Distance Measuring Devices in Golf

March 25, 2015April 16, 2019 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Since 2006, distance measuring devices (DMD) are allowed in golf. Although this rule has been around for 9 years, if ask an amateur about a DMD, you might be surprised at the plethora of answers.

What sparked my interest in DMD is a Sean Foley’s article called Ride the Wind from Golf Digest, April 2015. He stated in the article that weather apps on your phone to find wind speed and direction are allowed when playing golf. At first, I was thinking that this could not be right because it was not something I remember reading in the rule book. So, off to the rules I went.

According to the USGA and RCGA, Appendix IV, players cannot use any device that:

the gauging or measuring of slope;
the gauging or measuring of other conditions that might affect play (e.g., wind speed or direction, or other climate-based information such as temperature, humidity, etc.);
recommendations that might assist the player in making a stroke or in his play (e.g., club selection, type of shot to be played, green reading or any other advice related matter); or
calculating the effective distance between two points based on slope or other conditions affecting shot distance.

Unless I am interpreting this wrong, a device that measures wind speed or direction is contrary to rule 14-3 – Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment. So it is not legal to use a weather app that measures wind speed and direction and thus cannot be used during any tournament or round of golf.

To make sure I cover all my bases, I next checked the recent decisions of golf that have not made it into the official rulebook yet. “According to the USGA and R&A, “decisions” are updated every two years and the actual Rules of Golf are updated every four years.” The ability to change the rules of golf to adapt to its evolving nature is extremely important. Most weekend golfers are less concerned about the real rules, but if you have a wish to play in any competition, knowing or not knowing the rules could prevent you from being disqualified.

My research in the ‘decision’ section of the official rules revealed: 14-3/18 Weather Information Accessed on Multi-Functional Device

Q. During a stipulated round, may a player access local weather information (e.g., wind, temperature, humidity) through an application or internet browser on a multi-functional device?

A. Yes. The prohibition in Rule 14-3 is only applicable to the specific act of gauging or measuring conditions that might affect a player’s play (e.g., through use of an anemometer or a thermometer). When accessing weather reports provided by a weather station through an application or internet browser, the player is not actively measuring or gauging the conditions.

Basically, a person can use a weather app, but not to check wind speed and direction to make swing decisions or club selection. They can only check for the possibility of stormy weather making its way toward the course.

After rereading the article, I actually think the error was a typo. Foley states that compasses are not allowed and weather apps are allowed during a round of golf. The official rules show that the exact opposite is true. So as you head to the course, if you use a multi-functional device, make sure it can only measure distances or else you could be disqualified.

On last point about using DMD, they have to be approved by the Local Rules of your course or else they are not allowed either!

Lastly, if I am wrong about my interpretation of the DMD rule, please feel free to correct me and I will pass it on to my readers. It is important that we all understand the rules of golf!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Put on the Clock in Golf

March 23, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Slow Play in Golf, Is it a Problem?

Henrik Stenson is not happy about being “put on the clock” on the 15th hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend. He attributes to this poor play down the stretch to the ruling that his group (the last group) was out of position. This is not a usual ruling, but it generally is not enforced on the last group with the tournament on the line.

I did not watch the tournament, but Pete at White Dragon Golf has a good wrap up on Stenson’s views worth reading. We could discuss the merits of the call, but I have always viewed a rules official as someone who levels the playing field, but should not determine the outcome of any match. I am not sure this is the case at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and will sit on the fence as to whether it was the correct call or not.

What does being put on the clock actually mean? This information below is from golf.about.com. They have covered the topic pretty well. I have only cut part of the article out, so there is more about fines if you want to read on.

PGA Tour slow play rules and penalties are based on what the tour calls “bad times.” Let’s say Group X has fallen off the pace and is out of position (meaning, too much space – usually a full hole – has opened between this group and the group ahead of it).

A rules official or Tour official will notify all players in the group that the group is being put “on the clock.” Once a group is on the clock, PGA Tour officials begin timing each player. Once that timing of a group begins, each player has 40 seconds to play each stroke, except in the following cases when he has 60 seconds:

He is the first of his group to play from the teeing ground of a par-3 hole;

He is the first to play a second shot on a par-4 or par-5;

He is the first to play a third shot on a par-5;

He is the first player to play around the putting green;

He is the first to play on the putting green.

Slow play is a problem in golf! We have discussed this topic (natural flow, May I Play Through) several times and this weekend, Rule 6-7 Undue Delay / Slow Play might have cost a professional golfer about $500,000! Yes, about a half of a million dollars! Quite a bit of cash for just a few seconds here and there.

