SHERWOOD FOREST GOLF CLUB

Local Rules

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULES:
General Penalty: Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

1. OUT OF BOUNDS (Rule 18.2)

Beyond any fence, hedge or white marker stones/posts bordering the course.

Exception: Hedge on the right of the 2nd.

2. MOVABLE OBSTRUCTION (Rule 15.2)

150 yard marker posts - please replace.

3. ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITIONS (GUR, TEMPORARY WATER AND ANIMAL HOLES) INCLUDING IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS (Rule 16.1)

Ground under Repair includes – (i) Any area encircled by a white line (ii) Deer hoof marks in sand bunkers (iii) Chafer Beetle Damage.

Immovable Obstructions includes (i) All constructed paths (ii) the road on the 2nd, 6th and 16th holes (iii) All permanent distance markers in the middle of the fairways and (iv) Fixed Sprinkler Heads if they on the line of play, within 2 club-lengths of the putting green and within 2 club lengths of the ball.

Relief is available under Rule 16.1. Mark the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole and drop within a club-length no nearer the hole.

4. WRONG PUTTING GREEN (Rule 13.1f)

The putting green not in use at the 7th is a wrong putting green. If your ball lands on any wrong putting green mark the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole and drop within a club-length no nearer the hole.

5. EMBEDDED BALL IN GENERAL AREA – FAIRWAY AND ROUGH (Rule 16.3)

If a player’s ball is embedded in its own pitch-mark as a result of the player’s previous stroke and part of the ball is below the level of the ground free relief is available by marking immediately behind the ball and dropping within a club length.

6. NO PLAY ZONE IN AN ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITION (Rule 16.1f)

The practice area to the right of the 18th Fairway is designated a No-Play Zone in an Abnormal Course Condition. Play is prohibited from the area beyond the fence/blue stakes on the right of the 18th Fairway.  When a ball comes to rest in this area the player MUST take relief by dropping the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole. It the ball is lost in the area estimate where the ball last crossed the edge of the area and take free relief from that point.

Please be aware that this area is a building site with very uneven ground conditions and players should not attempt to recover ball from it.  If a player wishes to do so then this is strictly at their own risk.

7. SUSPENSION OF PLAY DUE TO BAD WEATHER (Rule 5.7)

The signal for suspending play due to the Course being Unplayable will be one prolonged note of the klaxon.

During club competitions and Open events: When play is suspended by the committee, players must discontinue play IMMEDIATELY and not resume play until the committee has ordered the resumption of play. If a player fails to discontinue play immediately, they will be disqualified unless circumstances warrant waiving the penalty.

During General Play: Players are reminded that, under Rule 5.7 a player may discontinue play when they believe there is a danger from lightning and should take whatever action they consider necessary to ensure their safety.

DISCONTINUE PLAY IMMEDIATELY- one prolonged note of siren.

DISCONTINUE PLAY- three consecutive notes of the siren repeated.

RESUME PLAY- two short notes of siren repeated.

8. COURSE CLOSED due to FOG

For play in all Club competitions or Open Events organised by the club and General Play: The course will be closed for play if the bunker on the right hand side of the 1st hole is not visible from the gent's first tee due to fog. As soon as the fog lifts the course will immediately re-open.

9. BUNKER RAKES

Bunker rakes MUST be left in the bunker, with the handle parallel to, but well away from the line of play. Footprints should be raked across the line so the sand is evenly spread.

TEMPORARY LOCAL RULES (WINTER RULES)

1. PREFERRED LIES

When Preferred Lies are in operation, a ball lying on any closely-mown General Area cut to fairway height may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and placed within 6 inches of its original position, no nearer the hole. Before lifting the ball the player must mark its position.

If the ball subsequently moves after it is placed the ball must be played as it lies.

2. MATS FOR THE PROTECTION OF FAIRWAYS

For the protection of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 17th, and 18th fairways, during winter conditions, fairway mats MUST be used within the white-lines areas. Please lift, place on and play from the mats provided or from your own mat. The mat must be placed as near as possible to where the ball originally lay. The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Local Rule. Mats may only be used in the designated areas.

3. TEMPORARY WINTER GREENS

Temporary Winter Greens that are not in use on the day should be treated as Wrong Putting Greens so relief MUST be taken within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole.

4. AERATION HOLES

If a player’s ball lies in or touches an Aeration Hole:

Ball in General Area. The player may take relief under Rules 16.1b (Drop within one club length of the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole).  If the ball comes to rest in another Aeration Hole the player may take relief again under this Local Rule.
Ball on Putting Green. The player may take relief under 16.1d (Place on the spot of the nearest point of complete relief).

BUT interference does NOT exist if the Aeration Hole only interferes with the player’s stance, or, on the Putting Green, on the player’s line of play.

Local Rules Updated 31st January 2019

Appendix to Updated Local Rules:

Model Local Rule E-5 (Official Guide to the Rules of Golf p472)

“When a player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance.

For two penalty strokes the player may take relief by dropping another ball in the relief area (see Rule 14.3).”

After consultation the R&A/USGA decided that this additional option would not be a Rule of Golf, but clubs could introduce it as a Local Rule if desired with the proviso that the option was not appropriate for elite play or competitions.

CONGU has indicated that competitions played with such a Local Rule in force would not count as qualifying for handicap purposes.

Consequently the committee has decided not to introduce this option as a Local Rule at SFGC.

31st January 2019