Rules Videos
1. Local Rule
4. Playing Two Balls in an Uncertain Rule Situation
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Local Rules
- Rule of 75:
- Men’s association members may, in designated events ONLY, utilize forward tees to improve pace of play and their golfing experience. If a member’s age plus his handicap index totals 75 or more, he may play his round from the Coal Car tees.
- Holes #5 and #15 Drop Rule
- While playing hole #5, the tunnel under Dillon Road is considered a penalty area. If your ball comes to rest in the tunnel, the drop area is the TNT tee on hole #1.
- While playing holes #5 and #15, if a tee shot is hit into a penalty area you have the following options:
- If you CAN determine the definitive entry point, you have the option to take the normal penalty area drop where it crossed the line, OR you can drop from the drop zone (the Coal Car tee which is the last tee before you cross the 1st creek), OR you can re-tee and hit another tee shot. There is a one (1) shot penalty regardless of which option you select, and you will be playing your 3rd shot from that point.
- If you CANNOT determine the definitive entry point, you have the option to drop from the drop zone, (the Coal Car tee which is the last tee before you cross the 1st creek), OR re-tee and hit another tee shot. There is a one (1) shot penalty regardless of which option you select, and you will be playing your 3rd shot from that point.
- Pace of Play:
- SHOW UP EARLY! If you do not make it to the tee box before your foursome is finished teeing off, you will be disqualified from the tournament without exception.
- CCMGA Slow Play Rule - You must finish within 4 hours 30 minutes and/or 15 minutes of the group in front of you. You must always keep up with the group in front of you, including when play is moving faster than the 4 hr. 30 min. target pace. It is the responsibility of everyone in the group to recognize their position and encourage fast play.
- USGA Rule 5.6 - Players should recognize that their pace of play affects others and they should play promptly throughout the round (such as by preparing in advance for each stroke and moving promptly between strokes and in going to the next tee). A player should make a stroke in no more than 40 seconds (and usually in less time) after the player is able to play without interference or distraction.
- USGA Rule 6.4 - Affirmatively allows and encourages players to play out of turn (ready golf) so long as players agree and playing out of turn does not endanger, distract or interfere with any other player.
USGA Rules
- Local Rule e-5 – Clubs can adopt the USGA Local Rule e-5 which CCMGA has done. When a player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows, or may proceed under the regular stroke and distance rules.
- For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in the relief area.
- Ball reference point is the point where the original ball is estimated to have come to rest on the course, or last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.
- Fairway reference point is the point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point but is not nearer the hole.
- Relief Area: anywhere between:
- A line from the hole through the ball reference point (and within two club-lengths to the outside of that line), and
- A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (and within two club-lengths to the fairway side of that line).
- This rule cannot be used for an unplayable ball, or for a ball that is known or virtually certain to be in a penalty area, or
- If the player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance.
- In short, if you chose to invoke Rule e-5, if your ball is out of bounds, you advance to the point where you and your playing competitors agree it crossed the out of bounds line. If your ball is lost, you advance to the point where you and your playing competitors agree it likely came to rest.
- Link to video and diagram for Rule e-5: USGA Local Rule e-5
- USGA Rule 17 - – A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (new Rule 8.1a).
- USGA Rule 18.2 - The time for a ball search (before the ball becomes lost) is reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
- USGA Rule 19.3b - As an extra relief option when a player's ball is in a bunker, for a total of two penalty strokes, the player may take back-on-the-line relief outside of the bunker under rule 19.2b.
Handicap and Score Entry
- World Handicap System - Beginning January 1, 2020 the World Handicap System went into effect
- A player’s handicap is based upon the best 8 of their past 20 scores. A player’s handicap index is NOT a representation of their average round scores.
- Slope, course rating and par will be used to determine a "playing handicap:” allowing players to compete from different tees more easily.
- The maximum hole score that can be recorded for handicap purposes will be limited to net double bogey for all players. Your gross score is still used for tournament scoring. (For example, if you take an 8 on a par 5, and you don’t get a stroke, you will put an 8 onto your scorecard and into the GG scoring app. When your score is submitted to GHIN for handicap index calculation it will be adjusted to a 7. If you do get a stroke on the hole, your score for GHIN index calculation will remain an 8, because 8 results in a net double bogey for you).
- Handicap indexes will update the day after a score is posted rather than bi-weekly. For this reason, be sure to post your scores immediately after playing all non-tournament rounds. CCMGA will post all tournament scores for you.
- Due to the complexity of the maximum hole score and the fact that your index changes daily, it is strongly advised that you use the “post scores hole-by-hole” method in the GHIN app or on the course computer.
- The new system will account for abnormal playing conditions as well as limit extreme upward movement of an index.
- The Handicap Committee will handle handicap adjustments as necessary based upon previous CCMGA tournament results, reported failure to report scores, reporting of false scores, or for any other reason the Committee deems just and fair.