Silves Internacional

SICG Local Rules

 

 

SILVES INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB

LOCAL RULES

 

All SICG competitions will be played under the R & A Rules of Golf as endorsed by the Portuguese Golf Federation.

 

Rule 18. OUT OF BOUNDS

Beyond any wall, fence or white stakes bounding the course.

Any ball that crosses the fence to the left of the 10th hole is Out of Bounds even if it comes to rest on either the 5th or 11th hole.

Non-Standard Boundaries

  1. Hole 4 – to the left beyond the stone wall, then defined by the white stakes and concrete blocks by the railway line.

  2. Where a boundary is defined by the edge of the kerb nearest the 17th fairway, White stakes with black tops have been placed for visibility. These stakes are movable obstructions and may be removed in order to play the shot and then replaced without penalty. (Rule 15.2a)

  3. The old Clubhouse, car park, greenkeeper’s compound and surrounds defined by white stakes, kerb edge and building walls.

  4. Beyond the buggy path to the left of the General Area and the Green on hole 12 as indicated by a painted white line.

 

Rule 16. Relief from Abnormal Ground Conditions (including Immovable Obstructions and GUR).

IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS

The following are considered to be Immovable Obstructions and free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1: -

  1. Concrete cart paths and service roads, including any adjacent posts and fences.

  2. All permanent on course buildings.

d) Irrigation equipment including Sprinkler Heads and Control Boxes.

  1. All course furniture including; Information boards, Bench Seats, Drainage Grills and Ball Washers.

INTEGRAL OBJECTS

  1. All stone walls on the course and the ruin to the right of the 3rd hole are all an integral part of the course and there is no relief without penalty. Individual stones that have come loose from walls are loose impediments.

  2. All natural earth/sand pathways.

  3. Tree wells unless white lined.

  4. Ornamental rock piles including those left of holes 6, 7 and 8.

GROUND UNDER REPAIR (GUR)

GUR will be marked by either a White line around the area or Green and |White Stakes. Play is permitted from GUR if the player wishes. Alternatively a drop may be taken without penalty under Rule 16.
No Play Zones will be marked with a Blue line around the area and/or Blue and White Stakes.  Play is prohibited from such areas and a drop may be taken without penalty under Rule 16.

OTHER ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITIONS

Relief from Aeration Holes on Putting green

If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole on the putting green, relief may be taken under Rule 16.1

Mushrooms on Putting Green.

Mushrooms that are attached on the Putting green are ground under repair from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1d.

Protection of Young Trees.

The young trees identified by; Stakes, White Tags or Wire Mesh are no play zones.

If a players’ ball lies anywhere on the course other than in a penalty area and it lies on or touches such a tree or such a tree interferes with the player’s stance or area of intended swing, the player must take relief under Rule 16.1f.

Mole Hills & Ant Hills

In the general area, areas of damage caused by moles are treated as Ground Under Repair from which relief is allowed under Rule 16.1b.

But interference does not exist if the damage only interferes with the players stance.

Ant hills are loose impediments and may be removed under Rule 15.1. They are not animal holes from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1.

Temporary Immovable Obstructions
 
The refreshment trailer and its safety net behind the green on hole 10 is considered a Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO).
 
If the player's ball is in the general area and there is interference by the TIO, the player may take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:
 
Reference Point: The nearest point of complete relief where both physical and line of sight interference no longer exist.
 
Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: The entire area within one club-length from the reference point (this one club-length wide area is commonly referred to as the "corridor"), but with these limits:
   
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
 
Must be in the general area,

Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and there must be complete relief from both physical and line of sight interference by the TIO.

If the player has physical interference from the TIO, instead of using this relief procedure they may choose to take relief using the procedure for taking relief from an abnormal course condition in Rule 16.1, treating the TIO as if it were an immovable obstruction.
 
There is no relief when playing the ball as it lies would be clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player is not allowed to take free relief (such as when the player is unable to make a stroke because of where the ball lies in a bush outside the TIO), and
 
There is no relief when interference exists only because the player chooses a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances; and
 
From line of sight interference: there is no relief when the player cannot show that there is a stroke that they could reasonably make that would both (a) have the TIO (including the corridor) on the line of that stroke, and (b) result in the ball finishing on a direct line to the hole.

