Anybody knows this Local Rule?

[Ignorant]

Today I played with a guy who claimed that in US there are a handful of golf courses where a following Local Rule is in force: 'On the putting green only putter is allowed. No chipping or pitching.'

Has anybody seen this kind of Local Rule anywhere? Sounds a bit peculiar but world is full of peculiarities...

[James_Black]

no.
Your allowed to use any club you want on the green.

Even at saint andrews you can use any club you want (Pro's have gotten boo'd for doing it though)

[WUTiger]

I can see it happening if the course had trouble with people gouging the greens. Might be a course with some odd hole layouts, such as a horseshoe shaped green with a shaggy mogul splitting the U.

Regularly faced a hole like this down in Texas - us players developed own local rule: If you're on the wrong side of the green, move ball back to fringe, and hit a LW or SW over the hump to other side of green. Fringe can survive wedge better than close-cut green.

I have chip-putted with a 7 iron on occasion on terraced greens when ball was on high level and cup was on low level. Gives some check-spin so shot isn't too hot.

[sean_miller]

  Ignorant said:

Today I played with a guy who claimed that in US there are a handful of golf courses where a following Local Rule is in force: 'On the putting green only putter is allowed. No chipping or pitching.'

Maybe he meant really local - like within his visual range - if he see's someone doing it, he's gonna get upset?!!?

[Shindig]

I imagine the rule is there to prevent damage to the greens. I'm sure a good player could chip without damaging the green, but the set of people who think they can pull off the shot isn't the same as the people who can.

The rule I typically hear is "putting only" on the putting greens. However, I've seen even course staff putt with other clubs.

[Fourputt]

  Ignorant said:

Today I played with a guy who claimed that in US there are a handful of golf courses where a following Local Rule is in force: 'On the putting green only putter is allowed. No chipping or pitching.'

I can imagine a course trying to say that they have such a local rule, but I can't see it ever being approved by The USGA. It is contrary to the Rules of Golf. Under the rules, a course is not even allowed to prohibit play from an area designated as environmentally sensitive unless the classification is approved by an environmental agency. The prime tenets of the game support the right to play your ball as it lies from any place on the golf course, with any conforming club.

That said, having such a LR in force makes more sense than having your head greenskeeper indicted for killing a player who took a chunk out of one of his carefully tended greens.

[Ignorant]

  Fourputt said:

I can imagine a course trying to say that they have such a local rule, but I can't see it ever being approved by The USGA.

That is exactly my first reaction, contrary to the Rules. But this guy insisted that he had recently seen on TV on a tournament a player picking up his ball from the green,

placing it on the foregreen and chipping it. According to him both commentators were totally lost but later someone provided them with a piece of information revealing that it was because of a Local Rule of that particular golf course. Unfortunately he could not remember the name of that course (nor the tournament). I can understand the reason behind this kind of 'rule' but as it is so contrary to the RoG it is very hard for me to agree with it. The way I see it one could write it in the Etiquette section which would give the Committee authority to penalize a player for a breach of etiquette with appropriate sanction regarding playing on the course for the next week or so but not any way to touch the result of the player's round.

[Shorty]

  James_Black said:

no.

He said it was a LOCAL RULE. It has nothing to do with St Andrews or anywhere else.

I have never played at a course which has it, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that a course with some L shaped greens wants to protect them from hackers with wedges, despite the fact that some local rules are technically not permissable.

[acegolfer]

In S. Korea, my dad was playing with a buddy. He chipped from the putting green because of awkward angle. He chunk the shot and made a divot. The caddie packed his clubs and he was asked to leave the course. A true story.

[James_Black]

  acegolfer said:

In S. Korea, my dad was playing with a buddy. He chipped from the putting green because of awkward angle. He chunk the shot and made a divot. The caddie packed his clubs and he was asked to leave the course. A true story.

bad etiquette maybe?

nobody wants to see a chunk taken out of their greens by a tourist.....

[Shorty]

  acegolfer said:

In S. Korea, my dad was playing with a buddy. He chipped from the putting green because of awkward angle. He chunk the shot and made a divot. The caddie packed his clubs and he was asked to leave the course. A true story.

I guess he's lucky it was South Korea and not North Korea

The penalty might be a bit harsher there.

[Fourputt]

  Shorty said:

He said it was a LOCAL RULE. It has nothing to do with St Andrews or anywhere else.

A local rule still has to be approved by the ruling bodies, The USGA and the R&A.; A course cannot simply do anything they want under the guise of a local rule.

Rule 33-8:

  None said:

33-8. Local Rules a. Policy The Committee may establish Local Rules for local abnormal conditions if they are consistent with the policy set forth in Appendix I. b. Waiving or Modifying a Rule A Rule of Golf must not be waived by a Local Rule. However, if a Committee considers that local abnormal conditions interfere with the proper playing of the game to the extent that it is necessary to make a Local Rule that modifies the Rules of Golf, the Local Rule must be authorized by the USGA.

[The Road Dog]

Well I dont understand the tournament story but I see quite a few signs that say no chipping or pitching on the putting green. They are referring to a course rule forbidding practicing chipping or pitching onto the area set aside for putting practice. Those courses have a separate "semi green" (with flags but no holes) area set aside for chipping and putting. The idea of a bunch of folks hitting onto a surface that is occupied by people practicing putting is inviting trouble I guess.

[laconic517]

if you dont want to have people chipping on your greens dont design them that way. Period.

I know its frowned upon but sometimes you might have to.

[ajschn06]

  James_Black said:

bad etiquette maybe?

I'd tell that caddy to f##$ off....this is golf...

[RC]

I can certainly see why a local rule like that might be adopted. In a pro tourney where I play, some pros were hitting a flop shot on one of our greens because of a super steep slope up and then down (we kid that someone buried an elephant on the front of the green, so a putt would always run far off the green. Visualize a green shaped like a bicycle seat with two flat areas where you legs would go and pointy part of the seat facing toward you. A flop is clearly the best choice if the pin is front right or left. Rather than make a local rule about it the course super just changed pin placements and no longer uses the two locations where such a shot might be the shot of choice. On another green on the same course, I have thought about flopping while on the green, but putted through the fringe instead. I've seen flops and chips done on greens, I have done it myself, and while it is apparently OK within the rules, I sure would hate to seen a someone try it and hit a little fat.

[Shorty]

  Fourputt said:

A local rule still has to be approved by the ruling bodies, The USGA and the R&A.; A course cannot simply do anything they want under the guise of a local rule.

Which is what I said. But they do. This is an example of it.

[James_Black]

  Shorty said:

Which is what I said. But they do. This is an example of it.

Is it?

Have you seen it done?