2022 Azalea Invitational

Notice to Players

 

The Rules of Golf effective January 1, 2019 supplemented by Rules Clarifications govern play.

 

1. FORMAT - 72 holes of stroke play, with a cut to the low 60 players and ties for the final round. Play will be conducted from the Blue tees.

2. OUT OF BOUNDS - Defined by course side edge of white stakes at ground level, the course side edge of white painted lines on the ground behind #13 green, and course side edge of fence posts behind #5 green. While playing #10 the left side out of bounds is defined by the course side edge of the white stakes past the big oak tree on the left, and the course side edge of the curbing, along the road and parking lot.

3. DROPPING ZONES - If it is known or virtually certain that a ball is in the red penalty area on the right side of #7, the player may take penalty relief under Rule 17.1; or, as an additional option, drop the original ball or another ball in the dropping zone closest to and not nearer the hole than where the player’s ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area.  These DZs, with the same permissions and limitations, may be used when the player is taking free relief for interference by the cart path (immovable obstruction - Rule 16.1b) adjacent to this same red penalty area. 

4. RED PENALTY AREAS - Identified by red stakes and defined by red lines.

5. IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS - Bird houses, irrigation boxes, sprinkler heads and paved cart paths. Weather stations including lightning detection devices are immovable obstructions.

Decorative planting areas encircled by a cart path are considered part of the cart path and therefore considered a single Immovable Obstruction.

6. MOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS - Penalty area stakes, rakes and stakes with ropes attached.

7. GROUND UNDER REPAIR - Defined by enclosed white lines. Unmarked ground under repair includes sod seams (relief for lie of ball and area of intended swing only) and French drains. In addition, practice bunkers located to the right of #9 fairway (short game practice area) are considered Ground Under Repair. Free relief is available under rule 16.1b.

8. WRONG PUTTING GREEN - Includes all practice putting greens, the greens in the practice area right of hole #9, the nursery green right of #4 and all others except the putting green of the hole the player is playing. Interference is for lie of ball, stance and area of intended swing. Relief from interference by a wrong putting green is MANDATORY.

9. INTEGRAL OBJECTS INCLUDE - All paths primarily covered in sand, crushed shell and dirt and flower beds

10. PRACTICE AREAS - The driving range adjacent to #10 fairway is out of bounds. The short game practice area (right of #9 fairway) is in bounds and part of the general area. See items 7 and 8 above for relief procedures for a ball in a bunker or for interference for a putting green within the short game practice area.

11. SCORING - The starter will hand each player in the group another player’s scorecard to keep. Scorecards will not be exchanged by the players at any time. In the scoring area, players will certify their scores hole-by-hole verbally and a signature will not be required by the player or marker. The scorecard is considered returned when the player verbally certifies the scores and leaves the defined scoring area.

12. PRIZES - Gift certificates will be awarded to low 15 places. All ties will be split.

13. RULES DECISIONS - Only members of the Rules Committee are authorized to render a rules decision.  If in doubt as to the correct procedure, and a member of the Rules Committee is not present, the competitor may play a second ball under Rule 20.1c(3) and must report the facts to the committee before returning his scorecard, even if the scores are the same with both balls.  The player is disqualified if he fails to do so.

 

RULES COMMITTEE

Hart Brown, Matt Bova, Andrew Itterly, Eddie Cochrane, Joel Stark, Conor Reddick and Mike Murphy, OIC.  Bert Atkinson, Tom Black, Greg Butterfield, Chip Carpenter, Coty Cuttino, Larry Tarleton, John Margherio, John Boatwright, Jeff Place, Tyler Riggin, John Richmond and Pat Donnelly.

NEED A RULING, TEXT OR CALL GREG BUTTERFIELD 404-372-6562

 

TERMS OF THE COMPETITION

 

1. LIMITING WHEN STROKE MADE FROM PUTTING GREEN MUST BE REPLAYED UNDER EXCEPTION 2 TO RULE 11.1B - Model Local Rule D-7 is in effect as prescribed in the Clarifications to the 2019 Rules of Golf. 

2. RESTRICTING DRIVER LENGTH - Model Local Rule G-10 is in effect which limits the maximum length of a golf club, excluding putters, to 46 inches.

3. IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS CLOSE TO PUTTING GREEN - Model Local Rule F-5 is in effect. Relief under this Local Rule is permitted only when both the ball and the immovable obstruction lie in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less.

4. TEMPORARY IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS (TIO’S) - Model Local Rule F-23 is in effect. TIO’s include all tents scoreboards, etc. (e.g.: parked cars left of #10), whether in or out of bounds, that create interference for the player as defined under this Rule.  Player may take relief under Rule 16.1 (immovable obstruction – nearest point of relief only) or alternatively, may take relief under MLR F-23 on either side of the TIO.

5. LIST OF CONFORMING DRIVER HEADS - Model Local Rule G-1 is in effect. Any driver the player uses to make a stroke must have a clubhead, identified by model and loft, which is on the current List of Conforming Driver heads issued by the USGA. Penalty for making a stroke with a club in breach of the Local Rule is Disqualification.

6. CLUB GROOVES - Model Local Rule G-2 is in effect.  In making a stroke, the player must use clubs that conform to the groove and punch mark specifications in the Equipment Rules that took effect on January 1, 2010.  The penalty for making a stroke with a club in breach of this Local Rule is Disqualification. There is no penalty under this Local Rule for carrying, but not making a stroke with a club which does not conform to these groove and punch mark specifications.

7. LIST OF CONFORMING GOLF BALLS - Model Local Rule G-3 is in effect and provides that any ball used in making a stroke must be on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls issued by the USGA.  Penalty for making a stroke with a ball not on the current list is Disqualification.     

