Geoff
Back on November 14th, I posted the topic, A TIP FOR PROPER GOLF BALL RETRIEVAL FROM THE CUP, suggesting the proper method for retrieving the golf ball from the hole. You gave an excellent response citing Rules pertaining to this problem. I basically said, on occasion for one reason or another the golfer will stick their putter blade into the hole in an attempt to pop the golf ball out. And, that this action can damage the edges around the top of the cup! Some do this because they may have a bad back or other complication and just don’t realize they’re damaging the cup. Also as pointed out, one can incur penalties for doing this and under extreme circumstances can be disqualified in tournament play. In any case, I also prepared an illustration accompanied by the following statement to bring the matter to the attention of our men’s club and posted the same information on our club’s bulletin board:
“Golfers, inserting your putter blade into the cup in order to remove your ball can damage the edge of the cup and under the Rules of Golf, certain penalties including disqualification can be incurred! If you need to do this because of a bad back or other complication, you may want to purchase a rubber or plastic suction cup that fits neatly on the end of your putter handle which will allow you to remove the ball cleanly without damaging the hole. Thank You!”
I also mailed a copy to our Northern California Golf Association to clarify the information we were providing our club members. The NCGA was of course in support and provided me this response:
Dear Larry, Good point!
In fact the Rules of Golf Committee agrees with your point so much that a sentence was added to the Etiquette Section for the 2004-2005 Rules of Golf. It says, “The head of a club should not be used to remove a ball from the hole.” At the conclusion of the Etiquette Section it states, “If a player consistently disregards these guidelines during a round or over a period of time to the detriment of others, it is recommended that the Committee consider taking appropriate disciplinary action against the offending player. Such action may, for example, include prohibiting play for a limited time on the course or in a certain number of competitions. This is considered to be justifiable in terms of protecting the interest of the majority of golfers who wish to play in accordance with there guidelines. In the case of a serious breach of Etiquette, the Committee may disqualify a player under Rule 33-7.”
This is the Rules of Golf booklet that will be coming out shortly from the United States Golf Association.
NCGA Director of Education
P.O. Box NCGA
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
Geoff, thanks again for your input!
Larry Stanley
Compliments of www.ThePuttingEdge.com
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