Rule 17. PENALTY AREAS

All penalty areas are marked with Yellow and/or Red stakes.

In order to proceed under this Rule it must be known or virtually certain (95%) that the ball is in Penalty Area. In the absence of knowledge or virtual certainty a ball that cannot be found must be considered lost somewhere other than in a penalty area and the player must proceed under Rule 18.2

Please note that if the ball is known or virtually certain to be in a Penalty Area it is not allowed to play a Provisional Ball apart from the following Local Rules regarding hole 10 and hole 12.

Provisional Ball for Ball in the Penalty Area on Hole 10

If a player does not know whether his or her ball is in the penalty area on the left-hand side of Hole 10, the player may play a provisional ball using any of the following relief options: stroke-and-distance, back-on-the-line or the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d).

Red Penalty Areas with opposite side relief – left of hole 10.

Provisional Ball for Ball in the Penalty Area on Hole 12

If a player does not know whether his or her ball is in the penalty area when hitting the ball over the lake on Hole 12, the player may play a provisional ball using any of the following relief options: stroke-and-distance, back-on-the-line or the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d). 

 

RULINGS: DOUBT AS TO PROCEDURE (Rule 20.1c)

In Stroke Play only, if a competitor is doubtful of his rights or the correct procedure during play of a hole he may, without penalty, complete the hole with two balls. To proceed under this Rule, he must decide to play two balls after the doubtful situation has arisen and before taking further action (e.g. making a stroke at the original ball). The competitor should announce to his marker or another player that he intends to play two balls, and, which ball he wishes to count if the Rules permit the procedure used for that ball. Before returning his scorecard, the competitor must report the facts to the Committee. If he fails to do so, he is disqualified.

 

Technical Committee: Peter Fisher, Alan Winstanley, Sue Hagland

 

EXPLANATION OF LOCAL RULES

 

Rule 18. OUT OF BOUNDS

Under the Rule of Golf posts identifying Out of Bounds are not permitted to be moved and free relief is generally not given. Any player moving a boundary post and playing a shot incurs the general penalty of 2 shots in Strokeplay and Loss of Hole in Matchplay.

However, on hole 4 there are Boundary Posts in front of the stone wall on the right of the General Area and on hole 17 in the General Area before the road. The wall and the road indicate the Out of Bounds not the posts. Therefor in these instances the posts can be treated as Moveable Obstructions and you are allowed to move them if they interfere with your stroke or stance.

Rule 17. PENALTY AREAS

The Red Penalty (PA) Area to the left of the General Area on hole 10 is a potential Rules nightmare!

A player has to be Virtually Certain that their ball is in the area before they are allowed to take Penalty Relief. This means that a ball which is hit hard into the trees growing in the PA cannot be declared in the area unless it is found although a ball rolling along the path and falling into the PA can.

Also, under the 2019 Rules of Golf you cannot take opposite side relief in a Red PA unless there is a Local Rule to this effect. We have included this Local Rule in SICG Rules as sometimes a ball may roll into the PA having landed on the road. As you obviously cannot take relief on the roadside as it is Out of Bounds the Local Rule is necessary.

Under Rule 17 you are not allowed to play a provisional ball if you think that your ball is in a PA. However, on hole 10 if you hit the ball over the corner or directly into the trees in the PA it is difficult to know if the ball is actually in the PA. In this instance providing there is a Local Rule allowing a provisional ball you are allowed to play one hence the inclusion in SICG Local Rules.

Finally, on hole 10 a number of players are breaking the Rules of Golf when taking lateral relief from the penalty area. The 2 club-length relief is likely to mean that your ball is laying on the path. You must take this relief in the normal way and you then take relief from the path. You are not allowed to short-cut the process and immediately take relief from the PA on the other side of the path. This has been discussed with the R&A who have confirmed that it is not allowed to short-cut the process. If you do so you have broken the Rules of Golf and incur the General Penalty of 2 shots in Strokeplay or loss of hole in Matchplay.

 

REMINDERS

Despite being advised on numerous occasions players are still breaking the Rules of Golf in the following cases: -

  1. When lifting/spinning a ball to check if it is theirs without marking the spot beforehand.

  2. Lifting and marking another players ball on the green without first obtaining the players permission to do so.

Both of the above situations incur a 1 shot penalty in either Strokeplay or Matchplay.