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Rulesman

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Everything posted by Rulesman

  1. The RBs in their joint statement say: 3. Multi-functional devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, etc (i.e., devices that are primarily communication devices, but which may have other potential uses) may be used as follows: The device may be used for any non-golfing purpose (e.g., as a communication tool to phone, text or email), subject to any club/course regulations and the rules on accessing advice-related matters – see Decision 14-3/16.
  2. The Decision is only showing the npr for RH strokes in certain situations. The fact that it is almost impossible to make a RH stroke in the case of B2/P2/S2 is not the point of the decision. The player is perfectly entitled to take a LH stroke if it is reasonable to do so. See the Exception to Rule 24-2b. When he takes relief for the LH stroke it will be to the right of the path because there is insufficient room to take relief on the left because the npr cannot be OOB. Incidentally, in the OP the ball is not actually on the path as in the decision but it doesn't make any difference to the relief. The player is not seeking relief for a RH stroke. It simply cannot be made. He is seeking relief for a LH stroke.
  3. You may carry an 'illegal device' such as a compass but you must not use it. You may carry and use a smartphone with non-conforming features or apps but you may not use it as a DMD (nor use any of the illegal apps of course). You may however use it as a phone (providing phones are permitted on that course).
  4. My understanding of the situation is in this diagram. The ball is at A. It is reasonable in the circumstances for the player to play a left handed stroke as he cannot make a right handed stroke. To make a LH stroke he must stand on the path and therefore is entitled to relief. The npr for a LH stroke is at X. NB to determine this he should use the club he would have used to play the LH stroke from A as if the path had not been there. He can now measure 1cl using any club in his bag to determine point Y. He must now drop between X & Y but the ball may roll upto 2cl further away (but not nearer the hole). Having dropped, he may now take a RH stroke using any club in his bag as this is a new situation. Further, if the ball finishes too close to the path to make a RH stroke without interference from the path (with whatever club he has now chosen) he may now take relief from the path for this RH stroke.
  5. I think you may have misunderstood the situation re the R&A; and USGA. The R&A; says that a weather app is not non-conforming but iacas tells us the USGA says a weather app is non-conforming. The result is that a smartphone with a weather app can not be used as a DMD in the USA & Mexico but it can in the rest of the world. I have spoken to senior people at the R&A; and they are aware of the situation. I believe discussions are imminent.
  6. As your left handed stroke was reasonable in the circumstances you were entitled to take relief for that stroke. Once you had determined the npr and dropped the ball within 1cl of that point (any club may be used for that measure of course) you now had a new situation. Under that new situation, you may take any club you wish to play the next stroke. See Decision 24-2b/4 http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-24/#24-2b/4 24-2b/9.5 and 24-2b/18 may be useful also
  7. Further to my earlier post re the EGU making a Local Rule forbidding all smartphones from being used as a DMD (regardless of other apps). This has now been withdrawn. As a result of my mentioning it to the R&A;, the R&A; has ruled that such a Local Rule is not permitted if the authorized LR regarding DMDs in general is in force. I am told the USGA take the same view.
  8. Well as a thermometer can be built in without an 'app', when someone manages to build in a facility to determine the actual wind direction, then the question about 'weather apps' would seem to be redundant. But as grass thrown in the air does that now, I suppose it is already redundant.
  9. 1) Correct. See http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-14/#14-3/17 2) No, unless the device has a DMD and you use it.
  10. This from the Equipment Standards Dept of the R&A; following an enquiry some time ago by a national rules official colleague from elsewhere in Europe. I refer to your email below, which has been under consideration and I regret the delayed response. Please be advised that we are in agreement with the position you have taken – i.e. reference to a general weather forecast would be permissible, but the measurement of actual conditions such as wind or temperature would not be permitted. As I am not in the USGA area I have asked other colleagues over there to make a formal enquiry of the USGA. It is of course not unknown for the USGA and R&A; to make different 'unofficial' rulings or interpretations but these are normally minor in nature. (Official being those published on their websites).
