ruling req

Playing in competition today off white tees, got to 8th hole and no tee markers where on the tee box, we played off the little distance marker giving the yardage for the hole having consulted one of the greenkeepers, was this right ?

Hello Pat,

I may be wrong on this but I was always under the impression that if there were no tee markers on a tee then one could play from anywhere within that teeing ground.

I thought this would be straight forward, but having read the two Decisions relating to this I see it isn't.

11-4b/2  Competitors Estimate Area of Teeing Ground When One Tee-Marker Missing

Q. In stroke play, competitors in a group, finding one tee-marker missing from a teeing ground, determine for themselves the area of the teeing ground based on the position of the remaining tee-marker and the shape of the tee. What is the ruling?

A. The correct procedure is to discontinue play until the Committee resolves the problem.

However, if the Committee is satisfied that the competitors did not gain an advantage by playing from the place they judged to be the teeing ground, it would be appropriate for the Committee, in equity (Rule 1-4), to accept their scores, without penalty. Otherwise, they incur the penalty prescribed in Rule 11-4b.

11-4b/3  Competitors Determine Spot from Which to Play from Tee When Both Tee-Markers Are Missing

Q. In stroke play, the competitors in a group, finding no tee-markers on a particular hole, determine for themselves the spot from which to begin play on the hole, and tee off. What is the ruling?

A. It would be appropriate for the Committee to accept without penalty the scores of the competitors in question if there was evidence as to where the tee-markers were intended to be and the competitors determined the teeing ground from such evidence and played from within such teeing ground. Sufficient evidence might include spots of paint established to show where the tee-markers were to be installed or, if the tee-markers were removed during a round, depressions or other marks on the ground indicating where the tee-markers had been located.

In the absence of such evidence, the competitors should be disqualified under Rule 11-4b unless, before playing from the next tee, they discontinue play, get the Committee to establish tee-markers and replay the hole from within the established teeing ground. Any competitor so replaying would incur a penalty of two strokes —  Rule 11-4bRule Rule 11-4b  

So its get a Committee Member there quick or else?

TheLyth

Seems a bit pedantic, but D11-4b/3 suggests disqualification if no evidence of where markers should have been or had been.