Rulesman

There is no requirement for a marker to be a fellow competitor. They are simply a "person responsible for entering a player’s score on the player’s scorecard and for certifying that scorecard."

How does this differ from another player in your group marking your scorecard?

Wendy Nice to see you posting here. Long time since we (me under pseudonym) both posted on the same board(s).

The situation is permissible but not recommended. This is what the R&A/USGA have to say. Where to Position Dropping Zones The Committee should attempt to place a dropping zone so that the architectural challenge of the hole is maintained, and it is typically not closer to the hole than where the player would be dropping the ball when using one of the options under the relevant Rule. For example, when situating the dropping zone for a penalty area, it should be set in a position where the player would still need to negotiate the penalty area rather than being located on the putting green side of the penalty area.

He actually wrote - "The USGA rules official on the hole told us ...." Did this include the player or just some spectators? Ambiguous

Unfortunately we don't know exactly what the referee said. The crux is the where, when and what.

True

Isn't the 17th at Sawgrass one such?

1.3b If two or more players agree to ignore any Rule or penalty they know applies 20.1b If two or more players agree to ignore any Rule or penalty they know applies It would seem they didn't.

And often not particularly sensible

Seems a lot when many are reporting no PCCs (in either direction). If a Rating is reduced handicaps will normally come down. What was the change in rating and slope?

We have such a boundary fence behind a green. If the ball is too close to the fence to make a stroke we have provided two dropping zones (one at each 'corner') with a 1 stroke penalty.

As Missouri Swede said in post #3. Treat it as unplayable and take S&D.

Assuming the opponent deliberately put the club in his bag taking him over the 14 limit: Matchplay: At the end of the hole being played or just completed, the match score is revised by deducting one hole for each hole where a breach happened, with a maximum deduction of two holes in the round. DQ is for using the club. The above is for simply carrying.

No. After a player’s round has started, if the player picks up another player’s club that was left behind, or a club is mistakenly put in the player’s bag without their knowledge, the club is not treated as one of the player’s clubs for purposes of the 14-club limit (but it must not be used).