For golf courses that are still open in these turbulent times of viral pandemic, the USGA, that is, the U.S. organization that along with the R&A dictates the rules of golf in the world, has produced a guide on how to apply those rules and handicap rules while the effects of the coronavirus remain.
The USGA statement reads as follows:
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The guidance supplements a memorandum issued by the USGA on how the above rules apply in response to questions received from owners, administrators, tournament organizers and golfers.
As noted in that memorandum, the purpose of the guidance below is not to encourage or discourage anyone from playing, but, in our governance role, to help golf operators, committees and players better understand how the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Handicapping apply to the various questions we have received.
The questions received fit into four main themes. For each of the four topics below, the guidance provided serves both to directly answer the questions asked and to cover additional considerations that may also be useful.
FLAG
Can a course remove all flags to minimize the possibility of exposing players to the coronavirus?
Can a committee introduce a code of conduct that does not allow players to remove (or even touch) the flag?
The flag has an important purpose in the game of golf: it is an indicator to a player of where the hole is on the green or a target for shots.
If a Committee decides to establish a golf course without flags, consideration should be given to how best to support such a decision by indicating to players the location of each hole on the green, or by establishing a general guide to the holes.
As another means of minimizing exposure to players, a Committee could decide to introduce a code of conduct prohibiting players from touching or removing the flag. As authorized in Rule 1.2b, such a code could also include sanctions (such as a penalty stroke or the general penalty) if a player violates the rule.
Before a Committee decides to introduce such a restriction, it is recommended that consideration be given to the fact that removing the flag is an instinctive, even automated, act for many players. Drafting such a code of conduct to restrict only deliberate acts that affect the outcome of the hole would be reflective of that reality and would mean that a player who instinctively removes the flagpole would not receive a penalty for doing so.
If a Committee takes any of the above actions, it is at the discretion of the Committee whether the results would be acceptable for handicap purposes.
BUNKERS AND RAKING OF BUNKERS
We have removed all bunker rakes from our field to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. What options do we have for players who fall into unraked areas?
In eliminating rakes from the course, the Committee has several options on how best to address the possibility of a player’s ball resting in an unmaintained sand area and should consider which approach is best in its unique circumstances.
If you have limited play and most of the players on your course use a golf cart, the best approach might be to ask each player to carry a rake with him.
If it is decided that no additional Rules will be applied to treat these areas, it would be advisable to encourage players to make every effort to smooth the disturbed area with a foot or stick.
An additional option includes changing the status of bunkers to be part of the general area. This would give players additional options under multiple relief rules (Rules 16 and 19) and remove the restrictions normally in place under Rule 12.
Land under repair could be used in two different ways. The first is to declare all bunkers as ground under repair and treat them as part of the general area. This would allow players the option of taking free relief outside the bunker under Rule 16.1. The second is to treat disturbed areas only as ground under repair. This would still allow a player free relief from such areas, but would require that such relief be taken elsewhere within the bunker.
As a last resort, we have raised questions about whether a Committee can add a local rule that allows a player to place the ball elsewhere in a bunker without penalty (such as within one club length of where the ball stopped) ) While that may seem like a good option, as it requires players to play from the bunker, there will be times when there will not be effective relief available to a player, such as when a bunker is played frequently and large areas are not graded. It would be recommended that the other options, such as those listed above, be considered first, noting that the use of the ground in the above repair options ensures that the player gets full relief and, by dropping from knee height, balls are rarely buried.
If a Committee takes any of the above actions, it is at the discretion of the Committee whether the results would be acceptable for handicap purposes.
CARDS AND SCORECARD
We are holding a tournament, but want to limit how cards are exchanged between players and after the round to the Committee. Any recommendations?
The Rules already allow numerous options to address these concerns, noting that certifying a score does not require a physical signature, nor does it require a physical card.
If a Committee wishes to conduct a competition using a form of electronic scoring, this could come in many forms, such as requesting that each scorer send an email to the Committee and the player for whom they are scoring, including the player’s hole-by-hole. The player can respond to verify the accuracy of the card.
When electronic methods are used, such as the email example above or similar methods including text messaging, the Committee must decide when a card will be considered to have been returned. For example, this could be when the player responds certifying that the scores are correct or some other action that the Committee might deem more appropriate.
A Committee may also wish to employ the above method, but also combine them with a physical scorecard by having the scorekeeper take a photograph of the completed scorecard and email or text it to the Committee using the same process described above.
If physical cards are the preferred method, a Committee may wish to have the player and scorekeeper not exchange cards, but rather verbally communicate hole-by-hole scores to the Committee in the scoring area. In addition, verbal confirmation could be a substitute for a physical signature. As with the electronic scoring methods described above, the Committee should be diligent to clearly define when a scorecard has been returned, such as when a player leaves the proshop, if that is where the process takes place.
If a Committee takes any of the above actions, it is at the discretion of the Committee whether the results would be acceptable for handicapping purposes.
HOLE MODIFICATIONS; PLAYERS NO LONGER REQUIRED TO PIT THE HOLE
A number of questions have been received regarding modifying the hole so that players no longer need to hole the hole to catch the ball and minimize the possibility of exposing golfers to coronavirus.
These have included some courses establishing holes where the hole liner remains an inch or two above the surface of the green, while others have placed objects in the hole or around the flagpole (such as foam noodles or plastic pipes) to prevent the ball from falling to the bottom.
While in all of these cases, the ball is not pocketed under the Rules of Golf (Rule 3.3c), a round played under these conditions will result in an acceptable score for handicap purposes using the most likely scoring guidelines (see Rule 3.3 of the Rules of Golf handicap).
While the most likely scoring procedure is intended to support certain formats of play in which the player is not required to pocket the hole (such as in match play when the next shot is awarded or in four-ball play when a partner lifts his), it also has temporary effect when the safety measures described above are used.
When using the most probable score, the player should consider the number of strokes likely to be required to complete the hole, and determine whether or not the ball would have been pocketed. The most probable score is at the player’s discretion and should not be used to gain an unfair advantage.
This measure is temporary and is in effect within the United States until otherwise directed by the USGA.
The above guide will continue to be updated.
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