Unless otherwise noted, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule is the general penalty (loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play).
1. Out of Bounds (Rule 18.2)
Beyond any wall, fence, railing, or hedge bounding the course and/or beyond a line defined by white stakes. Also, beyond the ditch on the right-hand side of the 14th fairway running all the way around the back of the 14th green and onwards along the right hand side only of the 15th hole to behind the 16th tee. A ball in this ditch is within bounds.
2. Penalty Areas (Rule 17)
Any body of water on the course including lake, pond, ditch or surface drainage ditch, whether or not containing water, should be treated as a red penalty area. The edge of the penalty area is defined by its natural boundaries, that is, where the ground breaks sharply downwards.
When a penalty area adjoins a boundary (eg the ditch on holes 14,15 and 16) the penalty area edge extends to and coincides with the boundary. When a player’s ball is found in or it is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in any penalty area where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area at a point that coincides with the boundary the course, opposite side relief is available (see Model Local Rule B-2.1).
On hole 5 when a player’s ball is found in or it is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in the penalty area formed by a ditch on the left hand side of the hole, the player may drop a ball on the opposite side of the penalty area to where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area (see Model Local Rule B-2.1).
3. Abnormal Course Conditions (including immovable obstructions) (Rule 16; free relief)
3(a) Ground under repair
(1) any area identified as ground under repair (GUR) by being contained within a freshly painted white line.
(2) any deep rut, not a shallow indentation, made by vehicle tyres. A rut is considered deep where if a ball is lying in it, the club head cannot connect with it or follow through without interference from an edge of the rut or, if the player has to stand with a foot in it, the player cannot take a normal balanced stance.
(3) animal dung may be treated as either a loose impediment that may be removed under
Rule 15.1 or ground under repair from which relief is allowed under rule 16.1.
(4) all ‘habitat piles’ (piles of logs situated in woodland areas to encourage bugs and insects) are to be treated as ground under repair.
(5) all drainage lines/seams in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less (and on holes 3,4 and 17 in any part of the general area) are to be treated as ground under repair.
(6) trenches which have been dug for the installation of electrical cables (including any associated spoil heaps or reinstated turf) are to be treated as ground under repair. NB if any such trench has been backfilled but not yet grassed over, it continues to be treated as ground under repair until declared as restored by the Committee.
3(b) Immovable Obstructions
(1) All drainage grills and covers.
(2) All parts of the irrigation system whether fixed or not.
4. Immovable Obstructions close to Putting Greens (free relief)
Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be taken under Rule 16.1. The player also has an extra option to take relief when such immovable obstructions are on or close to the putting green and on the line of play: for a ball lying in the general area a player may take relief under Rule 16.1 if an immovable obstruction is on the line of play and is (i) within two club lengths of the putting green, and (ii) within two club lengths of the ball. NB There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable (see Model Local Rule F-5.1).
5. Integral Objects (no free relief)
The following are integral objects from which free relief is not allowed :
(1) bunker liners in their intended position.
(2) Artificial retaining walls, pilings and sleepers when located in penalty areas.
6. Wrong Green (Rule 13; free relief must be taken)
A player MUST take relief under Rule 13 if the ball comes to rest on a wrong putting green or a wrong putting green interferes with either the stance or intended swing. When taking wrong green relief, a wrong green is defined to include the area within 2 club lengths of the edge of the putting green.
7. No Play Zones (Rule 16; free relief must be taken)
The following are No Play Zones from which free relief MUST be taken:
(1) any area contained within a freshly painted blue line or blue stakes.
(2) the memorial plantation to the right-hand side of the 1st tee.
(3) areas around young trees, identified by being supported or protected by a stake or other device such as a tube or rabbit cage.
8. Suspension of Play
A suspension of play for a dangerous situation will be signalled by one prolonged note of the siren. All other suspensions will be signalled by 3 consecutive notes. In either case, resumption of play will be signalled by 2 short notes.
When the Committee has intimated that Preferred Lies are in operation the following Model Local Rule (E-3) will apply :
When any part of a player's ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:
· Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
· Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point
· Limits on Location of Relief Area:
-- Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
-- Must be in the general area.
In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e. But, for the purposes of applying Rule 14.2e, the player has only chosen the spot on which to place the ball once the ball has been set down, and the player has let the ball go with the intent for that ball to be in play.
After a ball has been placed and is in play under this Local Rule, if the player then proceeds under another Rule that provides relief, this Local Rule may be used again.
Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.