Golf:

It is once again time for a golf rules quiz. The following questions are from the United States Golf Assn. rules section and my hope is that this will help all of us become more knowledgeable about the game of golf.

I have listed 10 questions. The answers with the applicable rule or decision follows the last question.

1. True or false? A player may always test the condition of a hazard when his ball lies in a similar hazard.

2. True or false? All grass-covered ground within a bunker is part of the bunker.

3. A player incurs the general penalty when he touches his line of putt in which one of the following?

 A. He taps down spike marks on the line of putt.

 B. He repairs a ball mark on the line of putt.

 C. He removes loose impediments on the line of putt with a towel.

 D. He presses down a ball marker of a fellow-competitor that is on his line of putt.

4. A player takes relief for an embedded ball. When dropped, the ball embeds a few inches from its original, embedded position. What is the ruling?

 A. He is entitled to take relief without penalty for an embedded ball.

 B. He must place the ball as near as possible to where it lay.

 C. He must re-drop the ball and if it embeds again, place the ball where it first struck the ground after the second drop.

5. A player walks on his line of putt. When is there no penalty?

 A. If he does so accidentally.

 B. If the line is not improved.

 C. If he does so accidentally and the line is not improved.

6. Which of the following are included in the area defined as through the green?

 A. Teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played.

 B. Bunker and lateral water hazard on adjacent hole.

 C. Areas that are out of bounds.

 D. Fairway and putting green of an adjacent hole.

7. Which is correct regarding a flagstick?

 A. It may not have varying diameters.

 B. It may have different colored flags to indicate the position of the hole.

 C. It may have attachments of varying shapes in cross-section to indicate position of the hole.

8. In four-ball stroke play, A and B are partners. After driving from the 8th tee, A finds a range ball near the teeing ground. He addresses it and makes a full swing, hitting the range ball off the course to an out of bounds area. What is the ruling?

 A. There is no penalty to anyone because A played the practice stroke from near the teeing ground of the next hole to be played.

 B. There is no penalty because A hit the ball out of bounds.

 C. Both A and B must add two penalty strokes to their scores for the 8th hole.

 D. A incurs a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 7-2; B incurs no penalty.

9. In stroke play, a competitor discovers during the play of the 3rd hole, that he is carrying 15 clubs. How many total penalty strokes does the player incur for this breach?

 A. 1

 B. 2

 C. 4

 D. 6

10. In stroke play, a competitor returned his score card. The hole-by-hole scores were correct, but the competitor had recorded a total score that was one stroke lower than his actual score. What is the ruling?

 A. The Committee should correct the error; the competitor incurs no penalty.

 B. The competitor should correct his mistake before the competition closes; otherwise, the incorrect total stands.

 C. The competitor incurs a two-stroke penalty.

 D. The competitor is disqualified.

ANSWERS

1. False. Rule 13-4 in the Rules of Golf

2. False. Definition in Rules of Golf of “Bunker”

3. A. He taps down spike marks on the line of putt. Rule 16-1a

4. A. He is entitled to take relief without penalty for an embedded ball. Decision 25-2/2

5. C. If he does so accidentally and the line is not improved. Decision 16-1a/12

6. D. Fairway and putting green of an adjacent hole. Definition of “Through The Green”

7. D. It may have different colored flags to indicate the position of the hole. Decision 17/2

8. D. A incurs a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 7-2; B incurs no penalty. Rule 31-8 and Rule 7-2

9. C. 4 Rule 4-4a

10. A. The Committee should correct the error; the competitor incurs no penalty. Rule 6-6d

I got seven right this time. These are considered basic by the USGA. They have an advanced category as well.

These hopefully help understand the game a little more and I will run other quizzes in the future. I know it will help me and I hope it helps other golfers.

JOHN REGER’S golf column appears Thursdays. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected]