Cow, coyote, or javelina dung, anthills, and damage that is clearly identifiable as having been caused by animal hoofs, are to be treated as ground under repair. Relief from damage due to animal hoofs is restricted to lie of ball and area of swing and is not permitted for stance. Rule 16.1 applies.
EMBEDDED BALL: In the general area, a ball that is embedded in its own pitch mark in the turf may be lifted without penalty, cleaned, and using the spot directly behind where the ball was embedded as a reference point, be dropped and remain within a one club relief area that is not nearer the hole.
STONES IN BUNKERS are movable obstructions. Rule 15.1a/b applies. If the ball moves while removing the stones, it must be replaced, without penalty, providing the movement is directly attributed to the removal of the stones.
FRENCH DRAINS are immovable obstructions. Rule 16.1a applies. The player may lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within a one club relief area that is not nearer to the hole than the nearest point of relief.
PROVISIONAL BALL ON HOLES WITH RED PENALTY AREA: If a player does not know whether ball is in the red penalty area on holes #4, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 16, the player may play a provisional ball under Rule 18.3, which is modified in this way:
The player may use the stroke-and-distance relief option (Rule 17.1d (1), the back-on-the-line relief option (Rule 17.1d (2) or the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d (3).
Once the player has played a provisional ball under this Rule, he or she may not use any further options under Rule 17.1 in relation to the original ball.
If the original ball is found in penalty area within the three minute search time the player may choose to either:
When original ball is not found within the three minute search time or is known or virtually certain to be in a red penalty area, the provisional ball becomes the player’s ball in play.
GREENSIDE IRRIGATION HEADS are immovable obstructions. Rule 16.1 applies. Relief may be taken when irrigation head is on the line of play, is within two club lengths of the putting green, and is within two club lengths of the ball. The ball may be cleaned when lifted. Exception: there is no relief under this local rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.
AERATION HOLES: If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole they may precede as follows:
Ball in the General Area. Rule 16.1b. The player may take relief by referencing the nearest point of relief then lifting, cleaning, and dropping within a one club length of relief area. If the ball comes to rest in another aeration hole the player may take relief again under this local rule. Interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s stance.
Ball on the Putting Green. Rule 16.1d. The player may take relief by referencing the nearest point of relief, lifting, cleaning, and placing on the reference point, no closer to the hole. Interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s line of play.
TURF AREAS IN THE ROUGH WORN BY CART TRAFFIC OR ERODED BY IRRIGATION/SOIL ISSUES TO BARE GROUND: A golf ball that lies on bare ground within the turf area of the rough (between the cart path and irrigation heads bordering the desert) will be entitled to relief without penalty. The ball may be lifted, cleaned, and dropped within a one club length relief area that is not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.
Bare ground to be defined as an area of soil completely devoid of turf or thatch. Relief from bare ground is restricted to lie of ball only and is not permitted for stance and area of swing. Use the line created by the irrigation heads to determine if the ball lies in the turf area or in the desert.
DRAINAGE FROM ROADS: Portions on the course are designed for drainage using large rocks. A ball that lies in these areas and is in bounds is entitled to free relief of stance and swing at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. These areas are located on holes #7, 15, and 17.
ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR BALL LOST OR OUT OF BOUNDS OUTSIDE A PENALTY AREA: When a player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance.
For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief in the general area by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area using the reference points noted below. (see Rule 14.3):
Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball is estimated to have come to rest on the course, or last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.
Fairway Reference Point: The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point. The ball may be dropped with a two club relief area in the fairway or within the relief area created by the two reference points and no closer to the hole.
For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.
If a ball is estimated to be lost on the course or last crossed the edge of the course boundary short of the fairway, the fairway reference point may be a grass path or a teeing ground for the hole being played cut to fairway height or less.
The Rules of Golf smartphone app can be downloaded here.
If there is a dispute over a possible breach of a rule between two players, or some doubt on how to proceed with a situation, you should play a second ball, record both scores, and obtain a ruling following the round.
The SaddleBrooke Ranch Golf Club Local Rules
SBRWGA members should be acquainted with our local rules. Rather than being punitive, these rules are intended to offer welcome relief for a number of situations, often with the added benefit of helping to maintain a good pace of play.
OUT OF BOUNDS: Homeowners’ property lines, walls, fences, streets and parking lots shall define out-of-bounds when white stakes are not present.
