Are you ready for a test? You can see how well you know the Rules of Golf by “playing” this par 5, which has almost every strange rule situation you can think of. If you know what to do in every situation, try to make it to the next tee.
1. It’s time to start your four-ball match today, but your partner hasn’t shown up yet. A flip of the coin tells them you’re gone. What must you do?
a. Pay for the hole you lost and hope your opponent shows up for the next hole.
b. Lose two strokes and play your opponents by yourself.
c. Play against your opponents by yourself with no trouble.
d. Ask for a 10-minute extra time on the tee time so that another team can go ahead of yours.
2: Forget about the mess with your late-arriving partner; it’s now your turn to play. You hit your tee shot into a penalty area on the right side of the hole. No one sees it splash, but everyone hears something that sounds like a splash. When you hear it, a group of ducks in the water rise up. What must you do?
a. Since you’re not sure for sure that it’s in the water, ask for a temporary ball and play it until you can find the real one.
b. Since your buddy hasn’t shown up yet, you can play two balls against your opponents and hit one in the green.
c. Look for your ball; you have five minutes to do so before it’s lost for good.
d. There’s enough proof to think it happened in the water, so add one stroke to your score and guess how much relief there is by where it most likely last crossed over the edge of the penalty area.
3: One of your opponents looks a little tense. There are a few practice hits on the first tee, and then he’s ready to play. But his first shot goes wide. The wind is strong enough to knock the ball off the tee, but it stays behind the marks on the tee. What must he do?
a. Keep track of the stroke and hit the ball where it lies.
b. Hit the ball again, no matter what.
c. Keep track of the stroke and put the ball back on the tee.
d. Play the move as it is and don’t count it.
4: As your opponents hit the ball off the tee, you walk to your balls, only to see your partner calling your name from the tee. He wants to start the game since he’s less than five minutes late for his tee time. What must he do?
a. Get two strokes off for being late and join the game in the middle of the hole.
b. Take his ball and walk out to the green to give you tips on how to beat your opponents now that you have two holes to play.
c. Jump in the game at the first hole without any penalties.
d. Tee off and play the hole anyway, even though his score doesn’t count. This will help him get ready for the next hole.
5: One of your opponent’s tee shots got stuck in the mud in the rough, just off the green. He says he can pick up, clean, and move the ball off the pitch mark without getting in trouble. What must he do?
a. Take the ball out of the hole, clean it, and put it back in the relief area that is no closer to the hole than where it went in. There is no punishment.
b. Rake the ball, but don’t clean it, before you take a penalty-free turn.
c. Take a lie that can’t be played, add a penalty stroke, and then play from the right relief area.
d. There is no escape because it’s in the rough and not in land that is at least field height. Take it as it is.
6: You move the ball from near the penalty area and are about to hit your next shot when you see a watering control box only five yards away. You’re scared that you’ll hit it. What must you do?
a. Think of it as an immovable obstacle and feel free to move away from the watering control box.
b. Tell it like it is.
c. Throw two balls, one with free relief and one without. After the game, let the group decide which one was better.
7: The other player is about to hit his approach shot, but he can’t see the green. His buddy stands on a hill near the green in front of him to show him where to play. What should come next?
a. The partner should stay where they are until the teammate’s move is over.
b. The buddy needs to move before the other player hits.
c. The partner can’t show the line of play until they get to the putting green. They should get in trouble.
d. The partner should move before the other player hits, but he can leave a club or some other sign there so the other player has something to aim for.
8: Your next shot should hit the green, and your opponent has the same lie and is at the same distance. After hitting it pin-high on the green, you walk back to your bag to put the club away. Your opponent comes over and watches you put the club back in to figure out how to play his next shot. What should come next?
a. Your opponent is behind because they are trying to get help on how to play the next shot.
b. If your opponent watches you choose your clubs, they lose two strokes.
c. You don’t get punished, and your opponent plays his next shot using what he learned from your choice of club.
d. If your opponent doesn’t want to be disqualified, he has to admit that he broke the rules by watching you choose clubs.
9: You get to the green and have a putt to win the hole. You’re a little nervous, and during a practice swing, you hit the ball by chance. What must you do?
a. You have gained a stroke, so play your next stroke from the new spot.
b. Add one stroke to your score and start your next stroke from where you left off.
c. Play the ball where it is, there is no foul.
d. Replace the ball in its original position, no penalty.
10: The hole is 20 feet away from you on the green. Both of your opponents are in the short, rough area next to the green, about 15 feet from the hole. What must you do?
a. Don’t putt until both of your opponents have played across the green.
b. Don’t play until one of your opponents does.
c. Make your putt.
d. Make them the first ones to play to save time.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
ANSWERS
1. c (Rule 23.4)
2. d (Rule 17.1c)
3. a (Rule 6.2b(5))
4. b (Rule 23.4)
5. a (Rule 16.3, Rule 14.1c)
6. b (Rule 16.1a)
7. b (Rule 23.5, Rule 10.2b)
8. c (Rule 10.2a)
9. d (Rule 13.1d)
10. c or d (Rule 6.4a)
