I got into a debate the other day on the golf course over a rule and after some simple research I sadly found out I was wrong. How in the world did I believe all this time (30+ years of playing golf) that a penalty stroke is incurred for stepping up to the tee and accidentally bumping your ball of the tee?! Made sense to me that any forward action of the ball resulting from the club meant a stroke penalty. WRONG!
Well, to help avoid you experiencing my mistakes here are 5 Myths and ultimate Truths of golf rules.
MYTH: You can’t share your rangefinder.
TRUTH: Simply put, yardage information is public information which means there is no penalty or restriction from sharing your range finder or you using it to share the information. Not all playing circumstances allow for rangefinders though so be sure to check, especially if playing in a tournament.
MYTH: You can only use a coin or ball marker to mark your ball on the green.
TRUTH: It’s commonly recommended that you use a coin or ball marker but you can truthfully use anything you want. Rabbit’s foot in your pocket? Usable. Leaf? Usable. Heck, you can even use your finger and sit and hold the position until it’s your turn. You may be in someone’s way so expect to have to move your marker if you’re using something not so flat.
MYTH: You have to stand within the teeing ground when you tee up your ball.
TRUTH: As long as your ball is within the teeing ground you can stand anywhere you want. So if the best spot to tee up your ball is all the way on the edge near the marker fear not, you can stand behind the marker outside the teeing ground for good footing.
MYTH: If your ball is stuck between the hole and the flag, it’s considered holed.
TRUTH: You hit what you think is your first hole-in-one but somehow the flag is leaning slightly and the ball is wedged between the edge of the hole and the flag not allowing it to drop down into the cup. Here’s the deal, it’s not considered holed. However, you can remove the flag and as long as the ball falls into the hole then it’s considered holed. If it somehow lips out and stays outside of the cup, sorry… not an ace.
MYTH: You are not allowed to borrow a ball from another player.
TRUTH: The rules of golf do not strictly state what brand of ball you have to play your round with. As long as the ball you are using fits into the rules of the game then you can use it during your round. If you run out of balls mid-round you can absolutely borrow a ball from your playing partner or pick up a sleeve at the turn. No rules state you have to finish your round using the same ball or same ball brand. …don’t forget your ball fisher so you can snag one out of the lake too if you run out.
Want to read more myths and truths? Head over to the USGA’s Rules of Golf Experience by clicking here.
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