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In this video, Neil Tappin is joined by Golf Monthly rules expert Fergus Bisset to talk through the 5 golf rules that are surprisingly vague or unclear. Whether it's determining if your ball is in a hazard, declaring a provisional or understanding what constitutes advice, there are actually quite a few grey areas in the rule book that you need to be careful of.
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00:00Hello and welcome to the London Club and this video in which we're going to take a look at the five gold
00:05rules that are surprisingly vague. Now there are certain rules in the book that are very clear.
00:10There are a few others where there's a little bit of a grey area and it's there for a very good
00:15reason and we're going to talk about exactly what those are in this video. I'm joined by Golf Rules X.
00:20Right, let's get started.
00:25Bye.
00:30Now Fergus, for this one we're going to talk about advice.
00:35And advice is a term that you'll see within the rules of golf but there is a little bit of...
00:40I think something around it that would leave people feeling a little unsure at times.
00:44Tell me...
00:45What constitutes advice and more importantly I think what are the things that people need to watch out?
00:50Okay, good. This is rule 10.2 which deals with advice.
00:55Now a player is not allowed to give advice to other players in the comp...
01:00competition nor is a player allowed to ask advice from anybody other than their captain.
01:05Now advice is a comment or an action that would influence a player in the...
01:10way that they either selected a club or chose to play a whole...
01:13Play the shots.
01:14Or play the...
01:15I'm telling you here this is a 150 odd yard par 3 over water, it's difficult.
01:20Me telling you I've just hit an A time, I'm going to get a penalty for that.
01:23You would be receiving a...
01:25If I subtly showed you the bottom of the golf club.
01:28I'm afraid you would also be in contraband.
01:30There's a bunch of 10.2 there.
01:31You can't shame me.
01:32Now I would not be allowed to ask...
01:35what club you fit.
01:36I could however, before we played the hole, say...
01:40well remember the fourth hole, roughly the same length.
01:43What club did you hit there?
01:45That seems a bit odd that you can do that but you can't ask what club I fit in.
01:49It does seem quite odd.
01:50I would be allowed to have a little look in your bag and say...
01:55Ah, the A town's missing.
01:56We must have hit an A town here.
01:58But...
01:59I'm not allowed.
02:00To move that out of the way.
02:01They'd be touching my equipment.
02:03You're in contravention of the rule if you...
02:05touch a player's equipment or clubs.
02:07Yeah.
02:08Interesting.
02:09And another thing about...
02:10I've said that you can ask your caddy.
02:12A spectator might give you some advice.
02:14Nope.
02:15I don't think they'd have very many spectators.
02:17If they did, you wouldn't receive a penalty in that instance.
02:20However, you would have to encourage them to not give you any further advice.
02:24If they continue...
02:25If they continue to give you advice as you went round and you hadn't discouraged them from
02:28doing that, you would breach 10 points.
02:30You would have to go to 2A and receive the general penalty there.
02:31Interesting.
02:32So there's some quite...
02:33Yeah.
02:34Things you've got to watch out for.
02:35There's subtle differences between what you can and can't do here.
02:37The sort of thing that could really catch you out if you're playing...
02:40in competition.
02:41Just be very careful of that.
02:42Make sure you aren't going out of your way to ask advice.
02:45of any of your playing partners.
02:47Now, this one refers to wind direct.
02:50direction.
02:51And Fergus, we're all used to throwing up a few blades of grass to figure out what the
02:54winds do.
02:55There is...
02:55There's some windows going over there.
02:56Yeah.
02:57But there's some things here that you're not allowed to do, aren't there?
03:00There are.
03:01Explain to us what you can and can't do around wind direction.
03:03Okay.
03:04Making that judgement call.
03:05This is...
03:05Rule 4.3a, which is to do with allowed and prohibited use of equipment.
03:10You're not allowed to use a piece of equipment that artificially eliminates the requirement
03:14for...
03:15essential skill or judgement within golf.
03:17Right.
03:18Okay.
03:19Throwing up grass, that's...
03:20That's fine.
03:21Grass is an equipment.
03:22It's grass.
03:23Good to know.
03:24However...
03:25There are...
03:264.3a, part two deals with wind direction and it says there are certain...
03:30things that you can't do.
03:31If, for some reason, you had some powder with you, I don't know why you might...
03:35I don't have any talcum powder with me today.
03:37That would be part of your equipment and if you threw that in the air...
03:40to assess which way the wind was going, there would be a penalty.
03:43Right.
03:44Okay.
03:45And you are not...
03:45I mean, if you have a hanky in your pocket, you're not allowed to wave that...
03:50Easy.
03:51Like a flag and just figure out what the...
03:52Yeah.
03:53Or if you happen to have a ribbon in your bag...
03:55Again, I don't know.
03:56You may do.
03:57You're not allowed to use that.
03:58Right.
03:59Okay.
04:00So you've got to be quite...
04:00careful with what you're doing and you would receive the general penalty...
04:03if you're tasked with the wind in one of those ways.
04:05Yeah.
04:06With an artificial object.
04:07Yeah.
04:08If you did it again, you'd be disqualified.
