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Hoylake Golf Club Local Rules

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1          OUT OF BOUNDS

a.         A ball is out of bounds if it lies beyond the edges or fences bounding the course.

b.                  In or over the trench, or over the fence surrounding the practice putting green  - or - over the white posts.

c.                  5^th hole - Over the hedge on the right, or over the line of white posts on the right.

d.                  6^th hole - Over the line of white posts on the right extending to the road and over hedge on right.

e.                  8^th Hole - In or over ditch on left after fenced field up to transverse ditch behind 8^th green.

f.                   12^th hole - Enclosure on left and 14^th Fairway, marked by white posts and ditch.

g.                  13^th Hole - Practice Ground defined by the white posts on the right.

h.                  14^th Hole - Left of 14^th Tee and beyond white posts on left, up to diagonal ditch behind 12^th Tee.

i.                    18^th Hole -In or over trench and ditch on left from the start of the ditch by the 11^th Green, up to the last white post. In or over trench between 18^th & 12^th Fairways up to last white post on left and also on pathway behind 18th Green.

2.                 5^th & 6^th Holes - A ball lying within 3 clubs length of the road may be lifted and dropped behind without penalty, other than when ball is lying in a hazard.

3.                 5^th & 6^th Holes - A ball striking the overhead cables must be replayed from as near as possible from the point it was last played. No penalty.

4.                 Pond on right of 4^th Hole and the pond on right of 7^th Hole & moat behind 11^th Green to be regarded as Water Hazards. (See Rule 26.1).

5.         All sheds, shelters, seats and toilets are integral parts of the course. A ball lying in, on, under, or touching any of the above must be played as it lies or lifted and dropped under penalty of one stroke. (Rule 24.2 & 33.2a).

6.         Relief may be taken from staked trees and saplings, one club length not nearer the hole. (See Notice Board for defined areas).

7.         A plugged ball on fairway or green MUST be lifted.

8.         All protection fences are IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS. A ball obstructed by such fences should be lifted & dropped, without penalty. To gain relief the ball should be marked, lifted and moved, not nearer the hole, to a line that allows the flag stick of the hole being played, to be seen beyond the end of the fence. Once this point is established then a further one club length's relief may be taken, but not nearer the hole.

9.         Ditches on the 1^st, 5^th, left of 6^th, immediately left of the 8^th tee, 9^th hole beyond the white posts (corner of the adjacent field) to be regarded as LATERAL WATER HAZARDS.

10.       All other ditches, other than those mentioned above, to be regarded as WATER HAZARDS.

11.       Stones may be removed from bunkers.

12.       All shale paths are immovable obstructions. Relief under Rule 24.2

HOYLAKE GOLF CLUB

TEMPORARY LOCAL RULES

1.                 Protection of young trees.

If such a tree interferes with a player’s stance or the area of his intended swing, the ball must be lifted, without penalty, and dropped in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 24.2.b (Immovable Obstruction). The ball may be cleaned when so lifted.

         24.2.b. Relief

         Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may obtain relief from interference by an immovable obstruction, without penalty, as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the nearest point of relief shall be determined which is not in a hazard or on a putting green. The player shall lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief, on a part of the course that avoids interference (as defined) by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard or on a putting green.

Exception: A player may not obtain relief under this Local Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to play a stroke because of interference by anything other than such tree or (b) interference by such tree would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE:

Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes."

2.                 GUR

          The areas to the right of the 10^th Green, and separating the 12^th and 13^th fairways (not the area defined as Out of Bounds) as defined by the cut of the grass, are to be considered as G.U.R Proceed under rule 25.1.b.i.

         25.1.b. Relief

Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may obtain relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:

(i)               Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the nearest point of relief shall be determined which is not in a hazard or on a putting green. The player shall lift the ball and drop it without penalty within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief, on a part of the course, which avoids interference (as defined) by the condition and is not in a hazard or on a putting green.

Ball Lost in abnormal ground conditions (GUR)

It is a question of fact whether a ball lost after having been struck toward an abnormal ground condition is lost in such condition. In order to treat the ball as lost in the abnormal ground condition, there must be reasonable evidence to that effect. In the absence of such evidence, the ball must be treated as a lost ball and Rule 27 applies.

If a ball is lost in an abnormal ground condition, the spot where the ball last entered the condition shall be determined and, for the purposes of applying this Rule, the ball shall be deemed to lie at this spot.

(i) Through the Green: If the ball last entered the abnormal ground condition at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball without penalty and take relief as prescribed in Rule 25-1b(i).

3.       Relief may be taken from all clearly defined marks left by tractors or other mechanical machinery used on the course. The ball must be dropped at the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. No penalty incurred.

4.       The “Teeing Ground” is defined as that area marked by the single tee marker of the day and 2 club lengths in depth. The tee marker of the day and 8 club lengths, or the width of the raised tee defines the width.

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