ITG Plays by USGA Rules
It isn't that hard - Play one ball from tee box to the bottom of the hole and play that ball as it lies except on the green when marked. Count every stroke and every thong adjustment, and you're well on your way to a good Saturday Morning Stroking.
Turn Off Cell Phones! You make the call, don't receive them.
These are simple rules and are in full force when playing in the Iron Thong Saturday Morning Tournaments.
Please read conclusion carefully.
Please Review These Videos About Pace of Play!!!!
Time of Play and Scoring:
Scoring Etiquette
Playing at a good pace!!!! Watch it, live it , learn it!!!
Pace
of Play
Being Ready to Play... Everyone needs
to watch this one...
Being Ready to Play
By
Laws of the Iron Thong Golfing Gang
Please refer to the By Laws of the Iron Thong Golfing Gang which constitutes and outlines our USGA Membership.
INTRODUCTION
Golf is a game in which a ball is struck with a club from a prepared area, known
as the "teeing ground", across fairway and rough to a second prepared area,
which has a hole in it, known as the "putting green". The object of the game is
to complete what is known as a hole by playing a ball from the teeing ground
into the hole on the putting green in the fewest possible number of strokes. A
"round of golf' consists of playing 18 such holes.
There are basically two forms of play, one which is decided by holes won and
lost (match play) and the other which is decided by the total number of strokes
taken to complete the round (stroke play).
There are three important principles to remember when
playing golf:
Play the course as you find it. Play the Ball as it lies.
And if you can't do either, do what's fair."
To do what's fair you need to know the Rules. The following is a summary of the
Rules of Golf, simplified where possible.
ETIQUETTE
Etiquette covers both Courtesy and Priority on the Course as well as Care of the
Course. Whilst the following points are not Rules as such they are an important
part of the game.
1 Don't move, talk or stand close to a player making a stroke.
2 Don't play until the group in front is out of the way.
3 Always play without delay. Leave the putting green as soon as all players in
your group have holed out.
4 Invite faster groups to play through.
5 Replace divots. Smooth footprints in bunkers.
6 Don't step on the line of another player's putt.
7 Don't drop flag pole.
8 Replace the flagstick carefully.
DEFINITIONS
The Definitions section of the Rules of Golf contains over forty Definitions
which form the foundation around which the Rules of play are written. A good
knowledge of the defined terms will help in the correct application of the
Rules. These include:
Teeing Ground - the starting place for the hole, defined by two
tee-markers.
Through the Green - the whole area of the golf course except the teeing
ground and putting green of the hole being played and all hazards.
Hazards - any bunker or water hazard.
Putting Green - an area specially prepared for putting and containing a
41/2 inch diameter hole.
Out of Bounds - ground on which play is prohibited i.e. not part of the
course. A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.
Loose Impediments - natural objects such as stones, leaves and twigs
provided they are not fixed or growing, are not solidly embedded and are not
sticking to the ball.
Obstructions - any man-made object, except:
(1) objects defining out of bounds
(2) any part of an immovable man-made object which is out of bounds; and
(3) any construction declared by the Committee in the Local Rules to be an
integral part of the course.
Casual Water - any temporary accumulation of water on the course which is
visible before or after the player takes his stance (dew and frost are not
casual water).
Ground Under Repair - any portion of the course so marked by the
Committee. Also includes material piled for removal and a hole made by a
greenkeeper, even if not so marked.
THE RULES OF PLAY
GENERAL POINTS
Before commencing your round:
(1) Read the Local Rules on the score card.
(2) Put an identification mark on your ball. Many golfers play the same brand of
ball and if you can't identify your ball, it's lost.
(3) Count your clubs. If the player declares before the start of the round they
may have more than 14 clubs if they are being tested for a specific reason and
is not to be repeated week after week.
During the round, don't ask for "advice" from anyone except your partner or
caddie. Don't give advice to anyone except your partner.
During a hole you may not play a practice stroke.
TEEING OFF
Tee off between and not in front of the tee-markers. You may tee off up to two
club-lengths behind the front line of the tee-markers.
Teeing off outside this area - in match play there is no penalty but your
opponent may ask you to replay your stroke; in stroke play you incur a
two-stroke penalty and must then play from within the proper area.
PLAYING THE BALL
Play the ball as it lies. Don't improve your lie, the area
of your intended swing or your line of play by moving, bending or breaking
anything fixed or growing except in fairly taking your stance or making your
swing. Don't press anything down or build a stance.
If your ball lies in a bunker or a water hazard don't touch the ground in the
bunker, or the ground or water in the water hazard, before your downswing.
The ball must be
fairly struck, not pushed or spooned.
Playing a wrong ball (except in a hazard) - in
match play you lose the hole; in stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty and
you must then play the correct ball.
ON THE PUTTING GREEN
You may repair ball marks and old hole plugs on the line of your putt but not
any other damage, including spike marks.
You may mark, lift and clean your ball on the putting green. Always replace it
on the exact spot.
Don't test the putting surface by scraping it or rolling a ball over it.
Ball played from putting green strikes flagstick -
in match play you lose the hole; in stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty.
BALL AT REST MOVED
If your ball is at rest and it is moved by you, your partner or your caddie,
except as permitted by the Rules, or if it moves after you have addressed it,
add a penalty stroke and replace your ball.