GROUND UNDER REPAIR: All newly sodded areas, landscaped areas, areas outlined by white lines, staked trees and embedded stones in the turf area are Ground Under Repair from which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies within the area or if it interferes with the player’s stance or intended swing, the player must take relief under rule 16.1. Cow, coyote, or javelina dung, anthills, and damage that is clearly identifiable as having been caused by animal hoofs, are to be treated as ground under repair. Relief from damage due to animal hoofs is restricted to lie of ball and area of swing and is not permitted for stance. Rule 16.1 applies.
EMBEDDED BALL: In the general area, a ball that is embedded in its own pitch mark in the turf may be lifted without penalty, cleaned, and using the spot directly behind where the ball was embedded as a reference point, be dropped and remain within a one club relief area that is not nearer the hole.
STONES IN BUNKERS are movable obstructions. Rule 15.1a/b applies. If the ball moves while removing the stones, it must be replaced, without penalty, providing the movement is directly attributed to the removal of the stones.
FRENCH DRAINS are immovable obstructions. Rule 16.1a applies. The player may lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within a one club relief area that is not nearer to the hole than the nearest point of relief.
PROVISIONAL BALL ON HOLES WITH RED PENALTY AREA: If a player does not know whether ball is in the red penalty area on holes #4, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 16, the player may play a provisional ball under Rule 18.3, which is modified in this way:
The player may use the stroke-and-distance relief option (Rule 17.1d (1), the back-on-the-line relief option (Rule 17.1d (2) or the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d (3).
Once the player has played a provisional ball under this Rule, he or she may not use any further options under Rule 17.1 in relation to the original ball.
If the original ball is found in penalty area within the three minute search time the player may choose to either:
- Continue to play the original ball as it lies in the penalty area, in which case the provisional ball must not be played. All strokes with that provisional ball before it was abandoned (including strokes made and any penalty strokes solely from playing that ball) do not count.
- Continue to play the provisional ball in which case the original ball must not be played.
When original ball is not found within the three minute search time or is known or virtually certain to be in a red penalty area, the provisional ball becomes the player’s ball in play.
GREENSIDE IRRIGATION HEADS are immovable obstructions. Rule 16.1 applies. Relief may be taken when irrigation head is on the line of play, is within two club lengths of the putting green, and is within two club lengths of the ball. The ball may be cleaned when lifted. Exception: there is no relief under this local rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.
AERATION HOLES: If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole they may precede as follows:
Ball in the General Area. Rule 16.1b. The player may take relief by referencing the nearest point of relief then lifting, cleaning, and dropping within a one club length of relief area. If the ball comes to rest in another aeration hole the player may take relief again under this local rule. Interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s stance.
Ball on the Putting Green. Rule 16.1d. The player may take relief by referencing the nearest point of relief, lifting, cleaning, and placing on the reference point, no closer to the hole. Interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s line of play.
TURF AREAS IN THE ROUGH WORN BY CART TRAFFIC OR ERODED BY IRRIGATION/SOIL ISSUES TO BARE GROUND: A golf ball that lies on bare ground within the turf area of the rough (between the cart path and irrigation heads bordering the desert) will be entitled to relief without penalty. The ball may be lifted, cleaned, and dropped within a one club length relief area that is not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.
Bare ground to be defined as an area of soil completely devoid of turf or thatch. Relief from bare ground is restricted to lie of ball only and is not permitted for stance and area of swing. Use the line created by the irrigation heads to determine if the ball lies in the turf area or in the desert.
DRAINAGE FROM ROADS: Portions on the course are designed for drainage using large rocks. A ball that lies in these areas and is in bounds is entitled to free relief of stance and swing at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. These areas are located on holes #7, 15, and 17.
ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR BALL LOST OR OUT OF BOUNDS OUTSIDE A PENALTY AREA: When a player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance.
For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief in the general area by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area using the reference points noted below. (see Rule 14.3):
Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball is estimated to have come to rest on the course, or last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.
Fairway Reference Point: The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point. The ball may be dropped with a two club relief area in the fairway or within the relief area created by the two reference points and no closer to the hole.
For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.
If a ball is estimated to be lost on the course or last crossed the edge of the course boundary short of the fairway, the fairway reference point may be a grass path or a teeing ground for the hole being played cut to fairway height or less.