2016 Rules & Decisions

[Dormie1360]

Is it just me or is this one likely to catch some guys out at the start, until they get used to it.  As I read this you cannot replace your ball, leave the marker there, and then rotate the ball to get your sharpy line lined up right.   I'm a little surprised that they would, in effect, outlaw something that has been done routinely for quite some time.  What was the issue this was addressing?

 

I think the new paragraph emphasizes the fact that the ball marker itself has nothing to do with whether or not the ball is in play. The marker simply is a place holder for the position of the ball. 

You know the old saying when a ball lands by a severe slope on a green and the announcer says "he better hurry up and mark it".  The idea here is just marking the ball does absolutely nothing as to whether on not the ball is in play.  The ball remains in play until it is lifted.  So if the ball rolled down the green after it was marked, but not lifted, the ball would still be in play and the player would have to putt from the new position. (Assuming the player did not cause the ball to move.)  As far as rotating the ball with the marker behind it, this is just a continuation of the process of the ball being replaced.  

Edited October 29, 2015 by Dormie1360

[Rulesman]

Is it just me or is this one likely to catch some guys out at the start, until they get used to it.  As I read this you cannot replace your ball, leave the marker there, and then rotate the ball to get your sharpy line lined up right.   I'm a little surprised that they would, in effect, outlaw something that has been done routinely for quite some time.  What was the issue this was addressing?

Normally a ball in play may not be touched or moved unless it is marked. The extras words make it clear that although the ball is in play, as the marker is still there, the player may lift or rotate the ball. 

[Valleygolfer]

I also heard talk of getting rid of the drop and doing away with disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard. Are these future possibilities or a last minute rules change?

[Dormie1360]

I also heard talk of getting rid of the drop and doing away with disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard. Are these future possibilities or a last minute rules change?

No.

[ColinL]

I also heard talk of getting rid of the drop and doing away with disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard. Are these future possibilities or a last minute rules change?

Perhaps you are thinking of the  change to the penalty in  Rule 6-6d.   Currently if you submit a card with  a score at a hole lower than the one you actually took, you are disqualified.  A new exception will come into play: if the reason you recorded a lower score than you took is that you have not included a penalty you did not know you had incurred, you are not disqualified.  Instead, the penalty is added to your score plus a 2 stroke penalty for submitting the incorrect score.  This also applies to recording a 1 stroke penalty when it should be 2 strokes.

For all other reasons, the penalty remains disqualification.

Edited November 1, 2015 by ColinL

[Rulesman]

I also heard talk of getting rid of the drop and doing away with disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard. Are these future possibilities or a last minute rules change?

Perhaps you should have followed the link in post #1

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2015/October/The-RandA-and-USGA-release-2016-edition-of-Rules-of-Golf.aspx

[Valleygolfer]

4 hours ago, Rulesman said:

Perhaps you should have followed the link in post #1

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2015/October/The-RandA-and-USGA-release-2016-edition-of-Rules-of-Golf.aspx

What? That would require me to click and read. Forget it... Okay the scorecard bit was there but I heard about doing away with dropping the ball and just placing it where it is supposed to be instead of the multiple drop scenarios.

[rogolf]

On 11/1/2015, 1:23:40, Valleygolfer said:

What? That would require me to click and read. Forget it... Okay the scorecard bit was there but I heard about doing away with dropping the ball and just placing it where it is supposed to be instead of the multiple drop scenarios.

One of the announcers on TV (Ian BF?) has been saying that dropping is going to be eliminated for a few years now.  Obviously, that's wrong.  Consider the source.