For the purpose of Rule 5.2, the word “course” (when not used as a definition in italics) is used to mean the holes being used for any roundsRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. of the competition to be played on that day.
Examples of when practising is allowed before a roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. include when:
A player who is due to play a competition on one course may play on the other course earlier on the same day, even if both courses are situated on the same property with no boundaries between the two.
A player who is due to play a competition on holes 1–9 may play on holes 10–18 earlier on the same day. (New)
In stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued), a player has completed their final roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. for that day when they will not play any more holes that day on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) as part of the competition.
For example, having completed play in the first roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. on the first day of a two-day 36-hole stroke-playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) competition, a player is permitted by Rule 5.2b to practise on the competition courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) later that day as long as their next roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. will not start until the next day.
However, if the player finishes one roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. but will play another roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. or part of a roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) on that same day, practising on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) would breach Rule 5.2b.
For example, having completed play in a stroke-playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) qualifying roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. for a match-playMatch Play: A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:(...Continued) competition, a player practises on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued). After the conclusion of play, the player is tied for the last qualifying place for the match-playMatch Play: A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:(...Continued) competition. The tie is to be decided by a hole-by-hole stroke-playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) play-off that is scheduled to be played immediately after play the same day on that courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued).
If the player’s practice on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) was their first breach of Rule 5.2b, the player gets the general penaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play. applied to the first hole of the play-off. Otherwise, the player is disqualified from the play-off under Rule 5.2b for practising on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) before the play-off.
When a competition is scheduled on a courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) over consecutive days and the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. schedules some players to play on the first day and others to play on a later day, a player is allowed to practise on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) on any day that they are not scheduled to play their roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee..
For example, if a competition is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday and a player is only scheduled to play on Sunday, that player is allowed to practise on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) on Saturday.
Rule 5.2b explains when a player is not allowed to practise on the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) before a round in stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued). The penalty statement in Rule 5.2b is not limited to making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) as the term “practising on the course” also includes testing the surface of the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued) by rolling a ball or rubbing the surface.
If a player rubs the surface of a single greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued)Putting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued), they have only breached Rule 5.2b once no matter how many times they rub the surface of the same greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued)Putting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued). (Added December 2022)
The term “exceptional circumstances” in Exception 3 under Rule 5.3a does not mean unfortunate or unexpected events outside a player’s control. It is a player’s responsibility to allow enough time to reach the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) and they must make allowances for possible delays.
There is no specific guidance in the Rules for deciding what is exceptional, as it depends on the circumstances in each case and must be left to the determination of the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course..
One important factor not included in the examples below is that consideration should be given to a situation where multiple players are involved to the extent that the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. should consider the situation to be exceptional.
Examples of circumstances that should be considered as exceptional include:
The player was present at the scene of an accident and provided medical assistance or was required to give a statement as a witness and otherwise would have started on time.
There is a fire alarm at the player’s hotel and they must evacuate. By the time the player can return to the room to dress or retrieve their equipmentEquipment: Anything used, worn, held or carried by the player or the player’s caddie.(...Continued), the player is unable to make their starting time.
Examples of circumstances that would not generally be considered exceptional include:
The player gets lost or his or her car breaks down on the way to the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued).
Heavy traffic or an accident results in the journey to the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) taking longer than expected.
In Rule 5.3a, the “starting point” is the teeing area of the hole where the player will start their roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. as set by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course..
For example, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. may start some groups on the 1st tee and some groups on the 10th tee. In a “shotgun start”, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. may assign each group a different hole to start on.
The CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. may set a standard for what it means for the player to be at the starting point. For example, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. may state that, to be at the starting point, the player must be within the gallery ropes of the teeing areaTeeing Area: The area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing.(...Continued) of the hole to be played.
The term “ready to play” means that the player has at least one club and ball ready for immediate use.
For example, if a player arrives at their starting point by the starting time with a ball and a club (even if just the player’s putter), the player is considered ready to play. Should the player decide to wait for a different club when it is their turn to play, they may get a penalty for unreasonably delaying play (Rule 5.6a).
