CWDGA Rules Quiz

Before making a stroke a player may not move, bend, or break any growing or attached natural object, immovable obstruction, integral object, boundary object, or tee-marker for the teeing area when playing a ball from that teeing area, or move a loose impediment or movable obstruction into position if any of these actions improve conditions affecting the stroke. Before making a stroke a player may avoid penalty by restoring any original object moved as nearly as possible so that the improvement is eliminated. The player may not alter the surface of the ground, remove or press down loose soil, or remove dew, frost, or water if any of these actions improve the conditions affecting the stroke. These improvements cannot be undone and the player would incur the general penalty. If the player worsens these conditions affecting the stroke, the player is not allowed to restore the conditions. If the player does so, she incurs the general penalty.

During a round, a player must not: --Give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course --Ask anyone for advice, other than the player’s caddie (or partner and her caddie) --Touch another player’s equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player (such as touching the other player’s clubs or bag to see what club is being used.) This does not apply before a round or while played is stopped under Rule 5.7a or between rounds in a competition. If a breach occurs between the play of two holes the penalty is accessed at the next hole.

If the Committee has ordered play to be suspended due to a dangerous situation (such as lightning) the players must stop playing immediately. The player may complete any stroke where she has taken a stance with a club behind the ball or has begun the backswing for the stroke and completes the stroke without hesitation. No additional strokes can be made. This includes tapping in a two-inch putt. This is for the safety of all players. The intent is to enable the course to be cleared as quickly as possible. The penalty for a breach of this Rule, 5.7b, is disqualification.

The ball is played as it lies. The player no longer has the option to cancel the stroke. The same is true for a ball that is accidentally stopped or deflected by the player or an outside influence. The only exception is when the ball is played from the putting green and it accidentally hits any person, animal, or movable obstruction (including another ball in motion) on the putting green. In this instance, the stroke does not count and the original ball or another ball must be replaced on the original spot (which if not known must be estimated.) If the ball in motion (played from the putting green) hits another ball at rest or ball-marker on the putting green, the stroke counts and the ball must be played at it lies. In stroke play the player incurs a two stroke penalty. There is no penalty in match play. (Rule 11.1)

This depends how the Committee marks the green. If it has been separated in any way, such as with lines or dots, then when a player is playing one of the holes, the part of the double green for the other hole is a wrong green. The player must take mandatory complete free relief. Otherwise, the player must play the ball as it lies. The flagstick is a movable obstruction and the hole itself is ground under repair.

A player is permitted to mark her ball anywhere (side, front, back). When a player marks the ball, she owns the spot. She was required to replace the ball. She played from a wrong place and incurs a two stroke penalty in stroke play. As she did not gain a significant advantage, she must continue play with the ball from that spot. (Had this been match play, the player loses the hole.) Had she not marked the ball and it was moved by natural forces (wind, water, or gravity) the player would have played from the new spot.

This procedure is used only when a Local Rule is in effect. This Local Rule will not be used in CWDGA events. In the absence of a Local Rule, the player was required to take stroke and distance relief. Because she played a ball from a wrong place she incurs the general penalty under Rule 14.7b. If she gained a significant advantage, this must be corrected before she makes a stroke from the next teeing area or, in the case of the last hole of the competition, before returning her score card. (In match play the player loses the hole and is not required to correct her mistake.)

The ball cannot be declared unplayable in a penalty area. The player’s options include playing the ball as it lies or, under penalty of one stroke, taking stroke and distance relief, taking back on the line relief which involves finding a reference point on the line keeping the hole and the point where the ball crossed the edge of the penalty area in a straight line, or (because the ball is in a red penalty area) taking lateral relief.

No. The player is entitled to move loose impediments from the bunker. This does not result in a penalty unless the ball is moved. (If it had been, the player must replace the ball and incurs a one stroke penalty.) There is no penalty for touching the leaves in the bunker while she makes the backstroke.

Yes. The Rules involving the teeing area are relaxed for 2019. Any time the ball lies in the teeing area: when starting play of the hole, after a stroke at a ball which has hit a tree or other object and ricocheted back, after a stroke which failed to move the ball from the teeing area, or when a player will play again from the teeing area under a Rule, the player is entitled to tee a ball anywhere in the teeing area. The player may substitute a ball. This applies only to the teeing area of the hole the player is playing, and not to any other teeing locations on the course (whether on the same hole or a different hole).