We have an exceptional Spring and most of the golf courses are open. In the next weeks I will cover the Golf Club Captain’s responsibilities. Also, I will explain a few rules of Golf that each Club must put into effect.
Here a few rules for the beginning of the season.
I have a few readers from the other side of the pond and in the South that won’t quite understand that we can play with snow on the golf course.
Handicaps – scores
Under the Golf Handicap rules, all the games played in Québec before April 15th, must not be used to calculate your handicap index.
Handicap temporary greens
If the temporary green has a huge cup (more than 4 ¼ inches) you can’t use your score for that hole. You must look at the score card and find the handicap stroke number on that hole. As an example, if you have a handicap of 9, and the number is 9 and lower, you must put down a bogey on your score card and if the number is higher than 9, you have made a PAR.
What do we do with snow?
If your ball lies in snow or if your lie is affected by it, you have the two following options:
A) Consider the snow as a loose impediment. It is possible without penalty to remove snow as long as your ball doesn’t move in the process. If it does, it will be a one stroke penalty.
B) We may also consider snow as temporary water. You pick up the ball and drop it inside one club length from the nearest point of complete relief without penalty.
If it is known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in the snow, even if you don’t find it, we may, without penalty drop a ball at one club length from the estimated point where the ball last crossed the edge of the snowbank.
If the ball is in snow in a bunker, the drop will have to be done inside the bunker. If the snow is in a penalty area, the player gets no free relief.
CLUB CAPTAIN
One of the most important members in a golf course is the captain. Him and his team, are responsible for applying the Rules of golf for all members and in all the competitions. The Captain’s committee is also responsible for the integrity of the handicap system.
In the next weeks, I will explain the few rules that every club should put in place. I know that many of my readers like to play golf under the applicable rules.