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SECTION 2: Definitions
Definitions are the core of the Rules of Golf. One must be familiar with the definitions of terms so that the Rules of Golf can be applied correctly. This test will not cover all definitions in the Rules of Golf; however, it will cover the definitions that will be most useful to you as you play more competitive golf.
ABNORMAL GOUND CONDITIONS
An “abnormal ground condition” is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.
ADDRESSING THE BALL
A player has “addressed the ball” when he has grounded his club immediately in front of or immediately behind the ball, whether or not he has taken his stance.
ADVICE
“Advice” is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke. Information on the Rules, distance or matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, is not advice.
BALL IN PLAY
A ball is “in play” as soon as the player has made a stroke on the teeing ground. It remains in play until it is holed, except when it is lost, out of bounds, or lifted, or another ball has been substituted, whether or not the substitution is permitted; a ball so substituted becomes the ball in play.
If a ball is played from outside the teeing ground when the player is starting play or a hole, or when attempting to correct this mistake, the ball is not in play and Rule 11-4 or Rule 11-5 applies. Otherwise, ball in play includes a ball played from outside the teeing ground when the player elects or is required to play his next stroke from the teeing ground.
EXCEPTION IN MATCH PLAY: Ball in play includes a ball played by the player from outside the teeing ground when starting play of a hole if the opponent does not require the stroke to be canceled in accordance with Rule 11-4a.
CASUAL WATER
“Casual water” is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not casual water.
A ball is in casual water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water.
EQUIPMENT
“Equipment” is anything used, worn or carried by the player or anything carried for the player by his partner or either of their caddies, except any ball he has played at the hole being played and any small object, such a coin or a tee, when used to mark the position of a ball or the extent of an area in which a ball is to be dropped. Equipment includes a golf cart, whether or not motorized.
NOTE 1: A ball played at the hole being played is equipment when it has been lifted and not put back into play.
NOTE 2: When a golf cart is shared by two or more players, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be the equipment of one of the players sharing the cart.
If the cart is being moved by one of the players (or the partner of one of the players) sharing it, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be that player’s equipment. Otherwise, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be the equipment of the player sharing the cart whose ball (or whose partner’s ball) is involved.
GROUND UNDER REPAIR
“Ground Under Repair” is any part of the course so marked by order of the Committee or so declared by its authorized representative. All ground and any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing within the ground under repair are part of the ground under repair. Ground under repair includes material piled for removal and a hole made by a greenkeeper, even if not so marked. Grass cuttings and other material left on the course that have been abandoned and are not intended to be removed are not ground under repair unless so marked.
When the margin of ground under repair is defined by stakes, the stakes are inside the ground under repair, and the margin of the ground under repair is defined by the nearest outside points of the stakes at ground level. When both stakes and lines are used to indicate ground under repair, the stakes identify the ground under repair and the lines define the margin of the ground under repair. When the margin of ground under repair is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is in the ground under repair. The margin of ground under repair extends vertically downwards but not upwards.
A ball is in ground under repair when it lies in or any part of it touches the ground under repair.
Stakes used to define the margin of or identify ground under repair are obstructions.
LINE OF PLAY
The “line of play” is the direction that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke, plus a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction. The line of play extends vertically upwards from the ground, but does not extend beyond the hole.
LINE OF PUTT
The “line of putt” is the line that the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke on the putting green. Except with respect to Rule 16-1e, the line of putt includes a reasonable distance on either side of the intended line. The line of putt does not extend beyond the hole.
LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS
“Loose impediments” are natural objects, including:
- Stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like,
- Dung, and
- Worms, insects and the like, and the casts and heaps made by them,
Provided they are not:
- Fixed or growing,
- Solidly embedded, or
- Adhering to the ball.
Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere.
Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player.
Dew and frost are not loose impediments.
LOST BALL
A ball is deemed “lost” if:
a. It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player’s side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or
b. The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place (see Rule 27-2b); or
c. The player has put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance under Rule 26-1a, 27-1, or 28a; or
d. The player has put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (see Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (see Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (see Rule 25-1c) or is in a water hazard (see Rule 16-1b or c); or
e. The player made a stroke at a substituted ball.
Time spent in playing a wrong ball is not counted in the five minute period allowed for search.
NEAREST POINT OF RELIEF
The “nearest point of relief” is the reference point for taking relief without penalty from the interference by an immovable obstruction (Rule 24-2), and abnormal ground condition (Rule 25-1) or a wrong putting green (Rule 25-3).
It is the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies:
That is not nearer the hole, and
Where, if the ball were so positioned, no interference by the condition from which relief is sought would exist for the stroke the player would have made from the original position if the condition were not there.
NOTE: In order to determine the nearest point of relief accurately, the player should use the club with which he would have made his next stroke if the condition were not there to simulate the address position, direction of play and swing for such a stroke.
OBSTRUCTIONS
An “obstruction” is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except:
a. Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings;
b Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and
c Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course.
An obstruction is a movable obstruction if it may be moved without the unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. Otherwise it is an immovable obstruction.
NOTE: The committee may make a Local Rule declaring a movable obstruction to be an immovable obstruction.
OUT OF BOUNDS
“Out of bounds” is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee.
When out of bounds is defined by reference to stakes or a fence or as being beyond stakes or a fence, the out of bounds line is determined by the nearest inside points at ground level of the stakes or fence posts (excluding angled supports). When both stakes and lines are used to indicate out of bounds, the stakes identify out of bounds and the lines define out of bounds. When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is out of bounds. The out of bounds line extends vertically upwards and downwards.
A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.
Objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed. Stakes identifying out of bounds are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed.
NOTE 1: Stakes or lines used to determined out of bounds should be white
NOTE 2: A committee may make a local rule declaring stakes identifying but not defining out of bounds to be obstructions.
PUTTING GREEN
The “putting green” is all ground of the hole being played that is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the committee. A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the putting green.
STROKE
A “stroke” is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the club head reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.
THROUGH THE GREEN
“Through the green” is the whole area of the course except:
- The teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played; and
- All hazards on the course.
WATER HAZARD
A “water hazard” is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or open water course (weather or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature on the course. All ground and water within the margin of a water hazard are part of the water hazard.
When the margin of a water hazard is defined by stakes, the stakes are inside the water hazard, and the margin of the hazard is defined by the nearest outside points of the stakes at ground level. When both stakes and lines are used to indicate a water hazard, the stakes identify the hazard and the lines define the hazard margin. When the margin of a water hazard is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is in the water hazard. The margin of a water hazard extends vertically upwards and downwards.
A ball is in a water hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the water hazard.
Stakes used to define the margin of or identifying a water hazard are obstructions.
NOTE 1: Stakes or lines used to define the margin or identify a water hazard must be yellow.
NOTE 2: The Committee may make a local rule prohibiting play from an environmentally-sensitive area defined as a water hazard.
WRONG BALL
A “wrong ball” is any ball other than the player’s:
Ball in play; Provisional ball; or
Second ball played under Rule 3-3 or Rule 20-7c in stroke play; and includes:
Another player’s ball; An abandoned ball; and The player’s original ball when it is no longer in play.
NOTE: Ball in play includes a ball substituted for the ball in play, whether or not the substitution is permitted.
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