Thursday, 11 July 2013

Simpler Rules: Rule 30

Revised 140713

Rule 30: Better-ball Match Play  
                  
30-1. General

Rules 1 to 28 apply unless they are over-ridden by the any specific provision included in this Rule.
 

30-2 Better-ball Match Play
a. Representation of Side
A side may be represented by one partner for all or any part of a match; all partners need not be present. An absent partner may join a match between holes, but not during play of a hole. 

b. Order of Play
Balls belonging to the same side may be played in the order the side considers best.

c. Wrong Ball
If a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball, he is disqualified for that hole, but his partner incurs no penalty even if the wrong ball belongs to him.

If the wrong ball belongs to another player, its owner must place a ball at the nearest point, not nearer to the hole, to the position (or estimated position where appropriate) from which his ball was first wrongly played which avoids damage to the lie created by the playing of that ball.
 
 
(Placing and Replacing – see Rule 20-3) 

d. Effect of Other Penalties
If a player’s breach of a Rule assists his partner’s play or adversely affects an opponent’s play, the partner incurs the applicable penalty in addition to any penalty incurred by the player. 

In all other cases where a player incurs a penalty for breach of a Rule, the penalty does not apply to his partner. Where the penalty is stated to be loss of hole, the effect is to disqualify the player for that hole. 

For penalties to, or disqualification of, a side see Rule 33.
 
 
 

4 comments:

  1. "The preceding Rules ..." surely
    "The following Rules ..."

    "If the wrong ball belongs to another player, its owner must proceed in accordance with Rule 15-3a."
    Why not use the existing words? It save the player having to cross reference another rule.

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  2. Hi aaa

    The wording of the current Rule 30-1 is: The Rules of Golf, so far as they are not at variance with the following specific Rules, apply to three-ball, best-ball and four-ball matches.

    I take this to mean that Rules 1-28 apply unless they are over-ridden by the any specific provision included in Rule 30. Is this not correct?

    To make this clearer I could replace the current revised 30-1 with:

    Rules 1 to 28 apply unless they are over-ridden by the any specific provision included in this Rule.

    I have always thought that using 'The Rules of Golf ...' was a little strange as Rule 30 itself is part of the RoGs.

    Re: Wrong Ball. Yes, I will replace the words you have identified with the following:

    If the wrong ball belongs to another player, its owner must place a ball at the nearest point, not nearer to the hole, to the position (or estimated position where appropriate) from which his ball was first wrongly played which avoids damage to the lie created by the playing of that ball.

    It is a few more words but, I agree, is simpler to deal with.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes I see why you wrote it that way. I prefer your new suggestion. No ambiguity.

    ReplyDelete