Rockledge Golf Local Rules

Revised July 6, 2024

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The USGA Rules of Golf are the base of all play.  Our supplemental local rules apply to the Rockledge Golf Course and are in place to protect the course, ensure your safety, and to improve the quality and speed of play.

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Check Out the 2023 Rule Updates at:  USGA Rules of Golf Home

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June 2024 RMC Local Rules - In effect until removed from the RMC Website

 

Ground Under Repair

  1. Free relief – intended to be nearest point and no nearer the hole (this includes relief from rocks and bare spots).   There may be times when we need to use best judgement to allow for no lost ball in mud, etc.  

    1. Right of 6th fairway between the 7th Green.

    2. Dirt Mounds – right of 6th fairway, back left of 6th green.

    3. Left of the 9th fairway up to and including the mounds

    4. Other areas of the golf course that have been or are being worked on by the golf course Maintenance staff where there are bare spots, rocks, etc. that are not marked as ground under repair.

  

Bunkers 

  1. Rakes and regular maintenance in bunkers.  Play the ball as it lies.

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Drop Zones

  1. Rockledge drop zones may be used on specific holes as an option to the standard penalty area relief rules.

  2. A White Circle delineating the drop zone may or may not be present.

    1. If a white line is not present, select relief as best possible based on the descriptions of the Rockledge Drop Zones.

  3. Rockledge Drop Zones

    1. Hole 6:  Just behind the pond on the right.

    2. Hole 7/8:  For the penalty areas: water behind the #7 green, and the #8 tee garden.  Located in the corner between the water and the tee garden box.

    3. Hole 9:  Behind the pond.

    4. Hole 10:  Next to the pond on the right of the green.

    5. Hole 14:  Across the creek and bridge, at the beginning of the fairway.  Or a second drop zone is just right of the first trap.

    6. Hole 16:  Right of the Pond, at the beginning of the 1st cut.

    7. Hole 18:  Next to the pond on the right side of the fairway.
       

  4. A ball that is reasonably deemed to have entered the penalty areas on holes #6, #7, #10, #14 & #18 (due to the blind nature of the shots being played), a player may reasonably assume, with confirmation from his playing peers, that the ball has entered the hazard and relief with applicable drop and penalty may be taken in accordance with the rules. Optionally, drop zones may be used. 

 

Fescue

  1. All fescue areas will be played as penalty areas.

  2. These areas will not be red staked or lined.

  3. Relief Options:

    1. When Your Ball Is in Penalty Area
      Your ball is in a penalty area when any part of it lies on or touches the ground or anything else inside the edge of the penalty area or is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area.

    2. You May Play Ball as It Lies in Penalty Area or Take Penalty Relief
      You may either play the ball as it lies without penalty or play a ball from outside the penalty area by taking penalty relief.

    3. Relief for Your Ball Not Found but in Penalty Area
      If your ball has not been found and it is known or virtually certain that it came to rest in a penalty area you may take penalty relief under this Rule.
      But, if it is not known or virtually certain that your ball came to rest in a penalty area and the ball is lost, you must take stroke-and-distance relief.

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Red Staked/Lined Penalty Areas with Non-Standard Relief

  1. Several Red Staked penalty areas on the course do not provide reasonable relief areas: 
    Select and drop in a relief area nearest to where the ball crossed into the penalty area - even if slightly closer to the hole.

    1. Hole #3:  Behind the Green.

    2. Hole #4:  Behind and next to the Tee

    3. Hole #13:  Behind the Green

    4. Hole #16:  Behind the Green

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Ground Under Repair

  1. Areas marked with white paint are ground under repair and relief without penalty is available pursuant to Rule 16.1 Abnormal Course Conditions.

  2. Staked trees and French drains on the course should be played as ground under repair.

  3. Newly mulched areas are considered ground under repair only if white lines are present.

  4. Newly sodded areas are ground under repair and mandatory relief must be taken even if white lines are not present. During the winter months, temporary hole plugs on putting greens are ground under repair.

 

Flower Beds, Ornamental Grass Features & Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) - No Play Zones

  1. Maintained flower beds include: #8 Tee, Left of #10 green & #18 tee, behind #12 tee, and behind #14 tee.

  2. Ornamental Grass Features include Right on #1, between #3 & #4, behind and left of #7 (behind #8 tee), #10 in front of tee, right side of #11 (behind #14 green), and left of bunker on #16.  To take relief from Ornamental Grass Features you must find your ball & it must affect either your swing or stance to get relief (not line of sight or flight). 

  3. ESA’s are left of 8th fairway, right of 11th fairway, left, behind and right of 14th green, right of 16th approach area and right of #17 tee area.

  4. These areas are to be treated as ground under repair. If a player’s ball lies in the area, or the area interferes with the player’s stance or area of the intended swing, the player must take relief under Rule 16.1 Abnormal Course Conditions.
     

Immovable Obstructions

  1. Concrete or asphalt surfaced cart paths are immovable obstructions, and relief without penalty is available pursuant to Rule 16.1 Abnormal Course Conditions.

  2. The bridges crossing holes #3 & #4, including the stone bridge on #3 are considered cart paths and the player is entitled to relief without penalty.

 

Preferred Lies

  1. When conditions warrant that preferred lies are necessary, players will be notified by the Tournament Committee.

  2. The standard preferred lie practice applies to a player's ball on a closely mown areas, the player may mark, lift, and clean his ball without penalty. On rare, occasion, the committee may approve preferred lies for balls in the General Area through the green.

    1. Before lifting, he must mark the position of the ball.

    2. The player must then place the ball on a spot within one club length of and not nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not in a hazard or on a putting green.

    3. The player should proceed replacing the ball in accordance with USGA Rule 14.2.

 

Out of Bounds

  1. Hit a “provisional ball” if you know or think your ball is out-of-bounds, to help speed the pace of play.

 

Complete Every Hole

  1. All players that want to post a score and win prizes in tournament events should hole out on every hole.

  2. If a playing partner happens to concede a putt in error, replace the ball and complete the hole.  This is a USGA rule of golf and one we should self-enforce for these events.  

 

Uncertain About a Rule During Play?

  1. Call the Pro Shop at (860) 561-8280 and ask for a clarification.

  2. Play two balls under the rules of golf, and as for a ruling after the round.

 

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