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Neil Tapping talks about the 7 Rules Definitions
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00:00Hello everyone, Neil Tappan here from Golf Monthly and welcome to Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club and
00:04this video looking at the seven rules definitions every golfer needs to know. You'll spot them in
00:10the rule book, there are 68 different definitions in total and they're all italicised. When you spot
00:15them there's also an index at the back to give you all the information you need to know but in
00:19this video we're going to take a look at what we think are the seven most important and if you
00:23can
00:23improve your knowledge of these definitions, no two ways about it, you'll have a better understanding
00:28for the rules of golf in general. Right, let's get started.
00:36Okay, so the first definition to look at is areas of the golf course and there are five
00:41different ones to look out for in the rule book and actually these are really important
00:45to know for anyone playing the game because the rules apply differently in those different
00:49areas don't they James? They do. What do people need to know here? Well you need to know there
00:52are five areas of the golf course. The general area which is fairway, rough, woodland, the vast
00:58majority of the course is now called the general area. Then you've got the teeing area of the
01:02hole you're playing, the putting green of the hole you're playing and then all bunkers
01:06and all penalty areas. Right, okay so let me ask you a question then
01:10James, can you give us an example of where the rules apply differently if the same thing
01:14happened in different areas? Okay, so I mean what you would first need to know is that
01:18some of these areas of the golf course have their own rules in the rule book so you'll find
01:22a lot about exactly what varies there but one specific example would be accidental movement
01:28of the ball. If you do that on the putting green accidentally move your ball at rest there
01:32is no penalty and you must replace the ball. If you accidentally move your ball in the general
01:37area the ball at rest then there is a penalty you still must replace the ball but there is
01:42a penalty there so different areas of the course you just have to be aware different scenarios
01:47result in different outcomes. Yes and it might sound like the rules are making it more complicated
01:51for people but those rules are there for a very good reason and that's why it's really important
01:55to know what the definitions are.
02:02Okay so this definition is known or virtually certain and Jez we've come to the 18th hole here on the
02:07west course at Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club because this little stream that you can see in
02:11front of you runs all the way down the left-hand side of this hole and you and I have
02:16played this
02:16hole a few times when a ball has gone a little bit left off the tee there's a few other
02:20things in the
02:20way you can't be 100% sure so what does known or virtually certain mean and how can it help
02:25people
02:26with the rules? Well known or virtually certain obviously means known so you might come down here
02:31see a ball down in the stream there you can see your identification marks on it or you've seen a
02:37splash or someone in the group ahead says your ball definitely went in the water.
02:41Yeah so that's fine that's known this the virtually certain bit where the rules the definitions of the rules
02:47talk about all events suggesting it's at least 95% likely that the ball is in the penalty area.
02:54That's interesting because that then becomes a bit of a judgment call doesn't it because in this
02:59scenario if I've hit my tee shot I hope you can see the tee behind me if I've hit my
03:03tee shot down the left-hand
03:04side here yeah it may well be in the water but it might well also be in this these these
03:08ferns here
03:09it might be in the thick rough over here. The rough here is thick enough for you to potentially
03:13not find a ball in so it could be in there. Yeah. So in this scenario here my personal opinion
03:19would be
03:20that this you couldn't be 95% certain. No I would say at best probably 60%. Something like that so
03:26then in that circumstance when you're talking about a penalty area here that known or virtually certain
03:31also applies to things like whether or not your ball moved and what caused it to move.
03:36Right okay. But here I don't think you could be 95% certain your ball was in there unless you
03:43had
03:43specifically seen it go in so in that circumstance you would have to go back and play again from the
03:48tee
03:48rather than proceed under the penalty area rules. Yes with a lost ball penalty added to your score.
03:53So there you have it a known or virtually certain a definition well worth knowing.
04:02Okay so we've already covered known or virtually certain which is handy because that brings us
04:07on to our next definition which is club length. Now in this scenario Jez we would be virtually certain
04:12that the ball had gone in the stream because there's only a few bushes here and even then you can
04:17have a little look into those bushes if it's not in one of those it's in the stream. Yeah.
04:21So I think we'd be 95% certain that the ball was in there. I think in this area here
04:24there's no real rough to speak of.
