What's the weirdest local rule?

[Gxgolfer]

What's the weirdest local rule you've encountered????

[TheLastDon]

I was playing at a course in the Orlando area couple years back that had a lake that had a crocodile in it for a time. They had it posted at the clubhouse that any ball outside of the hazard but within certain distance of the lake (I believe it was 10 feet, dont remember exactly) could be dropped within two club lengths of that 10 feet distance. They had painted the area like ground under repair because of the croc.

 

Fortunately the lake was on the left of the hole, so it was no danger for me anyhow.

[golf2da]

What's the weirdest local rule you've encountered????

25138[/snapback]

 

I have been playing here at Graceland golf club, Secuda South Africia and on hole four which is a par five dogleg right. your first shot off of the tee is a lay up. If you try to cut the corner you would be driving over another green. The score card says that it is a two stroke penalty if you try a "Tiger shot " and try to cut the corner. I thought it was kind of odd that they used Tiger's name on the score card.

[golfernut78]

i course i frequent here in dallas had a creek that over flowed. because it was overflowing that said that if you landed in it you drop your ball behind with no stroke and call it standing water. what? creek is there, and when it overflowed you lost 5 yards each side of it, but they set this local rule, and now there was no creek, or no penalty for the creek.

 

as a side note, the creek overflowed so long that it eroded the creek sides and now the creek hazard went from being 18 feet wide to 32 feet wide.

[GehenHerzog]

What's the weirdest local rule you've encountered????

25138[/snapback]

 

There is one course that I play a tournament at and they made it a local rule where if your ball hits the power line, you still have to play it from where it ends up.

 

A friend of mine hit the power line and it kicked it in the hazard and he had to play it from the hazard, or had to take a drop from the hazard.

[cpa49707]

The one course i play regularly on hole #16 which is a dog leg right par 5, if you try and cut the corner and end up in the 15th fairway its considered out of bounds but the 15th rough is ok. They said it is for safety reasons. I was under the impression that there couldn't be out of bounds inside a golf course.

[golf2da]

The one course i play regularly on hole #16 which is a dog leg right par 5, if you try and cut the corner and end up in the 15th fairway its considered out of bounds but the 15th rough is ok.  They said it is for safety reasons.  I was under the impression that there couldn't be out of bounds inside a golf course.

26693[/snapback]

 

We have the same thing on a nine hole course where there is out of bound markers to try to keep you from cutting the corner and shooting over another tee box. Unfortunately everyone still trys to cut the corner and every one disregards the out of bounds marker. This is a course where a lot of beginners learn to play but they sure do not teach them right by not following the out of bound markers.

[BJL]

There is a course in Rockville, MD that will not let you on the course unless you show the starter a ballmark repair tool. Pretty cool.

 

There's another course in MD called Hogs Neck where all the distances are marked in meters. Not so cool.

 

BJL

[MrParr1Noid]

There is a course in Rockville, MD that will not let you on the course unless you show the starter a ballmark repair tool.  Pretty cool.

 

There's another course in MD called Hogs Neck where all the distances are marked in meters.  Not so cool.

 

BJL

28315[/snapback]

 

BJL, That's a darned good rule but part II of rule #1 should be can you use it. I've seen so many planting the prongs in front and popping the ballmark upward actually causing more damage than leaving it alone.

[shoe295]

There is a course in Rockville, MD that will not let you on the course unless you show the starter a ballmark repair tool.  Pretty cool.

 

There's another course in MD called Hogs Neck where all the distances are marked in meters.  Not so cool.

 

BJL

28315[/snapback]

 

BJL, That's a darned good rule but part II of rule #1 should be can you use it. I've seen so many planting the prongs in front and popping the ballmark upward actually causing more damage than leaving it alone.

28346[/snapback]

 

 

I couldn't agree more..which is why I like this

product. http://www.markmender.com/index.htm

 

 

sorry to thread jack

[ScottWS33]

Played a course where on a few holes it was a two stroke penalty if you hit the wrong fairway(as there was more of advantage as the second shot was easier from the other fairway). Just wondered how you could prove someone missed the fairway on purpose???

[bigpopper81]

Cedar City, Utah

Free drop if a prairie dog steals your ball or if you ball goes into a prairie dog hole.

[RagingAardvark]

This one: free drop from elk droppings and elk hoofprints..and yes, in winter there's so much elk poo you almost need to bring a broom with you for the greens. :drinks:

[larrybud]

The one course i play regularly on hole #16 which is a dog leg right par 5, if you try and cut the corner and end up in the 15th fairway its considered out of bounds but the 15th rough is ok. They said it is for safety reasons. I was under the impression that there couldn't be out of bounds inside a golf course.

 

I hate courses that have rules about "cutting the corner". If they don't want me to cut the corner, then design the hole better.

[chippen]

I played in a tournament a few years back and on the par 3 ninth there was a "first hole in one wins a car" prize. This hole had overhead powerlines going over the front portion of the green (you know where I'm going with this). I was waiting on the tee while a player in the group ahead jarred it and the high fives where flying, promises of free drinks were being yelled out. Unfortunately his ball doinked off the wires first, we all saw and heard it. Local/Golf Bible rules dictates that "any ball hitting a overhead line must be replayed without penalty". This guy was livid and was talking about getting lawyers involved, tuff break.

 

The shot was a fluke to begin with, he's about a 16 hcp, if the ball didn't hit the wire it would have cleared the green into the homes behind the hole. You want to know how I know this, he finally settled down and hit the do-over with the same club in a cocky, "I can do this again" manner, hit into the backyard of the aforementioned home, took a smooth 6 on the hole and missed winning his flight by 2 strokes.