When a player is ready to play at the starting point, but then leaves the starting point for some reason, the Rule that applies depends if they are ready to play at the starting point at the starting time.
For example, a player’s starting time is 9:00 am and they are ready to play at the starting point at 8:57 am. The player realizes that they left something in a locker and leaves the starting point to get it. If the player does not arrive back at the starting point at 9:00:00 am, the player is late to their starting time, and Rule 5.3a applies.
However, if the player was ready to play at the starting point at 9:00 am and then went to their locker, the player may get the penalty under Rule 5.6a (Unreasonable Delay) since they satisfied the requirement of Rule 5.3a by being ready to play at the starting point by the starting time.
When both players in a match arrive at the starting point ready to play no more than five minutes after their starting time and neither has experienced exceptional circumstances (Exception 3), they both get a loss of hole penalty and the result of the first hole is a tie.
For example, if the starting time is 9:00 am and the player arrives at the starting point ready to play at 9:02 am and the opponentOpponent: The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. arrives ready to play at 9:04 am, they both get a loss of hole penalty even though the player arrived before the opponentOpponent: The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. (Exception 1). Therefore, the first hole is tied and the match starts on the second hole all square. There is no penalty if they play the first hole to get to the teeing areaTeeing Area: The area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing.(...Continued) of the second hole.
A “practice strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) ” under Rule 5.5a covers not only hitting a conforming ball with a club but hitting any other type of ball that is similar in size to a golf ball, such as a plastic practice ball.
Striking a tee or natural object with a club (such as a stone or a pine cone) is not a practice strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued).
In stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued), when play is resumed by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. after it had been suspended, all players who had started their roundsRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. prior to the suspension have resumed the play of their roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee.. Consequently, those players are no longer allowed to practise other than as allowed by Rule 5.5b (Restriction on Practice Strokes Between Two Holes).
For example, if the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. suspends play for the day and play will resume at 8:00 am on the following day, a player whose group will be the third group to play from a particular teeing areaTeeing Area: The area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing.(...Continued) is not allowed to continue practising on the designated practice area after play has resumed at 8:00 am.
The player’s roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. has resumed, even though players in their group will not be able to make their next strokesStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) right away. The only practice that is allowed is putting or chipping on or near the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued) of the hole last competed, any practice putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued), or the teeing areaTeeing Area: The area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing.(...Continued) of the next hole.
Unreasonable delays in the context of Rule 5.6a are delays caused by a player’s actions that are within the player’s control and affect other players or delay the competition. Brief delays that are a result of normal events that happen during a roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. or are outside the player’s control are generally treated as “reasonable”.
Determining which actions are reasonable or unreasonable depends on all the circumstances, including whether the player is waiting for other players in the group or the group ahead.
Examples of actions that are likely to be treated as reasonable are:
Briefly stopping by the clubhouse or half-way house to get food or drink.
Taking time to consult with others in the playing group to decide whether to play out the hole when there is a normal suspension by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. (Rule 5.7b(2)).
Examples of actions that, if causing more than a brief delay in play, are likely to be treated as unreasonable delay are:
Returning to the teeing areaTeeing Area: The area the player must play from in starting the hole they are playing.(...Continued) from the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued) to retrieve a lost club.
Continuing to search for a lostLost: The status of a ball that is not found in three minutes after the player or their caddie (or the player’s partner or partner’scaddie) begins to search for it. A ball does not become lost as a result of the player declaring it to be lost.(...Continued) ball for several minutes after the allowed three-minute search time has expired.
Stopping by the clubhouse or half-way house to get food or drink for more than a few minutes if the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. has not allowed for it.
If a player gets a sudden illness or injury (such as from heat exhaustion, a bee sting or being struck by a golf ball), the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. should normally allow that player up to 15 minutes to recover before the player’s failure to continue play would be unreasonably delaying play.
The CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. should also normally apply this same time limit to the total time a player uses when they receive repeated treatments during a round to alleviate an injury.
Stopping play in the context of Rule 5.7a can either be an intentional act by the player or it can be a delay long enough to constitute stopping. Temporary delays, whether reasonable or unreasonable, are covered by Rule 5.6a (Unreasonable Delay).
