Category: Rules Knowledge

Where is a water bottle not allowed on a golf course?

Well, your first answer may be because the course restricts "outside beverages" to be brought in as many of them do nowadays to promote more on-course beverage sales.

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What may seem as an innocent action can actually turn into a penalty.  Believe it or not but you can't place a water bottle (or anything deemed to be a bottled drink) on the green.  Someone could say that you are using it as a level.

Decision 14-3/12.5 Bottled Drink Used as a Level
Q. A player places a bottled drink on the putting green in order to gauge the slope of the green. Is the player in breach of Rule 14-3?
A. Yes. The player is using equipment in an unusual manner to assist him in his play contrary to Rule 14-3 (artificial device).

Now this is not a golf rule per say but it is a golf decision, meaning that such a situation did come up at one time and it took the golf's governing bodies to make an "interpretation" of Rule 14-3 in what a reasonable person would say in such a situation.

So if you have a water bottle in hand on the green, be sure to toss it aside to the greenside rough!

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Can you declare a ball unplayable if it's on the green?  Tee box?  Water hazard?

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Believe it or not, you can declare an unplayable ball at anytime except in a water hazard.

Of course, why you would actually call a ball unplayable on the tee or the green is between you and the golf gods but there's nothing in Rule 28-1 that prohibits you from doing so:

The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.

If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:

a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.

When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

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Is debris that is piled for removal considered to be ground under repair?

What about grass clippings or aeration plugs?

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It all depends so be careful…

Ground under repair is any part of the course so marked by order of the Committee or so declared by its authorized representative.

All ground and any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing within the ground under repair are part of the ground under repair.

Ground under repair includes material piled for removal and a hole made by a greenkeeper, even if not so marked.

Grass cuttings and other material left on the course that have been abandoned and are not intended to be removed are not ground under repair unless so marked.

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You are in a rather large bunker and waiting to hit your shot while your playing partner hits their shot elsewhere near the green.

Can you rake the bunker behind you where you walked in while waiting to hit your shot?

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Prior to 2011, any brushing of the sand prior to your shot was considered to be "testing the surface".

New for 2012, the rule has been amended as follows:

Rule 13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions

Exception 2 to Rule 13-4 is amended to permit a player to smooth sand or soil in a hazard at any time, including before playing from that hazard, provided it is for the sole purpose of caring for the course and Rule 13-2 (Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play) is not breached.

See the video at R&A's website.

You would be advised to be very careful when raking the bunker in tournament play.  Be sure to rake in plain view of your playing partners and don't rake anywhere near your ball; otherwise, you may be challenged that you were actually improving your lie and not caring for the course. 

Related post: Changes to Rules of Golf for 2012-2015

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