  11. Exactly.
  12. I have just phoned my contact back. It has to measure the value itself. Without a weather app on your phone you may access the internet via your phone and simply look at the local weather details. There is no breach in doing that. The weather app is simply short-cutting and and filtering the significant bits. It and the internet weather site are simply showing/reporting a value not measured by the device. The device has to have the facility to do the measuring for there to be a breach.
  13. My contact in this case is the 'Manager - Rules of Golf' for the R&A.; I don't know what the status of the USGA guys are but their office is manned by many people who cannot give official answers.
  14. That caused a big hoohah at the time.
  15. I have just received a phone call from the R&A; confirming that a non conforming function has to be able to physically measure or gauge the information itself. Viewing or receiving weather related information from the web (say) is OK. The only qualification is that a device having the facility to communicate to a non-conforming on-course device, which can measure or gauge (say an anemometer), would render it illegal if also used as a DMD. By coincidence I have just received the 2012 hard card from the English Golf Union and their Local Rules now say "multi-function devices such as mobile phones with a distance- measuring application may not be used " (as a DMD) I haven't got any others yet but I suspect we will see this elsewhere.
  16. I don't have a smartphone so don't know the full capabilities of a 'weather app' but providing an app has no measuring capabilities I don't see that it would be 'illegal'. I am awaiting a call from a contact at the R&A.;
  17. A weather app does not measure anything which will help the player calculate the effective distance. The joint statement includes the following: A very important proviso of this permission is that the device must measure distance only; it must not measure other conditions such as wind speed or direction, the slope of the ground or the temperature. The device has the capability of gauging or measuring other conditions that might affect play (e.g., wind speed, gradient, temperature, etc),
  18. That is not correct. I'm afraid you must have missed the part of the R&A;/USGA statement which says 1. Multi-functional devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, etc (i.e., devices that are primarily communication devices, but which may have other potential uses) may be used as follows: The device may be used for any non-golfing purpose (e.g., as a communication tool to phone, text or email), subject to any club/course regulations and the rules on accessing advice-related matters – see Decision 14-3/16.
  19. OK, thanks.
  20. How do I prevent people sending me messages? Can I switch the facility off?
  21. You may rest your club lightly on the ground but not press it down. Resting means supporting its own weight only. 13-2 extract A player must not improve or allow to be improved: • the position or lie of his ball, by : • pressing a club on the ground, However, the player incurs no penalty if the action occurs: • in grounding the club lightly when addressing the ball ,
  22. Weather apps are not necessarily illegal. It depends on what it is telling you. If it tells you specific information about the place where you are standing then there is a problem eg current temperature, current wind direction.and strength If it is just a general situation map say or a forecast there is no problem. Except as provided in the Rules , during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment (see Appendix IV for detailed specifications and interpretations), or use any equipment in an unusual manner: a. That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or b. For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play;
  23. I have just had confirmation from my contact in the R&A; Rules Department that providing the DMD app on a multifunction device is not being used, the presence of non-conforming functions does not make the device illegal. It is the use of the DMD function that is critical. Appendix IV Clause 5 says In addition, when the distance measuring application is being used, there must be no other features or applications installed on the device that, if used, would be in breach of the Rules , whether or not they are actually used. That makes it clear that when the DMD app is not being used the other features are irrelevant.
  24. This is what the R&A; and USGA say 1. Multi-functional devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, etc (i.e., devices that are primarily communication devices, but which may have other potential uses) may be used as follows: The device may be used for any non-golfing purpose (e.g., as a communication tool to phone, text or email), subject to any club/course regulations and the rules on accessing advice-related matters – see Decision 14-3/16. When the local rule is in effect, a distance-measuring application may be used, provided the specific application is restricted to “distance only” and the device does not have any other “non-conforming” features. This is the case even if these other features are not being used. As above, the rules on advice-related communications (including the use of the internet) still apply.
  25. It is not something the ruling bodies are contemplating.
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