Local Rules

1. OUT OF BOUNDS (RULE 18)

  1. Beyond all boundary fences
  2. Beyond the line of white posts dividing the course from the practice facilities
  3. The clubhouse area and putting green as defined by white posts, paving stones or flower beds

2. GROUND UNDER REPAIR

Ground under repair is defined by any area encircled by a white line. Relief under Rule 16.1.

3. FIXED SPRINKLER HEADS AND HYDRANTS

  1. All fixed sprinkler heads are immovable obstructions and relief from interference may be taken under Rule 16.1.
  2. The player also has these extra options to take relief when such immovable obstructions are close to the putting green and on the line of play:
  3. Ball in general area. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if an immovable obstruction is:
  4. On the line of play, and is: within two club-lengths of the putting green, and within two club-lengths of the ball.
  5. Exception - No relief If line of play clearly unreasonable.

4. STAKED TREES

  1. The young trees identified by white lines or stakes are no play zones:
  2. If a player's ball lies anywhere on the course other than in a penalty area and it lies on or touches such a tree or such a tree interferes with the player's stance or area of intended swing, the player must take relief under Rule 16.1f.
  3. If the ball lies in a penalty area, and interference to the player's stance or area of intended swing exists from such a tree, the player must take relief either with penalty under Rule 17.1e or with free relief under Rule 17.1e(2).

Penalty for playing ball from a wrong place in breach of local rule:

General penalty under Rule 14.7a.

5. NO PLAY ZONE

1st Hole

The area populated by young trees to the right of the 1st hole and defined by blue posts with green tops on the right side of the 1st fairway, is a No Play Zone that is to be treated as an abnormal course condition. Free relief must be taken from interference by the no play zone by dropping  the original ball or another ball in the nearest designated dropping zone. The dropping zone is a relief area under Rule 14.3.

Should your ball, stance or swing be on or affected by the path running adjacent to the boundary of the course, free relief can be taken under Rule 14.3. and dropping a ball accordingly into the No Play Zone. Relief must then be taken in accordance with the above rule regarding the drop zones.

It is very important that golfers comply with this order as it involves two separate rulings. You cannot proceed immediately from the path to a drop zone!

3rd Hole

The top half of the grassy mound to the right of the 3rd fairway is now a no play penalty Zone.

The area within the penalty zone as defined by red posts with green tops is a no play zone that is treated as a penalty area and relief must be taken from interference under the no play zone Rule 17.1e

A golfer cannot assume automatically that their tee shot has finished in the top half of the mound so it is advised that golfers hit a provisional ball if they have any doubt as to where their ball may have finished. It must be known or virtually certain that their ball has finished in the mound to be able to take relief.

Under the Rules of Golf,  known or virtually certain means more than just possible or probable. It means

There is conclusive evidence that the event in question happened to the player’s ball, such as when the player or other witnesses saw it happen, or,
Although there is a very small degree of doubt, all reasonably available information shows that it is 95% likely that the event happened

“All reasonably available information” includes all information the player knows and all other information they can get with reasonable effort and without unreasonable delay.

When searching for a ball, only information discovered within the 3 minute search time is considered when determining whether Knowledge or virtual certainty exists.

Please note that the area between the grassy mound and the net on the 3rd hole is an integral part of the hole and is not a designated path.

6. DRAINAGE LINES

The drainage lines that have been created during recent course working should be treated as abnormal course conditions for which free relief must be taken from interference under Rule 16.1 (interference with a player's stance or swing).

7. LINE OF PLAY RELIEF FOR PROTECTIVE FENCE

During play of the 3rd hole, if the protective fence on the right hand side of the fairway is on a player’s line of play, the player may take free relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from the dropping zone located in the rough and defined by white lines.

Otherwise the player may proceed under rule 16.1a although the player’s attention is bought to 16.1a (3)

No Relief When Clearly Unreasonable to Play Ball. There is no relief under Rule 16.1:

  • When playing the ball as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something other than an abnormal course condition (such as, when a player is standing in temporary water or on an immovable obstruction but is unable to make a stroke because of where the ball lies in a bush), or
  • When interference exists only because a player chooses a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances.

Definition Line of Play – The line where the player intends his or her ball to go after a stroke.

8. OVERHEAD POWER CABLE

If it is known or virtually certain that a player's ball hit a power line during the playing of the 7th and 9th holes, the stroke does not count. The player must play a ball without penalty from where the previous stroke was made (see Rule 14.6).

9. PENALTY AREAS

All penalty areas are defined by red stakes/lines. If a player's ball is in a penalty area, including when it is known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area even though not found, the player has these relief options, each for one penalty stroke:

  1. Stroke and distance relief (see Rule 14.6).
  2. Back on the line relief (see Rule 14.3)
  3. Lateral relief (see Rule 14.3)

10. PATHS

All roads and paths on the course, even if not artificially surfaced, are treated as immovable obstructions from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1.

11. MARKER POSTS

All marker posts on the course are treated as immovable obstructions from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1. Relief is not allowed to be taken under Rule 15.2. Penalty for breach of local rule: General penalty.

12. PACE OF PLAY

If a group finishes the round more than the starting interval behind the group in front and over 4 hours from the time of starting, all players in the group are subject to a penalty.

13. PROTECTIVE NETTING

If a player’s ball has not been found and it is known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in, on or under the protective netting on the course, The player may take relief under Rule 16.1a,  using the estimated point where the ball last crossed the edge of the abnormal course condition on the course as the spot of the ball for purposes of finding the nearest point of complete relief.

  • Once the player puts another ball in play to take relief in this way:

    • The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.

    • This is true even if it is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).

But if it is not known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in or on an abnormal course condition and the ball is lost, the player must take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 18.2.

 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:

First breach: Verbal warning from referee/marshal.
Second breach: One-stroke penalty.
Third breach: General penalty applied in addition to the penalty for the second breach.
Fourth breach: Disqualification.