04:10two shots or out.
04:11So quite harsh.
04:12Yeah.
04:13Now, that leads me to asking the question then.
04:14Okay.
04:15What about...
04:15Range finders?
04:16Oh, really?
04:17Because my range finders, as most do, has slope to it.
04:20So if I was zapping this hole, I know not to use slope in competition.
04:23Yeah, okay.
04:24The hole that we're playing here is...
04:25a par three, it's definitely down.
04:27It's probably down 10 yards or so.
04:29Um...
04:30Why is it that I can have the yardage through this...
04:33Right.
04:34But I can't have the...
04:35slope as well.
04:36The reason is because the yardages are publicly available in...
04:40information.
04:41The yardage is something that you will be given on...
04:44Yes.
04:45Something that I can see.
04:46Absolutely.
04:47Down there, yeah.
04:48However, you have to use your judgment to...
04:50to decide how much the slope here...
04:52Okay.
04:53...would impact that yardage.
04:54And if you use a device...
04:55to tell you that...
04:56that's in contravention of that rule of prohibited use of equipment.
05:00Ah, good advice.
05:01And I'm going to throw in an extra piece of advice.
05:03When you're playing golf, just make sure that you're...
05:05the slope is turned off before you start.
05:07If you're playing in competition because that...
05:09could definitely...
05:10catch you out.
05:15Oh, that's a bit dicey over there.
05:20I was over there the other week.
05:21That's not very good.
05:22I think I'm going to have to play another one.
05:25Okay.
05:26Now, Ferg, I know from experience, from having done this with you...
05:30before, having spoken about this subject before, that when you have to hit a provisional ball...
05:34you need to be...
05:35quite prescriptive, I'd say...
05:37Yeah.
05:38...about what you're about to do.
05:39Is that fair?
05:40That is...
05:4018.3, which is a provisional ball.
05:4318.3B.
05:4418.3B.
05:4518.3B.
05:4618.3B.
05:4718.3B.
05:4818.3B.
05:4918.3B.
05:5018.3B.
05:5118.3B.
05:5218.3B.
05:5318.3B.
05:5418.3B.
05:5518.3B.
05:5618.3B.
05:5718.3B.
05:5818.3B.
05:5918.3B.
06:0018.3B.
06:0118.3B.
06:0218.3B.
06:0318.3B.
06:0418.3B.
06:0518.3B.
06:0618.3B.
06:0718.3B.
06:0818.3B.
06:0918.3B.
06:1018.3B.
06:1118.3B.
06:1218.3B.
06:1318.3B.
06:14you must play, that you're going to play provisional.
06:16Right, and then here's where this sort of,
06:18unset,
06:19some uncertainty because if you said,
06:21I'm going to play another one just in case,
06:24that suggests that you're playing a provisional ball.
06:26That's good enough.
06:27Because of the doubt.
06:28Because of the doubt.
06:29And if you said,
06:29I'm going to play another one under rule 18.3,
06:33if you're a real-
06:34I'm going to play another one under rule 18.
06:35I'm going to play another one under rule 18.
06:36That would be okay.
06:37I like it.
06:38Another thing would be-
06:39that perhaps not on the tee,
06:40but say that you were down in the fairway
06:41and your playing partners were somewhere else.
06:44If you required to play a provisional ball at that point,
06:46you wouldn't be able to tell them
06:47before you hit the shot.
06:48Why not?
06:49That's shouting across the fairway.
06:50No, you wouldn't need to do that.
06:51You would play your provisional
06:52and then you would go to your partners and-
06:54say I have played a provisional ball.
06:55Okay.
06:56Now, okay, there's some uncertainty about the-
06:59wording here.
07:00My advice and the rules advice is always just categorically-
07:04state I am playing a provisional ball.
07:05Right.
07:06Well, Fergus, I'm playing a provisional-
07:09state I am playing a provisional ball.
07:10Correct.
07:14And you might want to play a provisional ball.
07:19Okay, so I have hit my tee shot on the-
07:24the 14th hole here at the London club
07:25into this position in here.
07:27Now, I know that, Fergus-
07:29this is an immovable obstruction.
07:31It is.
07:31But the golf rules are slightly vague.
07:34in this scenario.
07:35And I'll tell you why.
07:37Because the green is-
07:39over your left shoulder, just over there.
07:41Yeah.
07:41The fairway is behind me, behind my back.
07:44The nearest point to the fairway.
07:45And I would be doing everything I could, I think.
07:49to be getting a free drop from here.
07:51Okay.
07:52By coming along and saying I was going to hit a four-iron.
07:54onto the green from this position.
07:56Yeah.
07:57Yeah.
07:58Now tell me-
07:59as my personal referee,
08:01then that's perfectly acceptable.
08:03I would-
08:04seriously question you.
08:0616.18-
08:09Part 3 says that you will not be entitled to relief
08:12if it is clearly unreasonable.
08:14Right.
08:15So you think this shot with a four-iron is clearly unreasonable?
08:18Well, basically-
08:19you would get that relief if you were taking a shot that you-
08:24you meant- you were going to be taking anyway.
