Q : During a round , a player occasionally makes a practice swing with a swing aid or a club with a weighted head cover to check his tempo . Is this permissable ?
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Q : In stroke play , a player removes the flagstick and places it on the putting green near the hole . As he putts and the ball nears the hole , a fellow competitor removes the flagstick from the green , fearing that the ball would strike it . Does the fellow competitor receive a penalty for his action ?
What ’ s the Ruling ?
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In this edition of What ’ s the Ruling , the CSGA Director of Rules Education Jeff Witherwax tests your knowledge of the rules of golf with five of the most common scenarios he has seen on the course .
Q : During a round , a player occasionally makes a practice swing with a swing aid or a club with a weighted head cover to check his tempo . Is this permissable ?
Answer : No , the player would be using an artificial device to assist him in his play and would be in breach of Rule 14-3 , regardless of whether it is used in an attempt to play a stroke .
Q :
In stroke play , a player searches for his tee shot for 5 minutes and does not find the ball . While walking back to the tee , he finds his ball and plays it , since he had yet to play his second tee shot . Is the player in breach of a Rule ?
Answer : Yes , the player is in breach of Rule 27-1 and has played a wrong ball . Once the five minutes has expired , the ball is considered lost , regardless of whether or not it is “ found ” afterwards .
Q :
True / False : A player ’ s tee shot is deflected by a moving maintenance vehicle and goes out of bounds . The player may cancel and replay the stroke without penalty .
Answer : False . Rule 19-1 states that if a player ’ s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency , it is a rub of the green . There is no penalty but the player must play the ball as it lies .
Q :
Is a player is permitted to touch his line of putt when removing loose impediments by brushing the line with a towel ?
CSGA President John Marion assists with a ruling during the Challenge Cup
Answer : Yes , this is permitted provided that the player does not press anything down .
Q : In stroke play , a player removes the flagstick and places it on the putting green near the hole . As he putts and the ball nears the hole , a fellow competitor removes the flagstick from the green , fearing that the ball would strike it . Does the fellow competitor receive a penalty for his action ?
Answer : Neither player is penalized according to Rule 24-1 . Other than equipment of any player or the flagstick when attended or removed , an obstruction that might influence the movement of the ball must not be moved or lifted .