04:27If it was in this little tuft here you'd see it. I think this would be a justifiable 95%
04:33certain.
04:33Yes at which point you'll need to take a drop and at which point you will also need to know
04:37what a club length refers to. Yes. So club length is a newly defined term under the rules
04:43and that is because you're no longer able to use your putter to measure out a relief area
04:49because they wanted to stop people with long putters gaining an advantage.
04:53Yes gaining an advantage of maybe a few inches which actually in a certain scenario could end up being crucial.
04:58Might just get you clear of what you're taking relief from.
05:01Exactly. So you are going to use the longest club in the bag.
05:05Yes. I would think so for most people that would be driver.
05:07Yes. I mean that is more about unplayable lies to the putter but it could be here where you're able
05:12to get a little bit further away and open up the
05:14more of an angle to get the green. Yes. So club length is now defined as the longest club in
05:19your bag that you are carrying for that given round.
05:22So typically driver but if you have chosen not to carry the driver for any reason you are sacrificing a
05:28little bit of relief area as well whenever you have to measure.
05:30Yes. So I think balls crossed about here. We are going in that direction there. So this is no nearer
05:36the hole. Is that fair?
05:37Yes. And with a penalty drop it's two club lengths. For free relief it's typically one club length.
05:44So you can now drop anywhere within that area. And. Nearer the hole. That has gone nearer the hole.
05:51Drop again. So you have to re-drop. There we go. And that is now within the two club length
05:57area not nearer the hole so that ball is in play.
06:00There you go. Right so for this one you are going to need to use your imagination slightly. So we
06:09have come out on a beautiful day in June.
06:11There is no clouds in the sky. There is no rain. But if it was raining hard then there are
06:15going to be certain areas on the golf course where the water gathers.
06:18Yes. And let's just imagine that around my ball is a giant puddle. Yes. Yes.
06:24Yes. What is the definition. The term within the rules that people need to look out for here.
06:28Okay. Well the definition is now temporary water. It used to be called casual water. But that got renamed temporary
06:34water in the 2019 rules versions.
06:36It is basically any area where puddles gather or pools of water gather where there should not be water on
06:41the golf course.
06:42So not in a penalty area. Yes. But if there is heavy rainfall and this has filled out this little
06:49hollow with a puddle of water.
06:50Or an irrigation system has chucked too much water out and caused a temporary accumulation. You would get relief from
06:56that.
06:56You are entitled to a free drop. But how do you identify. So there are often scenarios on the golf
07:01course where the course is getting really quite wet.
07:03Yes. But it is kind of on the edge as to whether it is temporary water or not. Yes.
07:07What are you allowed to do and what are you not allowed to do?
07:08Well what you are not allowed to do which you see a lot of people doing is coming in here
07:11and really pressing down firmly with one foot to try and get the water to come up.
07:15Yes.
07:16It is only considered temporary water if it is visible either before or after your stance is taken without pressing
07:22down unnecessarily to get the water to come up around your shoe.
07:25Right. Got it. And then when you take the drop. Yes.
07:28You need to make sure that you are then completely free of the area that you are taking the drop
07:33from.
07:33Yes. That is right. So you need to find the nearest point where temporary water does not interfere with the
07:37stance or where the ball is lying and take relief there.
07:40Nearest area not nearer the hole.
07:41That becomes your nearest point of complete relief and then you can go from there.
07:44Then you drop from there. Yes. So it is just important to know that temporary water is not something that
07:50comes up when you put all of your weight on one foot and press down as hard as humanly possible.
07:55Yes. Yes. So it does happen this one on the golf course. If you are playing more and more golf
07:59you will encounter it. So it is well worth knowing exactly what temporary water is and what it isn't.
08:09This definition is stroke and distance. Now, Jez, why is it important for people to know what stroke and distance
08:14refers to?
08:15Well, it is a very common penalty and procedure referred to in the rule book for rules like rules 17,
08:2218 and 19 which are the ones that cover unplayable balls and penalty areas and lost balls and out of
08:28bounds.
08:28But we all lose them from time to time and when you do, you will need to know what stroke
08:32and distance is. What is it?
