Adjusting for specific or special circumstances
By Jimmy Becker Director, Championships & Player Performance
On the back of a scorecard, posted in a locker room or on a piece of paper on the back of a hole location sheet at an SCGA competition, you usually see a set of Rules listed that have been put in place by the facility or Committee in charge of the competition. What are these “Rules?” These “Rules” are called Local Rules. They are a set of modifications or an addition to an existing Rule that is adopted for general play or any competition. These are put in place to cover specific or special circumstances at a particular golf course. It is the job of the Committee of the competition (or facility if for general play) to make sure that Local Rules are:
- Clearly defined and communicated to the player.
- Not used to wave or modify a Rule of Golf or to modify a penalty.
- Written to cover the specific rules situations that are unique at a particular course.
To help Committees and facilities, the Rules of Golf in 2019 added a section in the back of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf under Committee Procedures, Section 8, which is a set of Model Local Rules covering various situations and suggested verbiage for Committees and facilities to use to ensure clear and consistent verbiage for instituting a Local Rule.
Sections 8A-8M cover the following areas:
▪ 8A Course Boundaries and Out of Bounds
▪ 8B Penalty Areas
▪ 8C Bunkers
▪ 8D Putting Greens
▪ 8E Special Relief Procedures
▪ 8F Abnormal Course Conditions and Integral Objects
▪ 8G Restrictions on Use of Specific Equipment
▪ 8H Defining Who May Help or Give Advice to Players
▪ 8I Defining When and Where Players May Practice
▪ 8J Procedures for Bad Weather and Suspensions of Play
▪ 8K Pace of Play Policies
▪ 8L Scorecard Responsibilities
▪ 8M Model Local Rules for Players with Disabilities
All these Model Local Rules can be found on the Rules of Golf app, the USGA website or in the back of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf. Make sure to use the Model Local Rules when you are running your next competition or just revising the Local Rules at your home club.
