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1. Definitions

General Area: formerly ‘through the green’, any area within the boundaries of the course excluding teeing area, greens, penalty areas, bunkers.

Closely-mown area: formerly ‘the fairway’

Mown area: formerly ‘semi-rough’, also any area where cutters have been used to semi-rough height or below

Non-Mown area: formerly ‘rough’

Penalty areas: formerly ‘hazards’ including water and staked areas. Generally, any area where a player may take relief

Bunker: a specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed

2. Course Boundaries and Out of Bounds

a. In or over the River Allander at the 1st, 8th and 9th holes.

b. Over any boundary wall or fence, or beyond any white stakes.

c. In the car park, or on or over the road to the right of the 18th hole, even if it comes to rest on another part of the course that is in bounds for other holes.

3. Penalty Areas

Red Penalty Area: any area inside the boundaries of the course as indicated by red stakes These are:

a. The burn crossing the 1st hole.

b. The area the right of the 1st hole beyond the burn. The area is defined by red stakes and delineated mown area extending to the mown path leading to the practice area, and the River Allander. The practice area is not a penalty area.

c. The ditch to the right of the 2nd hole

d. The burn behind the 2nd green.

e. The ditch behind the 3rd green

f. The drainage ditch to the left of the 3rd and 16th holes as defined by red stakes.

g. The area to the left of the 5th and 9th holes as defined by red stakes.

h. The burns to the right of the 7th hole

i. The area behind and to the right of the 12th green

j. The area to the right of the 13th hole beyond the internal wall to the edges of the mown areas on the hillside. Defined by the red stakes and delineated mown area.

k. The area to the right of the 14th hole from the trees on the upslope to behind the 12th teeing area and to the right of the proposed new 15th tee.

l. The area to the right of the 15th hole extending from the non-mown area behind the 12th green to the buggy path to the right of the 15th green. Area defined by red stakes and delineated mown area.

m. The ditch to the left of the 17th hole

Where a player’s ball lies in any of these Red Penalty Areas, including when it is known or virtually certain (KVC) to be in these penalty areas even though not found, the player may take relief using one of the options under Rule 17.1d for one penalty stroke.

As an extra option, where one is in place, the player may drop the original ball or another ball in the dropping zone (DZ). The dropping zone is a relief area under Rule 14.3

If a player does not know whether their ball is in a red penalty area at the 1st, 9th 14th and 15th holes, the player may play a provisional ball under Rule 18.3. In playing the provisional ball, the player may use:

I. stroke-and-distance relief option (Rule 17.1d),

II. the back-on-the-line relief option (see Rule 17.1d(2)) or,

III. the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d(3)).

IV. If a dropping zone is available for this penalty area, the player may also use that relief option.

Once the player has played a provisional ball under this Local Rule, they may not use any further options under Rule 17.1 in relation to the original ball. In deciding when that provisional ball becomes the player’s ball in play or if it must or may be abandoned, Rule 18.3c(2)and 18.3c(3) apply except that:

When Original Ball Is Found in Penalty Area Within Three-Minute Search Time. The player may choose either to:

I. Continue to play the original ball as it lies in the penalty area, in which case the provisional ball must not be played. All strokes with that provisional ball before it was abandoned (including strokes made and any penalty strokes solely from playing that ball) do not count, or

II. Continue to play the provisional ball in which case the original ball must not be played.

When Original Ball Is Not Found Within Three-Minute Search Time or Is Known or Virtually Certain to Be in Penalty Area.

The provisional ball becomes the player’s ball in play.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

Yellow Penalty Area: any area inside the boundaries of the course as indicated by yellow stakes.

There are currently no yellow penalty areas on the course.

4. Bunkers

a. The practice bunkers located in the practice area are ground under repair and are part of the general area. A player must take relief under Rule 16.1b

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

5. Putting Areas

a. Where temporary putting greens or ‘winter greens’ are used as putting greens, any putting green that has been replaced by a temporary putting green is a ‘wrong green’, and free relief from interference must be taken under Rule 13.1f

b. The practice green, located in the practice area is ground under repair and a player must take free relief under Rule 16.1b

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

6. Ground Under Repair

a. Ground under repair is defined by any area encircled by a white line or blue stakes.

b. Ground under repair includes exposed rocks in closely mown areas.

c. Ground under repair includes exposed tree roots in closely mown areas, or within four club-lengths from a closely mown area.

d. Areas in bunkers where sand has been removed by the movement of water resulting in deep furrows through the sand are ground under repair. The ball may be lifted and cleaned, but must be dropped in the bunker.

e. Astro turf or other artificial drainage plugs on the putting green

f. In any mown area, any deep depressions, tracks, or ruts made by tractors or green-keeping machinery.

g. In any general area, greenkeepers cuttings.