8. ONE-BALL RULE - Model Local Rule G-4 is in effect and states that during an entire round each ball that a player makes a stroke must be the same brand and model as found in a single entry on the List of Conforming Balls.  The player gets the General Penalty for each hole during which he is in breach of this rule. After a player becomes aware of any violation of this Rule, any subsequent breach of the Rule will result in disqualification.

9. AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORTATION - Model Local Rule G-6 is in effect and provides that players must walk at all times during a stipulated round except when authorized by a member of the Rules Committee. Penalty for breach of Local Rule is General Penalty (two strokes) for each hole in which there is a breach. If the breach applies between the play of two holes, it applies to the next hole.

10. FOOTWEAR - Model Local Rule G-7 is in effect and modifies Rule 4.3a as follows: During a round, a player must not wear shoes with spikes of any design that are entirely or partially made of metal, if such metal may come in contact with the course.  Penalty for breach of this Local Rule is the General Penalty for first offense and Disqualification for any subsequent offense.

11. REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED CLUBS - Model Local Rule G-9 is in effect and provides if a player’s club is broken or significantly damaged by the player or caddie, except in cases of abuse, the player may replace the club with any club under Rule 4.1b(4).  When replacing the club, the player must immediately take the broken club or significantly damaged club out of play using the procedure in Rule 4.1c(1).  For purposes of this Local Rule, a club is broken or significantly damaged when 1) the shaft breaks into pieces, splinters or is bent (but not when the shaft is only dented), 2) the club face impact area is visibly deformed, but not merely scratched, 3)  the clubhead is visibly and significantly deformed,  4) the clubhead is detached or loose from the shaft, or 5) the grip is loose.  A club face or clubhead is not broken or significantly damaged solely because it is cracked.

12. RESTRICTION ON PRACTICE BEFORE OR BETWEEN ROUNDS - Model Local Rule I-1.1 is in effect and provides that a player must not practice on the competition course before or between rounds once the competition is underway. The penalty for first breach: General Penalty (2 strokes).  Penalty for second breach: Disqualification. 

13. RESTRICTION ON PRACTICE OR TESTING BETWEEN THE PLAY OF TWO HOLES - Model Local Rule I-2 is in effect and provides that 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 or test the surface of that putting green by rubbing the putting green or rolling a ball.  Penalty for breach of Local Rule:  General Penalty.  Breach occurs between two holes; the penalty applies to the next hole.

14. STOPPING AND RESUMING PLAY - Rule 5.7b requires players to stop play immediately if the Committee declares an immediate suspension of play. All practice areas, including the driving range, short game area and practice putting greens, shall be closed during suspension for a dangerous situation until the Committee has declared them open. A player using a practice area during an immediate suspension will be subject to a warning and potentially disqualification. Signals are as follows: Immediate

stop:  One prolonged note of the horn. Normal stop:  Three consecutive notes of the horn.  Resume play:  Two short notes of the horn.

15. PLAYOFF - Any necessary playoff to determine the champion will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff immediately upon completion of play. If unable to determine a winner, for any reason, the Committee may recognize co-champions.

16. CLOSE OF COMPETITION - The competition shall be deemed to have closed when all scores from the final round have been posted on Golf Genius live leaderboard and approved by the Azalea Committee. 

 

Pace of Play Guidelines

 

Rule 5.6 states, in part: “The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid down by the Committee.” The following pace of play guidelines and penalties for stroke play been adopted.

Allotted Time

A group of three will be required to play at a 4-hour and 20-minute pace for the 18-hole round.

 

Definition of “Out of Position”

The first group to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during their round, the group’s time exceeds the time allotted to play, as detailed on the Pace of Play Time Chart.

Any following group will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, the group (a) exceeds the allotted time to play and (b) reaches any place where there is an open hole. Both (a) and (b) must apply for a group to be out of position.

Group Out of Position

All players in a group that is out of position shall be informed that they are being timed.  Such a warning to a group will be given after all players have left the teeing ground and prior to playing any subsequent strokes. Note that a group that is out of position at any time may be asked to close the gap regardless of pace of play guidelines.

 

Timing

Other than on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke will begin when it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction.

On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to mark, lift clean and replace his ball, repair his ball mark, other ball marks and remove loose impediments on his line of putt.

Time spent determining yardages and line of putt will count as part of the time taken to the next stroke.

A player is permitted 40 seconds to play a stroke, and an extra 10 seconds (for a total of 50 seconds) will be allowed for:

                              (a) the first player to play a stroke on a Par 3 hole;

                              (b) the first player to play a second stroke on a Par 4 or Par 5 hole;

                              (c) the first player to play a third stroke on a Par 5 hole;

                              (d) the first player to play on or around the putting green

If a player is concerned about a non-responsive (slow) player in his group, he should request a rules official to monitor the group in case the group is or becomes liable for penalty under these guidelines.

 

Pace of Play Penalties

If a player exceeds the time limit on one (1) occasion, he will then be cautioned that if he exceeds the time limit on one more occasion (total of 2), he will automatically incur a penalty of one stroke.  If a player exceeds the time limit on one more occasion (total of 3), he will incur an additional two stroke penalty.  If a player exceeds the time limit a total of four (4) times, the penalty is disqualification.

When a group in question regains its proper position, timing will discontinue.  However, any previous exceeding times will be carried over for the remainder of that round in the event of additional monitoring.

 

Appeals

Any appeal of penalty incurred by a player must be referred to the Rules Committee immediately upon completion of the round. The decision of the Rules Committee shall be final.  If a player in question does not appeal, any penalties shall stand.