Each year, different regions in Quebec have the Interclub tournaments. Most of those events don’t have referees and the pro or captain takes care of the Rules.
They usually don’t ask advice from the proper sources. They sometimes ask me questions after the fact. I don’t hear anybody asking an opinion from Jacques Sévigny, the President of Montreal region and he is also a Level 3, Referee.
Here are a few decisions that are made and are not legal.
PACE OF PLAY
A group is out of position, they are two holes behind. The Committee decides to tell the group to skip a hole to get closer to the group in front.
RULE OF GOLF: We can’t ask 4 players to shorten the match by one hole. It is unfair for the player that is behind in his match. It favors the player ahead in his match.
SOLUTION: Take a stopwatch and identify the slow player or players, it is then possible to penalize an individual player
COMMENT: Some courses give starting times in 8 minutes interval. This is the perfect recipe for bad Pace of Play.
ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITION
A Committee is not allowed to tell the players to level the sand before placing the ball back in a bunker. It is not allowed to use the Preferred lies Local rule by asking the players to move the ball with the head of the club.
RULES OF GOLF: Unless a bunker is specifically identified, we can’t say all the bunkers are ground under repair. It is not permitted to improve a lie. In preferred lies, we must always place the ball with the hand.
DECIDE IN ADVANCE TO CONCEDE PUTTS
A group decides, before the round, to concede to each other all putt under a certain lenght. All the players will be disqualified.
RULES OF GOLF: In Match Play, if all the players agree to change a Rules of Golf, they are all disqualified.
OTHER PROHIBITIONS
– A player is 10 minutes late for his tee time, loses the first hole and goes to the second tee.
– Play 2 balls in case of a doubt
– Players that have finished their round giving advice to teammates.
– Players knowing a rule is breached but agree not to penalize
– Preferred lies on the course inside the tree line
– Mandate players to complete all the putts
– Ask players to play ready Golf
o This can’t be done in Match Play
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to post it or write to me at edouard.rivard@videotron.ca