Another in our series from one of the Sunshine Tour’s leading rules officials to help to get the best golf course experience.
During the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final played at the Gary Player County Club, we had quite a few interesting rulings that do not come up very often.
Equipment seemed to be the theme for that week as all the rulings involved Rule 4 in some shape or form.
The first incident entailed those alignment sticks many players carry in their bags, often without a second thought. These are not illegal to carry, but if you use them during your round you may run foul of Rule 4.3 Use of Equipment. For instance, under this rule, if you use a training or swing aid during the round to make a practice swing or to help you with your swing plane or posture, you will incur a general penalty for the first breach and be disqualified for any subsequent breach.
In this case the player was probably frustrated after missing a few putts and repeated a practice drill by using his alignment stick. As this may create a potential advantage under Rule 4.3 he was unfortunately given a two-stroke penalty.
The second was more of a clarification as to whether a piece of equipment conformed to the Equipment Rules of the R&A. The player enquired if his ball-marker conformed as it had an unusual shape with a line in the top used to line up the ball on the putting green. The specifications for a ball-marker limit the size to 2 inches, otherwise it might be considered an ‘alignment device’, and therefore non-conforming. This player’s ball-marker was under the size limit and he could continue using it.
Some readers may remember Rory Sabbatini being disqualified last year for using his 3-wood during the round when it had a small sticker on the clubface. These small reflective stickers are used with the launch monitors some players carry to check their numbers during warm-ups or while practising on the range.
Applying one of these to the clubface changes the playing characteristics of the club and therefore renders it non-conforming. At Sun City, a player who did the same noticed the sticker only after the round. But, unlike Sabbatini, he did not use the club during the round. As per Rule 4.3, merely carrying but not using the club does not incur a penalty and he could continue the tournament. Had he played a stroke with the club he would also have been disqualified.
The last incident was one of those rulings we do not wish to ever give a player. The 14-club rule came to cruel effect when a player discovered early in his round that he was carrying 15 clubs. A player may not start his round with more than 14 clubs, and incurs a penalty of two strokes for every hole he had the additional clubs, to a maximum of four strokes. The golfer in this case played more than two holes when he discovered the extra club and was thus handed the full four-stroke penalty.
What made this seem even more unfair is the club did not belong to him and he did not know where it came from. But you may not start the round with more than 14 clubs even if they don’t belong to you. An important side note is that if you do happen to pick up a lost or forgotten club on the course, this does not count as adding clubs. But you may not use that club during the round.
– This article first appeared in the March 2022 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine. Subscribe here!