[ba_priddy]

I could not agree more. 14 at Canyon West, which is west of DFW is that way (unless it has changed, have not played there in a couple years). Either design a par 5 correctly or make it a long par 4 instead.

[freelanceterry]

In course out of bounds is the worst.

 

Also, poles. The ones that you need to go around or it's a penalty...but they only make them 6 ft high.

Lot's of disputes over where the ball flight crossed the "arial - virtical - virtual" out of bounds line in the middle of the course.

 

I agree - don't make a par 4 a par five by adding a pole!!

 

Love the divot tool rule from above. Wish my course had it.

 

Oh..and with the powerline + hole in one guy...what is the course doing having a par 3 finishing hole anyway?

[rcmcg2]

"Trains have the right of way"

 

 

Forest Hills Golf Course in La Crosse, WI has train tracks that cross through the middle of the first and eighteenth fairways. The local rule is that you may not hit over any trains - moving or standing still. During a typical round of 18, you can expect 5-7 trains; they are quite busy tracks. Although rare, I have had several times when I was either stuck on the first tee or on the 18th fairway for more than 15 minutes waiting for a train to move; it throws a major monkey wrench into the starting schedule and it can back up play.

 

On a side note, on the 8th and 9th holes, the tracks run parallel to the fairway on the left. I have seen many people (right handers) hook their shots (including myself) into a moving train to have it save them from an out of bounds (over the tracks on those holes is out of bounds).

 

You can see the course layout and rules here:

 

http://www.fhlax.com/?page=golf&sub=ourcourse

[SHERO]

12 th hole, par 5, of Enniscorthy golf club, Wexford. Don't tee off until bell after hill is rung. after 150 yards the hole proceeds to go downhill. Bell is 300 or so yards away. If you are waiting for 2 minutes and do no hear a bell. walk to top of hill to see if it is clear to tee off..It is a very stupid rule In my eyes.

[scar1900]

Westfields Golf Club in Clifton, VA (an awsome course, BTW). Off the right side of the 13th fairway is "Grant's tomb" a civil war burial site. Free drop if you land in it.

[RagingAardvark]

12 th hole, par 5, of Enniscorthy golf club, Wexford. Don't tee off until bell after hill is rung. after 150 yards the hole proceeds to go downhill. Bell is 300 or so yards away. If you are waiting for 2 minutes and do no hear a bell. walk to top of hill to see if it is clear to tee off..It is a very stupid rule In my eyes.

 

The only thing goofy about that is that the buzzer is 300 out. We have a hole like that at the old course in town, and you'd be surprised how many people don't wait for the buzzer then bomb one into the group ahead of them that they can't see. That does NOT go over well. The bad part is lots of people don't go hit the buzzer when they get to it.

[SHERO]

Even if there is no group in front of you you have to walk 150 to the top of the hill...just to walk 150 back..incase someone pops up in your fairway from and adjascent fairway..or you hit a huge slice..

It really is stupid.. you could hit off and be at the bell by the time you are teeing off..

[Titleist87]

Certain landscaped areas at Thanksgiving Point offer free relief so as to not damage the drip irrigation lines.

[mayes]

There is a course in Rockville, MD that will not let you on the course unless you show the starter a ballmark repair tool. Pretty cool.

 

BJL

 

Would love to see more of this.

[frenchy07]

I like it! I have always felt that the club house should just include one of those 10cent ball repair tools in your green fee. Might save a few greens. I always seem to fix at least 3 marks on every green.

Brian

[DRGJR72]

There was a gulch, or massive 100 yard ditch in between the 9th and 18th holes....Picture a dogleg right for 19 and a dogleg left for the 9th...the 9th and 18th green were shared. Right in between the holes there is this area of trees and a ditch for about 100 yards.....For the men it is considered hazard, and for the women in their WSCGA events it is considered out of bounds......pretty weird.

 

DG

[frenchy07]

A friend of mine was playing at Paiute Golf Club in Las Vegas. Their rule that day was free drop from the into the fairway if 5 feet off the fairway or more. Seems Rattlesnakes were very active about then. He ignored the rule and wandered into the waste area and got a real big shock in the middle of his backswing. His 4some got a good laugh at him when he jumped sideways as a "local resident" took a liking to his wayward strike. Needless to say he took the drop from then on.

 

Brian

[DanZ]

What's the weirdest local rule you've encountered????

25138[/snapback]

 

There is one course that I play a tournament at and they made it a local rule where if your ball hits the power line, you still have to play it from where it ends up.

 

A friend of mine hit the power line and it kicked it in the hazard and he had to play it from the hazard, or had to take a drop from the hazard.

 

A local course I play has power lines pretty close to the tee box and I happen to hit high enough I've hit them at least 3 or 4 times. Are you saying you're supposed to get a free replay?

[Milo]

When Kenneth Kaunda was the president of Zambia he instituted a tough local rule on his home course.

Hit any wildlife with your ball and you were carted off the course by security.

I believe at least one visitor was deported for contravening the rule.

[SadTrombone]

What's the weirdest local rule you've encountered????

25138[/snapback]

 

There is one course that I play a tournament at and they made it a local rule where if your ball hits the power line, you still have to play it from where it ends up.

 

A friend of mine hit the power line and it kicked it in the hazard and he had to play it from the hazard, or had to take a drop from the hazard.

 

A local course I play has power lines pretty close to the tee box and I happen to hit high enough I've hit them at least 3 or 4 times. Are you saying you're supposed to get a free replay?

Pretty sure the rules say to replay it or keep it...your choice. No penalty.

 

-mini