Category: Rules

Sorry for the TST Rule Quiz hiatus, Sand Trappers, but I am back and ready to test your rules knowledge. I mean you can never know the rules too well, right?

In this third installment of the Rules Quiz, we delve into some useful rulings for tournament play. My hope is that after reading this someone out there who is sitting on the fence trying to decide whether or not to start playing in their club’s tournaments will feel confident enough to go ahead and join up. The rules are there to help you, and for the most part are fairly simple if you get the basics down. For all the lesser known rules, you can carry a USGA Rule Book. The point is there is never anything bad about playing by the rules.

Continue reading “The Sand Trap Rules Quiz Number Three”

Hittin’ the Links is on hiatus this week, just like the PGA Tour. Instead we are going to delve into the complicated world of rules.

At the golf course, many golfers think it is fine to play without rules. It is evident among the pages of our forum just how misunderstood or unknown the USGA Rules of Golf really are (or the R&A’s, if you’re outside the USGA’s jurisdiction). Many “What’s the ruling?” or “Did I do this correctly?” threads pop up asking for advice. As golfers we enjoy helping others play by the rules. So we here at The Sand Trap thought, well, why don’t we have a column to help people learn about and understand the rules.

Let me introduce the Sand Trap Rules Quiz Number One.

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The USGA today announced it is proposing two new rules changes. The first will revise grooves, the second will relax rules on adjustability so clubs can be better fitted to players.

The proposed groove revision would require all clubs to be made to this standard after January 1, 2010. However, the USGA will recommend a “Condition of Competition” go into effect January 1, 2009 that would allow committees to require newly conforming clubs in events for “highly skilled players.”

The new adjustability rule would go into effect January 1, 2008. Right now the rule only allows changes in weight. Thus, the new rule would likely make adjusting lofts, lies, or shaft flex possible, just not during a “stipulated round.”

If you’d like to discuss this, you can do so in the comments of this post, in our forum, or in the comments of this week’s Bag Drop on the grooves issue.

The USGA recently revised their rules of amateur status. Starting January 1, 2006, amateur golfers of all ages will be able to accept reimbursement for tournament expenses from sources outside of their family. Tournament expenses include transportation (airfare, rental car, extremely over-priced gasoline), hotel, meals, the entry fee, and caddie fees. This is a major change from the current section of the USGA’s Rules of Amateur Status that only allows junior golfers to accept help from outside sources for tournament expenditures.

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