Local Rules
Temporary Local Rules
Permanent Local Rules
Out of Bounds (Rule 18)
- All areas beyond boundary fences.
- All areas beyond white stakes with black tops.
- Car park, entrance road and its sealed thoroughfares.
- Ornamental garden beyond the 18th green immediately in front of the club house.
Penalty Areas
All lakes are to be treated as Penalty Areas and shall be defined by red/yellow stakes or lines. NOTE: The stakes are Immovable Obstructions.
Immovable Obstructions / Paths / Matting
All concrete cart paths, the path in front of the 4th tee box complex and the path from the 16th green to the 17th men’s tee are considered Immovable Obstructions. Wooden sleepers and timber edging that interferes with your swing, stance or ball are also to be treated as Immovable Obstructions.
Turf reinforcement matting is to be treated as an Immovable Obstruction.
Logs placed in garden bed adjacent to the 9th tee, protecting the plants and garden, are to be treated as Immovable Obstructions.
Relief is available under Rule 16.1, no penalty.
All other tracks/paths with loose blue metal, gravel, wood chips and dirt are integral parts of the course and the ball must be played as it lies or relief may be taken under Rule 19, penalty of one stroke.
Players can remove loose impediments, provided the ball does not move.
Staked or Ornamental Trees
If a tree or shrub which is staked interferes with the player’s stance or area of intended swing, the player MUST take relief as provided in Rule 16 (Immovable Obstructions). NOTE: The stakes and tree guards are Immovable Obstructions.
Ground Under Repair
The area of which are defined by white stakes or white lines.
NOTE: The stakes are Immovable Obstructions.
Ornamental Gardens
All ornamental gardens with the exception of the garden beyond the 18th green (which is out of bounds) will be treated as integral parts of the course.
Penalty for Breach of Local Rule
Match Play – Loss of Hole
Stroke Play – Two Strokes
Local Rules
(as of 1st January 2019)
Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Out of Bounds
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 the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):
Two Estimated Reference Points
(a). Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball is estimated to have:
- Come to rest on the course, or
- Last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.
(b). Fairway Reference Point: The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point.
For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.
If a ball is estimated to be lost on the course or last crossed the edge of the course boundary short of the fairway, the fairway reference point may be a grass path or a teeing ground for the hole being played cut to fairway height or less.
Size of Relief Area Based on Reference Points: Anywhere between:
- A line from the hole through the ball reference point (and within two club-lengths to the outside of that line), and
- A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (and within two club-lengths to the fairway side of that line).
But with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
- Must be in the general area, and
- Must not be nearer the hole than the ball reference point.
Once the player puts a ball in play under this Local Rule:
- The original ball that was lost or out of bounds is no longer in play and must not be played.
- This is true even if the ball is found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).
But the player may not use this option to take relief for the original ball when:
- That ball is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a penalty area, or
- The player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.3).
A player may use this option to take relief for a provisional ball that has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds.
Embedded Ball
Through the green, a ball embedded in its own pitch-mark may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole.
Scorecards
THGCC uses the MiScore App for all competition and social scoring. Accordingly, the Golf Shop will no longer pre-print scorecards, although they will be able to assist members download the App. Players are allowed to use their mobile phones on the course for this purpose but must have their phone on silent.
Wheel Ruts (GUR)
Wheel ruts through the green are defined as ground under repair. Relief may be taken in accordance with Rule 16.
Distance-Measuring Devices
For all play at THGCC a player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. However, if, during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g., gradient, wind-speed, temperature, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, for which the penalty is disqualification, regardless of whether any such additional functions are actually used.
Immovable Obstructions Close to Putting Surface (Sprinkler Heads)
Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be obtained under Rule 16. In addition, if a ball lies off the putting green, but not in a hazard and an immovable obstruction on or within two club-lengths of the putting green and within two club-lengths of the ball intervenes on the line of play, between the ball and the hole, the player may take relief as follows.
The ball must be lifted and dropped at the nearest point to where the ball lay that:
- is not nearer the hole
- avoids intervention
- is not in a hazard or on a putting green
Drop Zone On 7th, 9th, 11th and 12th
As an additional option for a ball which enters the water on the above holes. Players may choose to use the drop zones if their correct point of entry line was impeded. On the 12th hole, the Drop Zone is an option for use, even if your point of entry is further from the hole. Drop Zones are marked with a blue post.
Ball into Penalty Area on 18th hole
If a ball can reasonably be deemed to have entered the Penalty Area on the right side of the 18th tee and fairway, the player must play another ball provisionally from the Gold Tee area. If the original ball is found outside the Penalty Area, the player must continue to play with it. If the original ball is found in the Penalty Area, the player may either play the ball as it lies or continue with the ball played provisionally. If the original ball is not found or identified within the allotted search time, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally.
The penalty for continuing to play with the provisional is one shot.
Bunker Renovations
When bunkers are being renovated, players have 3 choices
- Play the ball as it lies
- Nearest point of relief, plus one club length (not best point of relief)
- Use the Drop Zone, if provided
For further rules and the ‘Decisions on Golf’ please visit the website below.