08:34Well, it is effectively exactly what it says on the tin really. You have a penalty stroke but you also
08:39lose the distance that you gained with the original stroke.
08:41I think a lot of people think if you play again from here, having lost the ball, it is a
08:47two-shot penalty but it is not a two-shot penalty. It is a one-shot penalty plus 200 yards
08:52of distance.
08:53Yes, it feels like a two-shot penalty.
08:54It feels like a two-shot penalty and you do effectively add two to your score.
08:56Yes. So in this scenario, the general area of the golf course, if I have blazed one right, lost it,
09:01we have gone up and had a look at it, I have lost it, I am coming back to the
09:04same spot, hit effectively the same shot again which would just be here.
09:07Yes. But again, it is important to know how the rules differ for different areas of the golf course, isn't
09:13it?
09:14Yes. I mean, it is because your reference point must be within the same area of the golf course if
09:18you played the original shot from the general area, which is this fairway, a penalty area or a bunker.
09:24Yes. So if your original shot was from a bunker, your reference point then is that bunker for playing the
09:29shot after you have taken stroke and distance.
09:32What about from the tee? From the tee, you have the advantage of being able to re-tee the ball
09:36anywhere you like in the teeing area.
09:38So if you clipped a tree, you weren't expecting to clip and it has sent it into oblivion, you could
09:43then perhaps tee off a little bit further to the right or the left to potentially eliminate the risk of
09:48repeating the mistake.
09:49Yes. So possibly a smaller advantage to be gained by knowing exactly what stroke and distance refers to in different
09:56areas of the golf course.
09:56But from this scenario, I'm playing exactly the same shot again.
10:00Hopefully not exactly the same shot.
10:01No. No. Exactly. Try and keep it away from the right-hand side.
10:09That's going to catch the edge, I think, just above ground. Oh, it came back a long way. Decent.
10:20Okay, so the next definition is hold. When the ball is and when it is not hold. Yes. What do
10:27people need to know here?
10:28Well, I think people need to know that things have changed on this front, although the definition in the rules
10:32in some ways hasn't changed.
10:34It still says at the start of the definition your ball is hold when all of it, the whole of
10:39the ball, rests below the surface of the putting green.
10:41Right. So not all of that is below the surface of the putting green. No. So is that hold or
10:44is that not hold?
10:45Well, it wouldn't have been, but it is now under the 2019 rules of versions, because there's now an exception,
10:50calls a special case, which probably isn't that special because it happens all the time.
10:54Yeah, especially with the COVID rules.
10:56Things that you've got in the hole.
10:57But even without that being allowed to putt with the flagstick in, there is now this, what it calls a
11:02special case of the ball resting against the flagstick.
11:04And when the ball is resting against the flagstick, it's considered hold when any part of the ball is below
11:09the surface of the green.
11:10Yes, which clearly there is part of my ball here that is below the surface of the green.
11:15So this one is hold.
11:22OK, so the last one on our list is the point of maximum available relief.
11:27Jez, what do people need to know here?
11:28OK, well, I think people know that nearest point of complete relief is the normal term,
11:33and it is for taking relief from abnormal course conditions or dropping off a cart path.
11:38You have to have it such that that condition or obstruction no longer interferes with your stance or where the
11:43ball is lying.
11:44On the greens and in bunkers, there is a slight variation where you are able to find the point of
11:49maximum available relief if there is no point of complete relief.
11:52Right, so imagine this green is completely saturated, covered in water, or you are in a bunker and that bunker
11:58is completely filled with water.
11:59You are going to need to find a spot to drop the ball on no nearer the hole where that
12:03interference from the water is not quite so bad.
12:06Yeah, so on a green, you would be looking for the shallowest point between you and the flag that your
12:10ball would have to pass through,
12:11the point where it least interferes.
12:13And in bunkers, you might be trying to find a little bit round the edge where your feet might still
12:16be in the water,
12:17but you can actually drop your ball in the sand.
12:19So there you have it, the point of maximum available relief, a definition well worth knowing.
12:23So there you have it, that is our look at the seven rules definitions every golfer needs to know.
12:28If you do have any questions, please post them below, we will get back to as many people as we
12:32possibly can.
12:33But that's it for now for Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, it's goodbye.
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