Sometimes, when we play casual rounds, we find ourselves in a situation where we “cheat” without respecting the rules of golf. This happens, for example, when we lose the ball or find it but it is out of bounds. Rather than applying the respective rules that would impose the penalty of “stroke and distance” (in other words, going back to the point where the last shot was taken, dropping a new ball, and adding a penalty stroke), we continue playing by applying a non-rule that is “I’ll just drop one here.” This happens and can be understandable to avoid going back and wasting time, given that it is a non-competitive situation (although this does not justify not playing a provisional ball). However, even though it is a casual round, in a friendly match with the usual beer or ball at stake, unless the lost ball is declared lost (match-play), this way of cheating is not in compliance with the rules of golf and therefore alters the result of the hole (and of course contravenes the “Spirit of the Game”).
A Local Rule now comes to the rescue in this situation, specifically Local Rule E-5, which not everyone may know and which we will now explain. The Local Rule E-5 (Alternative to Stroke and Distance for a Lost Ball or a Ball Out of Bounds) has actually been introduced precisely for “casual rounds,” but not only. The text of the rule states that “When a provisional ball has not been played, significant issues with pace of play can result from a player needing to take stroke-and-distance relief for a ball that is out of bounds or cannot be found. The purpose of this Local Rule is to allow a Committee to provide an extra relief option that allows a player to play on without returning to the location of the previous stroke.The Local Rule is appropriate for general play where golfers are playing casual rounds or playing their own competitions. The Local Rule is not appropriate for competitions limited to highly skilled players (that is, professional competitions and elite amateur competitions).”
Essentially, when the ball is lost or out of bounds, instead of applying the penalty of stroke and distance, the ball is put back into play, with two penalty strokes, in an area close to where it was lost or went out of bounds. The Italian Golf Federation (F.I.G.), with a specific newsletter, has underlined that this rule has been developed by the Royal & Ancient “when players play casual rounds or in matches among friends (casual rounds or their own competitions).”
The Rules and Championships Committee (CRC), after consulting the R&A on the limits of applicability of this Local Rule, “has established that this option, as well as in professional competitions, will not be applied in all competitions governed by the Technical Regulations (Championships, National Tournaments, Federal Youth Trophies, Youth Competitions and Trophies, etc.).” It has also specified that “as far as Club competitions are concerned, while the decision belongs to the Sports Committees of the various Clubs, taking into account the local reality, [it] therefore invites to avoid the adoption of this rule as much as possible, especially in the most important competitions (such as Social Championships or knockout matches), limiting its use as much as possible.”
The newsletter concludes, while recognizing that the results obtained in a competition with this local rule in force are valid for the management of the handicap (as decided by the EGA at the time), inviting clubs “to avoid the widespread use of this option as much as possible but to strongly encourage the correct use of the provisional ball,” introducing, in fact, its own and restrictive interpretation, albeit legitimate, of the rule in question.
Therefore, in the event of contradiction by any reader who kindly wishes to point it out, not all Italian clubs have adopted this rule, even if only for the so-called ‘strawberry cups’ or to spread knowledge among their members for non-competitive play, probably for the following reasons:
- Not opposing an indication from the F.I.G.;
- Conforming to what other clubs have done;
- Considering such a rule contrary to the concept of ‘true golf’ (or traditional conception of it);
- Avoiding confusion in communicating the application of the rule to players (which tournaments yes, which ones no);
- Players’ lack of knowledge of the rule and its correct application.
Perhaps some more virtuous clubs have rightly produced two texts of Local Rules, one for ‘non-competitive play,’ introducing Local Rule Type E-5, the other for ‘competition,’ without it. It would be interesting to know.
The choice made by the F.I.G. and implemented by the clubs could be criticized for the following reasons:
- It cancels a rule specifically established to combat ‘slow play,’ the primary objective to which the new golf rules have conformed since 2019;
- As stated in the aforementioned newsletter, it is not clear to us that the rule has been ‘developed only for play in general, i.e., when players play non-competitively or in friendlies’: the rule, the text states, is ‘appropriate’ for play in general (thus its application is appropriate) while it is not for professionals and elite amateurs. It leaves the door open for the rest, i.e., non-elite amateur play (generically referred to in this article as ‘strawberry cup’);
- It is debatable whether this rule diminishes ‘true golf,’ just remember that now in the penalty area, one can ground the club, remove loose impediments, and take practice swings (but then what is the penalty area?) in addition to the fact that the EGA had confirmed its validity for handicap purposes at the time;
- Professional and elite amateur tournaments have already differed for some time with respect to some rules compared to those applied in ‘strawberry cups.’ It would not have, therefore, represented a problem to add further regulation that would have greatly favored play in terms of fun and speed;
- Its application, last but not least, both in non-competitive play and in ‘strawberry cup’ competitions, could have not only increased players’ knowledge of the golf rules but also allowed them to play correctly at all times.
In fairness, it should be noted that the application of this rule in the case of a lost ball (specifically, how the ball is put back into play) leaves much to be desired, but this is a different topic from the one discussed here, and we will discuss it in a future article.
The issue is, therefore, open, and readers are invited to deepen their knowledge of the rule in question in detail and, in particular, its application (see note 1), which we have not addressed in this article, to express their opinion in the comments and/or participate in the appropriate survey promoted on this site.
[1] See the complete text taken from the ‘Official Guide to the Rules of Golf,’ F.I.G., 2019, ver. 1.2., pages 422-427, attached.
[2] F.I.G. Newsletter No. 3 of 5 February 2019.
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