Rules Search Engine?

[Ben]

Is there anywhere on the interweb that I can plug in a rules question and I'll get an answer?

Thanks.

[iacas]

  Ben said:

Is there anywhere on the interweb that I can plug in a rules question and I'll get an answer?

No, but the rules themselves are online and you can use the usga.org search engine. And if you know the rules a little, you can generally find the right section and thus the answer pretty quickly, particularly if you look at the list of Decisions.

[Quinn07]

If you send me the question I can ask some friends of mine that have Level 3 Certification with the RCGA. I might be able to get you the answer you are looking for...that is if it's just a particular ruling. If you are looking for reference for future, you might be better off with Eriks suggestion.

[Ben]

Working at a club we get wacky rules questions all the time, be it in normal play or during tournaments. It'd be nice to just type in the answer and get the question without digging through the rule book or the decisions book. You'd be surprised (or maybe not) at how many off-the-wall rules questions these guys at the club come up with. Today for example:

A left handed player finds himself against a boundary fence [no relief without a penalty]. He thinks to himself, "I can play this shot right-handed." but in taking his stance right-handed, he is now standing on a cart path. The question being, can he take right-handed relief from the cart path, but then switch back to hitting the ball left-handed? This is a rather large money game and there is no, "yeah sure, I think you could probably do that." They want definite "yes" or "no" with the rule clearly stated.

[iacas]

  Ben said:

A left handed player finds himself against a boundary fence [no relief without a penalty]. He thinks to himself, "I can play this shot right-handed." but in taking his stance right-handed, he is now standing on a cart path. The question being, can he take right-handed relief from the cart path, but then switch back to hitting the ball left-handed? This is a rather large money game and there is no, "yeah sure, I think you could probably do that." They want definite "yes" or "no" with the rule clearly stated.

Yep.

Source: Decision 24-2b/17 Obstruction Interferes with Abnormal Stroke; Abnormal Stroke Reasonable in Circumstances Q. A right-handed player's ball is so close to a boundary fence on the left of a hole that the player, in order to play towards the hole, must play left-handed. In playing a left-handed stroke, the player's backswing would be interfered with by an immovable obstruction. Is the player entitled to relief from the obstruction? A. The player is entitled to relief since employment of an abnormal (left-handed) stroke is necessary in the circumstances — see Exception under Rule 24-2b. The proper procedure is for the player to take relief for a left-handed stroke in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i). The player may then use a normal right-handed swing for his next stroke. If the obstruction interferes with the swing or stance for the right-handed stroke, the player may take relief for the right-handed stroke in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i).

That's an easy one, no offense, Ben.

[Ignorant]

  Ben said:

Working at a club we get wacky rules questions all the time, be it in normal play or during tournaments. It'd be nice to just type in the answer and get the question without digging through the rule book or the decisions book.

But.... how would one learn about Rules if one never tries to find the answer from the Rule Book / Book of Decisions?

I would assume that more than 95% of the questions you might get are to be answered just by understanding the logic in the Rule Book and finding the right chapter. Out of the remaining 5% another 95% would be answered by using the Book of Decisions. To find an answer to the remaining 0.25% of the questions you propably need an expert.

[Quinn07]

Who needs me when you have Erik?!

[zeg]

  Ignorant said:

But.... how would one learn about Rules if one never tries to find the answer from the Rule Book / Book of Decisions?

It's a bug and a feature. I often look up one decision but then spend an hour browsing other "interesting" decisions. Good for learning, but time consuming.....