A couple of advice related rules questions

[Golfingdad]

I played in a tournament for the first time yesterday (had a blast, played decent, can't wait for the next one) and a couple of rules questions popped up in my head.

On one hole I noticed another player walking off the tee after we hit, with the same driver as mine.  I said something like "Ah, you got the RazrFit?  How do you like it?"  If we were walking up to the tee, is that type of talk (or anything similar) prohibited?  It's obvious that he has a driver in his hand, so I'm not really asking him to confirm what he's hitting, but maybe some people could construe it that way.  I also already have a driver in my hand as its a long par 5.

Or, how about this hypothetical similar scenario:  We're standing on the tee of a par 3 waiting for the group to clear the green and I ask him how he likes his irons.  I am nodding towards the club in his hand as I do it, and he instinctively raises it up so I can see it.  I wasn't really asking him which iron he had, nor was he really trying to show me which iron he had.  Would that be considered a violation for either of us?

Lastly, my next tournament is at a course I am very familiar with.  The 13th hole is a 600 yard par 5 with a blind tee shot.  For somebody who has never played the course, its an "obvious" driver hole.  Unfortunately, there is a hazard that cuts across the fairway such that depending on where the tee is cut, the shot demands no more than a 3 wood and sometimes a 4 iron.  This late into the round, our group is friendly with each other, the guys with lasers or GPS helping those without with their yardages, and we get to that tee and the two guys who have never played there before pull out drivers.  How can I tell them that they shouldn't use drivers without it being considered advice?  Can I just, unsolicited, announce that its 240 to reach the hazard?  Or, if I do that, could a stickler consider me in violation because I wouldn't have announced it had they pulled out irons?  I'm assuming that if I were to say something like "Um, you might not want to hit driver here, you could go through the fairway" that I would DEFINITELY be breaking the rules, correct?  I obviously don't want to cost myself strokes, but I don't want to be a jerk and allow them to unwittingly do the same.

Thanks!

[bigwave916]

I obviously don't want to cost myself strokes, but I don't want to be a jerk and allow them to unwittingly do the same.

Thanks!

I know what you mean. My experience has been, as you suggested that by the 13th tee everyone is going to be familiar with one another. Whether or not you've played the course before has probably come up in conversation.

If someone asks, I will tell them whether or not there is a hazard and how far it is.........you should never mention what club or suggest a target line or strategy. I guess another way to say it is that if it's information that can be obtained from a yardage book, a GPS, or a rangefinder, it's legal. If it's something a caddie might share with you that isn't included in the above.......keep it to yourself.

If they don't ask...well I'm not obligated to say anything about anything, but to be a good sport I will offer information that is legal to provide when asked.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by bigwave916

If they don't ask...well I'm not obligated to say anything about anything, but to be a good sport I will offer information that is legal to provide when asked.

Right, and on the occasions (unfortunately I'm sure they will come up) when I am paired with somebody who isn't friendly, then I stand by silently and gladly watch them bury a "perfect drive" in the hazard.

And, I understand that the yardage and course features are public knowledge and not advice, I just wasn't sure where to draw the line in that grey area.  Because, if I forgot to mention the hazard prior to anybody making any club decisions, and was then announcing it after they were holding drivers, I could see where it could be then called advice.

Thanks!

[iacas]

Not advice, not advice, and not something you want to do even if it's not considered advice (which it isn't) because if they haven't played the course enough to know this, that's their problem. :)

(Edit: the 240 yard part is all I read. "You might not want to hit driver here" is advice.)

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

On one hole I noticed another player walking off the tee after we hit, with the same driver as mine.  I said something like "Ah, you got the RazrFit?  How do you like it?"  If we were walking up to the tee, is that type of talk (or anything similar) prohibited?

Neither situation is advice

Or, how about this hypothetical similar scenario:  We're standing on the tee of a par 3 waiting for the group to clear the green and I ask him how he likes his irons.  I am nodding towards the club in his hand as I do it, and he instinctively raises it up so I can see it.  I wasn't really asking him which iron he had, nor was he really trying to show me which iron he had.  Would that be considered a violation for either of us?

Not advice

Lastly, my next tournament is at a course I am very familiar with.  The 13th hole is a 600 yard par 5 with a blind tee shot.  For somebody who has never played the course, its an "obvious" driver hole.  Unfortunately, there is a hazard that cuts across the fairway such that depending on where the tee is cut, the shot demands no more than a 3 wood and sometimes a 4 iron.   Can I just, unsolicited, announce that its 240 to reach the hazard?

Yes, that is a matter of public information, not advice

"Um, you might not want to hit driver here, you could go through the fairway" that I would DEFINITELY be breaking the rules, correct?

That is advice.