CARIBBEAN GOLF ASSOCIATION

Local Rules and Conditions of Competition

(Hard Card – Effective January 1, 2019)

 

 

 

The Rules of the United States Golf Association and The R&A govern play. See applicable Championship or qualifying round Notice to Players and Entry Application for additional Local Rules and Terms of Competition.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule or Terms of the Competition is: Match play -- Loss of hole; Stroke play -- Two strokes.

 

LOCAL RULES

 

LIST OF CONFORMING DRIVER HEADS: (Rule 4.1a (1), Model Local Rule G-1)

Any driver the player uses to make a stroke must have a club head, identified by model and loft

that is named on the current List of Conforming Driver Heads issued by the USGA/R&A.

 

GROOVE AND PUNCH MARK SPECIFICATIONS: Local Rule as prescribed in Section 8

of the Committee Procedures is in effect, except as modified by the applicable championship

Entry Application. Model Local Rule G-2.

 

LIST OF CONFORMING GOLF BALLS: (Rule 4.2a (1), Model Local Rule G-3)

Any ball used in making a stroke must be on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls issued by

the USGA. An updated List of Conforming Golf Balls is available on the USGA website.

 

OUT OF BOUNDS: Defined by the line between the course-side points, at ground level, of white stakes and fence posts. A ball which crosses a public pathway/roadway area defined as out of bounds and comes to rest beyond that area is out of bounds, even if it comes to rest on another part of the course that is in-bounds for other holes. (Model Local Rule A-3)

 

PENALTY AREAS: When a penalty area is defined on only one side, it extends to infinity. When a penalty area is connected to the out-of-bounds edge, the penalty area extends to and coincides with out of bounds.

 

ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITIONS: Areas encircled by white paint. The white paint may appear in any of the following ways – dots, broken lines, or solid lines.

 

• French drains (trenches filled with stones or the like)
• Ant hills / mounds (Model Local Rule F-11) and Rule 16.2; Dangerous Animal Condition
• Deeply rutted wheel marks.
• Seams of cut turf (not the turf itself) through the green that interferes with the lie of the ball or the area of intended swing only. All seams within the cut turf are considered the same seam (Model Local Rule F-7).
• Any area of damaged ground (e.g. caused by crowd or vehicle movement) that is declared by a Rules official to be abnormal.

 

IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS CLOSE TO PUTTING GREEN: Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be taken under Rule 16.1. In addition, if a ball lies off the putting green but not in a hazard and an immovable obstruction is on or within two club-lengths of the putting green and is within two club-lengths of the ball and intervenes on the line of play between the ball and the hole, the player may take relief according to Model Local Rule F-5.

 

INTEGRAL OBJECTS: Include cables, rods, wires and wrappings when closely attached to trees, and artificial walls and pilings when located in penalty areas and bunkers.

 

SEAMS OF CUT TURF: Local Rule as prescribed in Section 8 of the Committee Procedures is in effect. Model Local Rule F-7.

 

TURF PLUGS: On putting greens, turf plugs have the same status as old hole plugs and may be repaired under Rule 16-1c.

 

LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS: Wood chips and mulch are loose impediments.

 

RESTRICTING USE OF AUDIO/VIDEO DEVICES: Model Local Rule G-8 is in effect: Rule 4.3a (4) is modified in this way: During a Round, a player must not listen to or watch contents of any nature on a personal audio or video device. Cellular phones are not to be used during play. Turn off all electronic devices or set them to silent mode. Cellular phones are to be used in case of emergency or to call a Rules Official or the Committee.

PACE OF PLAY (RULE 5.6 UNREASONABLE DELAY): Pace of Play Policy is in effect and Model Local Rules K-1, K2, K5 are in effect. Players are expected to: measure distance, select a club, align, practice, and execute a stroke in 40 seconds or less. Pace of Play Policy will be strictly enforced.

 

PRACTICE BETWEEN HOLES IN STROKE PLAY (RULE 5.5B IS MODIFIED BY MODEL LOCAL RULE I-2) Between the play of two holes, a player must not make any practice stroke on or near the putting green of the hole just completed, and must not test the surface of that putting green by rubbing the putting green or rolling a ball.

 

SUSPENSION OF PLAY DUE TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION: Optional Condition as prescribed in Appendix I is in effect. All practice areas are closed during suspension for a dangerous situation until the Committee has declared them open. Failure to comply may result in revocation of entry. Discontinue Play Immediately: One prolonged signal note. Discontinue Play: Three consecutive short signal notes, repeated. Resume Play: Two short signal notes, repeated.

 

TERMS OF THE COMPETITION

 

CLOSE OF COMPETITION: The competition is deemed to have closed when it has been electronically closed by the Rules Committee on the tournament software program.