Ground Under Repair areas are no play zones. In these situations where G.U.R. has been clearly identified, the player must take free relief under Rule 16.1b. In clauses 6b and 6c, relief is not allowed if the exposed rock or tree root only interferes with the player’s stance.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

7. Special Relief Procedures

a. BLUE STAKES: Any area marked with blue stakes is ground under repair and a no play zone. Relief must be taken from interference under Rule 16.1f. As an extra option, the player may drop the original ball or another ball in the dropping zone. The dropping zone is a relief area under Rule 14.3

b. AERATION HOLES: In any closely mown area of the course, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped within one club-length from the nearest point of complete relief, but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike part of the course in the General Area. On the putting green, the player shall place the ball at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids such situation

c. PREFERRED LIES: When preferred lies are in operation as indicated by the committee, a ball lying on a closely mown area of the course may, without penalty, be moved or may be lifted, cleaned and placed within 6 inches of where it originally lay, but not nearer the hole and not in a penalty area or in a bunker or on a putting green. A player may move or place his ball once, and after the ball has been moved or placed, it is in play

d. SEEDED DIVOTS & DRAINS: In any closely mown area in the general area, a ball which comes to rest on a seeded drain or seeded or spiked divot must be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped within one club-length from the nearest point of complete relief, but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike part of the course in the General Area.

e. ANIMAL DAMAGE: Areas of damage in mown areas of the course, caused by animal damage (burrowing, holes, molehills, hoof marks etc) are treated as ground under repair from which relief is allowed under Rule 16.1b. Relief is not allowed if the damage only interferes with the player’s stance. Animal ‘dung’ may be treated either as a loose impediment or GUR.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

8. Immovable Obstructions

a. All paths, steps and roadways (other than in 2(c) above).

b. The flagpole and the slabbed surround at the 18th hole.

c. All fixed course furniture such as shelters, sheds, immovable direction posts, seats, warning bells, sprinkler covers/heads, drain covers, yardage markers, stiles, stakes (excluding boundary stakes), temporary structures (tents, gazebo’s, etc)

d. The stone bridge at the 1st hole.

e. Any and all white stone road markers.

If a ball lies off a putting green but not in a penalty area and an immovable obstruction, on or within two club-lengths of the ball, intervenes on the line of play between the ball and the hole, the player may take relief as follows:

The ball must be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped within one club-length from the nearest point of complete reliefbut not nearer the hole under rule 16.1b

The same relief procedure applies under this Local Rule if the player’s ball lies on the putting green and an immovable obstruction within two club-lengths of the putting green intervenes on the line of putt.

NB: (1) The rule permits relief only if the immovable obstruction interferes with stance and swing and does NOT afford relief for interference with the line of flight.

(2) Stones in bunkers are moveable obstructions (Rule 24 – 1 applies)

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

9. Integral Objects (Rule 33.2a)

The following objects are an integral parts the course from which free relief is not available. Rule 2.3

1. The internal wall at the 13th hole

10. Use of Mats

Where the committee has indicated the compulsory use of mats, where a player’s ball lies in any closely mown part of the general area, and a putter is not being used for the stroke, the player must take free relief by either:

a. lifting the original ball and placing it on an artificial mat placed on the same spot as the original ball came to rest, and play it from there.

b. Lifting and dropping the ball in the nearest mown area at a distance no less than 4 club-lengths in from the edge of the closely mown cut. A club-length is measured by using a driver. Where the mown area is less than 4 club-lengths in width, relief can be taken within one Club-length from the delineated non-mown area.

c. A player has the option to use a mat in the mown area if the ball is being played where it came to rest as a result of the player striking the ball.

d. Mats cannot be used in any non-mown area of the course.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

11. General

a. There will be no practice on the course, including all tees and greens. ‘On the course’ does not mean the area to the right of the 1st hole designated as a ‘practice ground’

b. If a match loses more than one clear hole on the players in front, it must allow the following match to play through. Players should play without delay and if it becomes apparent that a ball will not be easily found, they must signal the players behind to play through. They should not search for 3 minutes before doing so.

c. Replace divots, repair pitch marks, rake bunkers