Golf Rules

After watching the USA PGA, I was confused to see a PRO getting relief from a plugged lie in the rough. As the R+A Rules clearly state that only on closely mown areas do you get relief. 

Was there a Local rule for this competition?

Or do the PRO's play off different rules?

Thanks Sanderslongdrive, I'm surprised you only quoted the "Rule25.2" because that just confirms that I'm correct in wondering why he got relief???? because his ball wasn't on closely mown grass????

I'm watching the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Matt Kuchar is playing the 5th and driven it under a brush into what we call in UK as Pine Needles (I think you call them Pine Straw!) He wants relief as per Rule 25.2, Embedded ball....The tree isnt on the fairway, it's in the rough, so why is he asking for relief????? Even the rules guy stated that it can't in Embedded in pine needles, but it's in the rough so he must play it as it lies!!! I know he did play it but the point Im making is relief for an Embeeded ball can only be got on closely mown grass>

Comments please

Mike , as you suspected there's different rules for pro's another one is on lift ,clean and place they get a full clubs relief to our 6 inches, and we wonder why they shoot lower than us

So Dave, are you stating that the rule for an Embedded ball is different for the Pro's. Is that fact or are you assuming?

Mike,

A Golf Club or a PGA Tour can have a Local Rule in operation that allows some changes to the way they play a course. An example is being allowed to remove stones in a Bunker. Some Clubs allow it, others don't, The PGA Tours allow it every week.

If you get hold of a Rule Book and read the back pages APPENDIX 1 all will become clearer.

TheLyth

Dave,

Yes I fully understand this, but the commentators never mention a local rule, David Howell during the PGA and Mark Roe this week commentating on SKY TV, quoted the relief for a plugged ball in the rough as a Rule of golf, and not a local rule.  APPENDIX 1 will not explain that the Rand A RULES ARE NOT BEING QUOTED CORRECTLY. 

Mike

I played in a Pro-Am in the seventies at Penina in the Algarve. I was paired with Martin Foster and the course had suffered torrential rain for the days leading up to the competition and it was touch and go whether it was payable, but in the end all was OK.

I then learned that the Pros seem to have their own rules inasmuch that a ball lying anywhere on the course was a lift clean and place within 1 clublength.

This seemd OK to me as the conditions were pretty poor but then I saw the other side of the coin, the taking of the advantage of this rule. Martin hit a shot to the green and finished 1 foot off to the right of the green on the fringe, taking relief of the clean and place within one clublength put his ball onto the green, which I thought was rather stretching the rules, but they all did it, I can assure you.

John,

Yes once again I fully understand, the comp you played obviously had a local rule because of the heavy rain, my Club has a local rule for embedded ball "through the green" during the wet winter months. This rule is then resindedabout March when the course becomes dry!!! Everyone is missing the point I'm making....

Mike,

I am missing the point you are trying to make. Are you saying the commentators are not passing on the correct Rules? After all, they are not qualified referees.

Rule 25-2 allows relief from an Embedded Ball on any 'Closely-mown area through the green' and is in operation all the time. A Club or PGA Tour, infact anyone running a Comp can then use Appendix 1-Part B4a and drop the "Closely-mown area" part of the Rule and give relief on all parts of a course except Hazards etc.

TheLyth

Mike, when the ball is in a plugged lie in the rough at my course we are allowed to roll the ball backwards out of the plug upto 1 complete roll and I have found this to be the case at several other courses. I don't know if this is just a local rule but it does seem common place. No cleaning of the ball is allowed though as it is not on the fairway, even under winter rules when clean and place is active.

Chris it would have to be a local rule , we have a strange one at my club under winter rules the flag can stay in whilst putting from anywhere on the green .Don't know of any where eles that allows this?

Mike, from an x European tour player friend of mine ,European tour rule embedded ball free relief through the green.

David

My Club also applies the same flag in rule in the winter, or to a certain degree flag is in or out but may not be tended.

This is designed to ensure that people are not standing around the hole for prolonged periods of time and causing impressions on the soft greens

Graham