Sterling Rulings in Action
The Men's Club will use this section to share actual situations that have occurred on the course and what the ruling was for each. You can send us a situation of your own and have a ruling sent back to you and posted on the site! Send your situations to rules@sfmensclub.com
Situation:
Recently, Player A launched a wild shot off the 16th tee. The ball ended up near the practice green to the left of the 15th. Player A had a clear shot to the green except for one thing–about ten yards in front of him stood a chain link fence surrounding some meteorological equipment. Player A yelled to some friends on the 15th tee, who said that he could take relief, since the chain link fence interfered with his line to the green. Player A then moved the ball to a position clear of the fence, made sure that he was no closer to the hole and took a drop. Was he within the rules?
Ruling:
No. Since the fence was ten yards in front of him, there was no interference to his swing or stance and, hence, no relief. Further, since the fence is a permanent fixture on the course and not a temporary immovable obstruction (like a scoreboard or bleachers meant to be removed after a tournament) the player could not claim relief under the temporary immovable obstruction clause. (See Appendix 1 Rule 7.)
Situation:
In a recent tournament, Player A hooked a tee shot into the fence separating the driving range from the ninth hole. The ball dropped straight down and came to rest between the fence and an out of bounds line painted on the ground. In fact, the ball actually grazed the line. Unable to make a swing and uncertain if his ball was in bounds or out, Player A played two balls. With the first, he took an unplayable lie, dropped within two club lengths, knocked the ball onto the green and made a two-putt bogey. With the second, he went back to the tee, launched one into the bunker, jacked his fourth onto the green and made a two-putt double. Which ball counted?
Ruling:
Unfortunately, the second ball. When a line is painted on the ground to mark out of bounds, the line itself is out of bounds. So a ball that's touching the line, if no other portion of the ball is touching in bounds, is out of bounds. Had Player A submitted the five, he would have been DQd, so playing the second ball and submitting the six was a good idea.
Situation:
Last October, Player A duffed his tee shot off the second tee. The ball went dead straight and died somewhere on the hillside below the ladies' tee-box. Surprisingly, Player A was unable to find the ball. He knew that it wasn't in the creek on the left or trees on the right and didn't believe that he should be forced to take a lost ball penalty. After a few minutes of searching, he told his playing companion that the ball had to be under one of the many leaves in the area and that he was taking a free drop under the "Leaf Rule" provision. His playing companion objected, claiming that there's no such thing as the "Leaf Rule." Who was right?
Ruling:
In this instance, neither player was entirely right, but Player A was at least partially right. There is such a thing as the "Leaf Rule." (See Rule 33-8, which allows the Committee to establish local rules for local abnormal conditions, such as excessive leaves.) But the Committee must state that the "Leaf Rule" is in effect and must specify where exactly the abnormal conditions exist–for instance, on a certain hole, fairways only, or through the green. Since Player A had no idea if the "Leaf Rule" was in effect or where it might be in effect, he was invoking a privilege that may or may not have existed. Fortunately for him, as the players were discussing this matter, the wind blew and uncovered the ball from beneath a leaf, allowing him to play on.