Depending on your perspective, the ruling this weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational might seem excessive. However, from a player who has endured 6.5 hour rounds in tournaments, slow play is a problem in golf. Unfortunately for Henrik Stenson, according to his perspective (and a person’s perspective is a person’s reality) being “put on the clock” was uncalled for and eventually cost him the chance to win.

I have never been put on the clock and generally, I play pretty quick. So a couple of questions to all the readers out there: Do you think slow play is a problem in golf? Was Stenson’s slow play ruling fair? Have you ever been called for slow play? Have you ever wanted to call someone for slow play? What are you thinking?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Three Rules in Golf Everyone Should Know

February 28, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

The rules of golf are a reoccurring theme at The Grateful Golfer. They are important to the integrity of the game, but more importantly for those aspiring players who want to compete in tournaments. This video below by Golf Monthly is brilliant. It explains three simple rules that will save you strokes in the long run!

The three important points that resonate with me are:

actually saying the words “provisional ball”;
when dropping the ball, it can roll outside two club lengths as long as it goes no closer to the hole; and
when taking free relief, it must be full relief.

Did you know these rules and do you apply them properly?

What caught your attention about these three important rules?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

More Than Just a Water Hazard!

February 8, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 11 Comments

Water on any golf course provides untold challenges. A pond can lie between the tee box and the green on a par three, there are the famous island greens, or water can follow you down the fair way like a lion stalking its prey! Water evokes fear in most amateurs, which ultimately affects their golf game.

Glen Abbey Golf Course, Oakville, Ontario

Tough shot over water to green at Glen Abbey Golf Course!

Hitting your ball into the water is frustrating and does cost a player strokes. However, what is more frustrating is being award more penalty strokes or hitting the ball out of a tough lie for not understanding the drop rule related to a water hazard.

Red and Yellow stakes are often confused. Most amateurs who do not understand the rules and drop the ball within 2 club lengths of their point of entry into the hazard and then just carry on. They often ask the question about the number of penalty stokes they must count and sometimes ‘forget’ the penalty all together. For the weekend golfer who does not really care that much about their score, it really does not matter. But for those who want to play in competition; the video below by Golf.com is for you!

So not that we have demystified the Red and Yellow stakes issue. We can confidently remove the fear of all water hazards. One last tip, the best way to make sure avoid the red/yellow stake rule for a water hazard….do not hit your ball into the water!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Water in the Bunker! Really?

February 2, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

The rules of golf are sometimes strange and difficult to understand. They seem written by someone who takes pleasure in trying to stump the average golfer with language and interpretations that just do not make any sense. Last year while competing at the Ontario Military Regional Golf Tournament, one particular rule actually changed the score of many of the competitors.

On day one, torrential rains soaked the Garrison Golf and Curling Club in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, for four hours making it almost unplayable. After a further delay of two hours, the officials decided we could start our competition with some local rules.

The first was lift clean and place ‘through the greens’. “Through the green’’ is the whole area of the course except: for the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played and all hazards on the course. So basically anywhere on the course, even the woods!

The second and more important rule change was that all bunkers were out of play. If your ball landed in the bunker, the player could remove the ball and keeping the point of where the ball came to rest in line with the pin, go back as far as they wanted. After discussion with the players after the round, this was a very popular decision.

The second day was slightly different. Although the course was still extremely wet, the rules officials did not invoke any local rules and the decision was made to play the ball where it lies. This is where knowing the rules was very important!

Many of the bunkers still had water in them from the previous day. Some were still completely filled. Many of the players were dismayed with the decision to keep the bunkers in play and no less than three players had to take a one stroke penalty for an unplayable lie within the bunker.

Water in the Bunker! Now What?

But wait you say! If the ball is in the bunker underwater, would that not be considered casual water? The answer is yes! It is considered casual water and in this case falls under rule 25-1 Abnormal Ground Conditions. Under the relief part of this rule, the interpretation is:

(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or
(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

I had to use this rule once during the competition and fortunately I was able to drop the ball in the bunker without a penalty stroke. Many of the players complained about the different rules they had to use during the first two days of the tournament and the most popular was rule 25-1. In the clubhouse after each round, I was amused by the many discussions starting with the question, “What about….”

Know the rules in golf is very important. They are meant to even the playing field, but only if you understand what they mean. As a player with over 35 years experience, I reread the rules at the beginning of every season. I helps remind me of the subtle nuances of golf. I also enjoy talking about the rules and hearing the different interpretation from other players, it only makes me smarter about the game I love to play.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!