PART B: SPECIMEN LOCAL RULES
Within the policy established in Part A of this Appendix, the
Committee may adopt a Specimen Local Rule by referring, on
a score card or notice board, to the examples given below.
However, Specimen Local Rules of a temporary nature should
not be printed on a score card.
1. Water Hazards; Ball Played Provisionally Under
Rule 26-1
If a water hazard (including a lateral water hazard) is of such size
and shape and/or located in such a position that:
Appendix I 103
(i) it
would be impracticable to determine whether the ball
is in the hazard or to do so would unduly delay play, and
(ii) if the original ball is not found, it is known or virtually
certain that it is in the water hazard,
the Committee may introduce a Local Rule permitting the play
of a ball provisionally under Rule 26-1. The ball is played provisionally
under any of the applicable options under Rule 26-1 or
any applicable Local Rule. In such a case, if a ball is played provisionally
and the original ball is in a water hazard, the player
may play the original ball as it lies or continue with the ball
played provisionally, but he may not proceed under Rule 26-1
with regard to the original ball.
In these circumstances, the following Local Rule is recommended:
“If there is doubt whether a ball is in or is lost in the water
hazard (specify location), the player may play another ball provisionally
under any of the applicable options in Rule 26-1.
If the original ball is found outside the water hazard, the player
must continue play with it.
If the original ball is found in the water hazard, the player may
either play the original ball as it lies or continue with the ball
played provisionally under Rule 26-1.
If the original ball is not found or identified within the
five-minute search period, the player must continue with
the ball played provisionally.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.”
2. Areas of the Course Requiring Preservation;
Environmentally-Sensitive Areas
g a. Ground Under Repair; Play Prohibited
If the Committee wishes to protect any area of the course, it should
declare it to be ground under repair and prohibit play from within
that area. The following Local Rule is recommended:
104 Appendix I
“The _____________(defined by ____) is ground under repair from
which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies in the area, or if
it interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended
swing, the player must take relief under Rule 25-1.
PEN ALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.”
g b. Environmentally-Sensitive Areas
If an appropriate authority (i.e., a government agency or the
like) prohibits entry into and/or play from an area on or adjoining
the course for environmental reasons, the Committee should
make a Local Rule clarifying the relief procedure.
The Committee has some discretion in terms of whether the area
is defined as ground under repair, a water hazard or out of bounds.
However, it may not simply define such an area to be a water
hazard if it does not meet the Definition of a “Water Hazard” and
it should attempt to preserve the character of the hole.
The following Local Rule is recommended:
“I. Definition
An environmentally-sensitive area (ESA) is an area so
declared by an appropriate authority, entry into and/or
play from which is prohibited for environmental reasons.
These areas may be defined as ground under repair, a water
hazard, a lateral water hazard or out of bounds at the discretion
of the Committee, provided that in the case of an ESA that
has been defined as a water hazard or a lateral water hazard,
the area is, by Definition, a water hazard.
Note: The Committee may not declare an area to be environmentally-
sensitive.
II. Ball in Environmentally-Sensitive Area
a. Ground Under Repair
If a ball is in an ESA defined as ground under repair, a ball
must be dropped in accordance with Rule 25-1b.
If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has
not been found is in an ESA defined as ground under
Appendix I 105
repair, the player may take relief, without penalty, as
prescribed in Rule 25-1c.
b. Water Hazards and Lateral Water Hazards
If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has
not been found is in an ESA defined as a water hazard or
lateral water hazard, the player must, under penalty of one
stroke, proceed under Rule 26-1.
Note: If a ball dropped in accordance with Rule 26 rolls
into a position where the ESA interferes with the player’s
stance or the area of his intended swing, the player
must take relief as provided in Clause III of this Local
Rule.
c. Out of Bounds
If a ball is in an ESA defined as out of bounds, the player
must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as
possible at the spot from which the original ball was last
played (see Rule 20-5).
III. Interference with Stance or Area of Intended Swing
Interference by an ESA occurs when the ESA interferes with
the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing. If interference
exists, the player must take relief as follows:
(a) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green,
the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies
must be determined that (a) is not nearer the hole,
(b) avoids interference by the ESA and (c) is not in a
hazard or on a putting green. The player must lift the
ball and drop it, without penalty, within one clublength
of the point so determined on a part of the
course that fulfills (a), (b) and (c) above.
(b) In a Hazard: If the ball is in a hazard, the player must
lift the ball and drop it either:
(i) Without penalty, in the hazard, as near as possible
to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the
hole, on a part of the course that provides complete
relief from the ESA; or
106 Appendix I
(ii) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the hazard,
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 hazard
the ball may be dropped. Additionally, the player
may proceed under Rule 26 or 28 if applicable.
(c) On the Putting Green: If the ball lies on the putting
green, the player must lift the ball and place it, without
penalty, in the nearest position to where it lay
that affords complete relief from the ESA, but not
nearer the hole or in a hazard.
The ball may be cleaned when lifted under Clause III of this
Local Rule.
Exception: A player may not take relief under Clause III of this
Local Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a
stroke because of interference by anything other than an ESA or
(b) interference by an ESA would occur only through use of an
unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.
PEN ALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.
Note: In the case of a serious breach of this Local Rule, the
Committee may impose a penalty of disqualification.”
3. Protection of Young Trees
When it is desired to prevent damage to young trees, the following
Local Rule is recommended:
“Protection of young trees identified by ______ — If such a tree
interferes with a player’s stance or the area of his intended
swing, the ball must be lifted, without penalty, and dropped
in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 24-2b
(Immovable Obstruction). If the ball lies in a water hazard, the
player must lift and drop the ball in accordance with Rule 24-
2b(i), except that the nearest point of relief must be in the water
hazard and the ball must be dropped in the water hazard, or the
player may proceed under Rule 26. The ball may be cleaned
when lifted under this Local Rule.
Appendix I 107
Exception: A player may not take relief under this Local Rule if
(a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of
interference by anything other than the tree or (b) interference
by the tree would occur only through use of an unnecessarily
abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.
PEN ALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.”