If your ball is at rest and is moved by someone else or another ball, replace it
without penalty to you.
BALL IN MOTION DEFLECTED OR STOPPED
Ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by you, your partner or your
caddie - in match play you lose the hole; in stroke play you incur a
two-stroke penalty and the ball is played as it lies.
Ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by someone else - play your
ball as it lies wihout penalty, except (a) in match play, if an opponent or his
caddie deflects the ball you have an option to replay the stroke or (b) in
stroke play, if the ball is deflected after a stroke from on the putting green,
you must replay it.
Ball struck by you is deflected or stopped by another ball at rest- in
matchplay, no penalty and the ball is played as it lies except. In stroke play
you incur a two-stroke penalty if your ball and the other ball were on the
putting green before you played.
LIFTING, DROPPING AND PLACING THE BALL
If a lifted ball is to be replaced, its position must be marked. If a ball is to
be dropped or placed in any other position (e.g. taking relief from GUR, etc.)
it is recommended that the ball's original position be marked.
When dropping, stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder height and arm's length
and drop it. If a dropped ball strikes you or your partner, caddie or equipment
it must be re-dropped without penalty.
There are eight instances where a dropped ball rolls to such a position that it
must be re-dropped - see Rules of Golf Rule 20 - 2c
Anytime the ball is
lifted. dropped or placed it may be cleaned prior to performing the action.
BALL INTERFERING WITH OR ASSISTING PLAY
You may lift your ball if it might assist any other player.
You may have any ball lifted if it might interfere with your play or assist any
other player.
LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS
You may move a loose impediment unless it and your ball are in a hazard.
However, if you have touched a loose impediment within one club-length of your
ball and your ball moves, the ball must be replaced and (unless your ball was on
the putting green) you incur a penalty stroke.
OBSTRUCTIONS
Check the Local Rules on the score card for guidance on immovable obstructions
(e.g. surfaced roads and paths etc.) .
Local Rules are not printed on the score card they are posted on the Board in or
near the Pro Shop. What is/are printed on the Score Cards are definitions
defining the course parameters. Local Rules are Seasonal/Temporary and are
not printed on the card.
Movable obstructions
(e.g. rakes, tin cans etc.) anywhere on the course may be moved. If the ball
moves it must be replaced without penalty.
If an immovable obstruction (e.g. a water fountain) interferes with your stance
or swing, you may drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of
relief not nearer the hole. There is no relief for intervention on your line of
play unless your ball and the obstruction are on the putting green.
CASUAL WATER, GROUND UNDER REPAIR etc.
If your ball is in casual water, ground under repair or a hole or cast made by a
burrowing animal e.g. a rabbit, you may drop without penalty within one
club-length of the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole.
WATER HAZARDS
Check the Local Rules on the score card to establish whether the sea, lake,
river etc. is a `water hazard' or a `lateral water hazard'.
Ball in watery hazard - play the ball as it lies or, under penalty of one
stroke, (a) drop any distance behind the water hazard keeping a straight line
between the hole, the point where the ball crossed the margin of the water
hazard and spot on which the ball is dropped, or (b) play again from where you
hit the ball into the hazard.
Ball in lateral water hazard - in addition to the options for a ball in a water
hazard (see above), under penalty of one stroke, you may drop within two
club-lengths of (a) the point where the ball crossed the margin of the hazard or
(b) a point on the opposite side of the hazard equidistant from the hole.
BALL LOST OR OUT OF BOUNDS
Check the Local Rules on the score card to identify the boundaries of the
course. If your ball is lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds you must
play another ball from the spot where the last shot was played under penalty of
one stroke i.e. stroke and distance. You are allowed 5 minutes to search for a
ball, after which if it is not found or identified it is lost. If, after playing
a shot, you think your ball may be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds
you may play a `provisional ball'. You must state that it is a provisional ball
and play it before you go forward to search for the original ball. If the
original ball is lost or out of bounds you must continue with the provisional
ball under penalty of one stroke. If the original ball is not lost or out of
bounds, you must continue play of the hole with it and the provisional ball must
be abandoned.
BALL UNPLAYABLE
If you believe your ball is unplayable outside a water hazard (and you are the
sole judge), you may under penalty of one stroke, (a) drop within two
club-lengths of where the ball lies not nearer the hole, (b) drop any distance
behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole,
the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or (c)
replay the shot. If your ball is in a bunker you may proceed under (a), (b) and
(c). However, if you elect to proceed under (a) or (b) you must drop in the
bunker.
CONCLUSION
A good score will be shit canned, or a match lost, due to
a penalty incurred through ignorance or confusion of too much beer and not
knowing the rules of the Iron Thong Golf Gang. Whenever possible after each
match the player may sit down, enjoy good space, drink a shit load of beer
and discuss anything concerning the Rules of the Iron Thong Golfing Gang. A
sound knowledge of the above summary should aid an Iron Thong golfer in tackling
a "Rules problem" not their alcohol problem. Nevertheless, the complete Rules of
Golf as approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the
United States Golf Association, should be consulted where any doubt arises, and
ruled on upon review of the rules by the President of the club .
This Page Last Updated On: 09/20/2009 04:16:39 AM
© 05' - 06' Until
Birdies Do Us Part - Iron Thong Golfing Gang
San Antonio, Texas