08:26And the immovable of destruction-
08:29affected either the lie of the ball, your stance, as it does-
08:33would do in this case.
08:34Yes.
08:35Or the swing path.
08:36Now, you have to be honest-
08:39about the type of shot that you would realistically be taking on from here.
08:42Now, I can see-
08:44that if you aim-
08:45down that line,
08:47you're gonna-
08:48you're hitting-
08:49over-
08:49rough and trees-
08:50For about 100 yards.
08:51Your ball is buried thick in the rough.
08:54there is no way you would be taking on that shot.
08:56So, realistically, I would be-
08:59chipping it back out.
09:00Everyone would be chipping it back out.
09:01Here.
09:02Onto the stairway.
09:03Which means I'm now not standing on the path.
09:04Exactly.
09:04So, you would not be entitled to free relief.
09:07And that would be-
09:09the honor-
09:09an honest way-
09:10and a referee in competition would-
09:12would-
09:13would say that.
09:14So-
09:14in amateur golf,
09:15you just have to be honest-
09:16Even if I pleaded.
09:17I think even if you pleaded.
09:19They would just say-
09:20Please, look.
09:21Go on.
09:22Can you have a go at that shot?
09:23I wanna see it.
09:24I'm gonna-
09:24I'm gonna stand up here.
09:25I'm gonna prove you wrong.
09:26Right.
09:27I'm gonna prove you wrong.
09:28Here we go.
09:29Yeah, yeah.
09:30I can get a four iron.
09:29I mean, but-
09:30You're just gonna head it straight into the rough.
09:31I'm not.
09:35Oh my god.
09:36Well, that boy-
09:39will never be seen again.
09:40I mean, there was no-
09:42it was just unreasonable.
09:43I had to have-
09:44There was an unreasonable situation.
09:46Okay, so we have another scenario for you where-
09:49the rules of golf are a little bit vague.
09:52Purposefully vague, Fergus.
09:53You are.
09:54Now-
09:54The scenario for you is that I've hit my shot from over here, just to-
09:58Well, playing down the right-
09:59right-hand side of the hole.
10:00The ball's gone over the crest of the hill.
10:01We've both seen it go over the crest of the hill.
10:03And we know that-
10:04there's water.
10:05And we know there's a penalty area down here.
10:07Um, now I was hoping against-
10:09I hope that I might find my ball sitting on this grass here, but I haven't found it.
10:14Um-
10:14It's gone in there.
10:16Or at least, we're virtually certain it's gone in there.
10:19Explain to me how we need to proceed in that scenario.
10:21Okay.
10:22Well, yeah, this is known or virtually certain.
10:24This is a term that's used in the modern rules quite a bit, and it is the standard for deciding-
10:29what has happened to a player's ball.
10:31Has it gone in a penalty area?
10:32Has it been moved?
10:33How-
10:34How was it moved?
10:35Those sorts of situations.
10:36Now, here, I think-
10:39we can be virtually certain, and in the definitions of the rules, that's being 95% sure-
10:44Okay.
10:45So, 19 times out of 20, the ball will have come over the crest of the hill-
10:49the fact that it's not here means it's in there.
10:53Okay, one in a thousand-
10:54a thousand times a seagull's picked up your-
10:56Unlikely.
10:57Highly unlikely.
10:58Highly unlikely.
10:59Yeah.
11:00We're virtually certain.
11:01We are 95% at least sure that the ball is going-
11:04in the penalty area, and you would take relief accordingly from a red penalty area.
11:08It's-
11:09In this-
11:09In this scenario, it's fairly clear.
11:11It's very clear.
11:12It's very clear.
11:13However, if-
11:14what we were standing on here was heavy, thick, fescue, the sort that you-
11:19Yeah.
11:19you're struggling to find your golf ball in anyway.
11:21Yep.
11:22That's where virtually certain, in the rules, the tone-
11:24terminology really kicks in.
11:25Because can you be virtually certain that your ball's got in there?
11:29It may-
11:29Well done.
11:30But you can't be sure, can you?
11:31Probably not.
11:32And in that case, I think you wouldn't be able to say that you were-
11:3495% sure that what has happened, you think has happened, has happened.
11:39You could well be in the thick grass.
11:40In that instance, you would have to search for your ball and have your three minutes-
11:44and search.
11:45And if you couldn't find it, I think you would have to go back and play again.
11:48Yes.
11:49Probably failing.
11:49A little bit hard done by.
11:50But-
11:51Better feeling hard done by than potentially breaking the-
11:54rules and causing any sorts of issues for yourself.
11:56Correct.
11:57So there you have it.
11:58If you are unsure-
11:59that whether your ball might have gone in, if you are not virtually certain, then it's
12:02best just to go back and hit another.
12:04So there you have it.
12:05That's our look at the five golf rules that are surprising-
12:09And hopefully Ferguson's explanations there have helped you whenever you find yourself in any of-
12:14those scenarios.
12:15If you're unsure about anything, please do leave some comments below.
12:18We'll get back to as many of you.
12:19as we can.
12:20And of course, don't forget to hit the like and subscribe buttons.
12:23But thanks for watching.
12:24We will see you next time.
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