These routes have been marked with red and white posts, please when using a buggy follow these as it is the best way we can continue to allow buggies on the course as well as protect the surfaces for through the winter.
Work has started on the renovation of some of the steeper bunkers, this will help with maintenance costs as reduce wash out in bad weather.
Relief for a plugged i.e. embedded ball is available year round under the
Rules of golf; a clarification of the procedure for a plugged ball follows the
Local Rules this winter for preferred lies and for cleaning and replacing “mud
balls” which are to be played from off the fairway.
Preferred Lies
When a player’s ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or
less, the player may take free relief once by cleaning and placing the original
ball or another ball and playing it from a relief area as follows. The ball must
be placed within six inches of the original spot where the ball lay, must be in
the general area and be no nearer the hole. The player must chose a spot to
place the ball and use procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2)
and 14.2e. (That is, pick up the ball and set it down on its new spot.)
Cleaning Ball (“Mud ball” relief)
When a player's ball lies off the fairway and in the general area the ball may
be lifted, cleaned and replaced without penalty. The player must mark the
spot before lifting the ball ( Rule 14.1) and the ball must be replaced on its
original spot ( Rule 14.2).
Penalty : The penalty for playing a Ball from a Wrong Place in breach of
either of the above Local Rules is the General Penalty under Rule 14.7a:
Match Play – Loss of Hole
Stroke Play – Two Strokes
Embedded ball
For clarification, if the ball is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the general
area, then the preferred lie rule does not apply since free relief is allowed
under Rule 16.3a.
A ball is defined as embedded if part of the ball is below the level of the
ground. A ball is not embedded if it is below the level of the ground as a result
of anything other than the player’s previous stroke. Relief is taken by
dropping the original ball or another ball within one club-length of the spot
right behind where the ball is embedded.
1. Out of Bounds (Rule 18.2) : A ball is out of bounds when it is beyond any wall or fence defining the boundary of the course. At the 18th hole a ball is out of bounds if it lies in or to the south of the car park including the exit road or on or over the path which runs from the top (exit ) end of the carpark and joins the path bordering the clubhouse which includes the steps from the course and its continuation round the north side of the Clubhouse. Where the path stops, the boundary is marked by white stakes up to the protective netting marking the out of bounds to the west of the 18th green.
2. Wrong greens (R13.1f) : The practice green to the left side of the 18th green is a wrong green from which relief must be taken using the marked dropping zone beside the greenside bunker. Wrong green relief must also be taken for a ball lying on a normal putting green at a hole where a temporary green is in use.
3. Abnormal course conditions (Rule 16.1) (i) Young trees : trees identified by stakes and/or plastic wrapping are no play zones. If the player’s ball lies in general area and lies on or touches such a tree or such a tree interferes with the player’s stance or area of intended swing the player must take relief under Rule 16.1f. (ii) the areas defined by blue stakes on the right of the fairway on holes 9 and 14 are no play zones that are to be treated as abnormal course conditions from which free relief must be taken under Rule 16.1f . (iii) Immovable Obstructions a. Artificially surfaced paths including their edgings, the blue stakes at the no play zones and all other man-made structures, excluding internal walls, are immovable obstructions for the purpose of R16.1a b. Immovable obstructions close to the putting green : In addition to the interference described in Rule 16.1a, interference also exists for a ball lying in the general area if an immovable obstruction on the player’s line of play is within two club-lengths of the putting green, and within two club-lengths of the ball. Relief may be taken under R16-1b but there is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.
4. Penalty Areas (R17) - the ponds at the 2nd, 12th and 17th holes are red penalty areas. Breach of a local rule leads to the general penalty COURSE SAFETY Please observe all on course signage relating to Health and Safety. Players on the 6th hole have precedence over those on the 4th hole; players on the 16th green have precedence over those on the 2nd tee.