Examples where the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. is likely to disqualify a player under Rule 5.7a for stopping play include when:
The player walks off the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) in frustration with no intent to return.
The player stops in the clubhouse after nine holes for an extended time to watch television or to have lunch when the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. has not allowed for this.
The player takes shelter from rain for a significant amount of time.
After a suspension of play, if a player proceeds under a Rule, such as by droppingDrop: To hold the ball and let go of it so that it falls through the air, with the intent for the ball to be in play.(...Continued) a ball, determining the nearest point of complete reliefNearest Point of Complete Relief: The reference point for taking free relief from an abnormal course condition (Rule 16.1), dangerous animal condition (Rule 16.2), wrong green (Rule 13.1f) or no play zone (Rules 16.1f and 17.1e), or in taking relief under certain Local Rules.(...Continued) or continuing a search, there is no penalty.
However, if the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. has signalled an immediate suspension, in view of the purpose of Rule 5.7b(1), it is recommended that all players take shelter immediately without taking further actions.
Under Rule 5.7b(1), if the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. declares an immediate suspension of play, all players must stop play at once. The intent of this suspension is to enable the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) to be cleared as quickly as possible when a potentially dangerous situation, such as lightning, exists.
However, there can be confusion or uncertainty when a suspension is declared and there can be circumstances that explain or justify why the player didn’t stop at once. In these cases, the Exception to Rule 5.7b allows the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. to decide that there is no breach of the Rule.
If a player makes a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) after play has been suspended, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. must consider all relevant facts in determining if the player should be disqualified.
Examples where the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. is likely to determine that continuing play after suspension is justified include when a player:
Is in a remote part of the courseCourse: The entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee:(...Continued) and does not hear the signal for suspension of play, or confuses the signal for something else, such as a vehicle horn.
Has already taken a stanceStance: The position of a player’s feet and body in preparing for and making a stroke.(...Continued) with a club behind the ball or has begun the backswing for a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) and completes the strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) without hesitation.
An example where the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. is likely to determine that continuing play after suspension is not justified is when a player hears the signal to suspend play but wants to make a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) quickly prior to stopping, such as to complete a hole with a short putt or to take advantage of a favourable wind.
The safety of players is paramount and CommitteesCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. should not risk exposing players to danger. Rule 5.7a (When Players May or Must Stop Play) allows a player to stop play if they reasonably believes that there is danger from lightning. In this situation, if the player’s belief is reasonable, the player is the final judge.
However, if the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. has ordered a resumption of play after using all reasonable means to conclude that danger from lightning no longer exists, all players must resume play. If a player refuses because they believe there is still danger, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course. may conclude that the player’s belief is unreasonable and they may be disqualified under Rule 5.7c.
When replacingReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) a ball in resuming play, Rule 14.2d (Where to Replace Ball When Original Lie Altered) does not apply and the player is not required to re-create the original lieLie: The spot on which a ball is at rest and any growing or attached natural object, immovable obstruction, integral object, or boundary object touching the ball or right next to it.(...Continued).
For example, a player’s ball is embedded in a bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.(...Continued) when play is suspended. During the suspension of play the bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.(...Continued) is prepared by the maintenance staff and the surface of the sand is now smooth. The player must resume play by placing a ball on the estimated spot from which the ball was lifted, even though this will be on the surface of the sand and not embedded.
However, if the bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.(...Continued) has not been prepared by the maintenance staff, the player is not necessarily entitled to the conditions affecting the strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of the player’s ball at rest, the area of intended stance, the area of intended swing, the line of play and the relief area where the player will drop or place a ball. they had before play was stopped. If the conditions affecting the strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of the player’s ball at rest, the area of intended stance, the area of intended swing, the line of play and the relief area where the player will drop or place a ball. are worsened by natural forcesNatural Forces: The effects of nature such as wind, water or when something happens for no apparent reason because of the effects of gravity. (such as wind or water), the player must not improveImprove: To alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke or other physical conditions affecting play so that a player gains a potential advantage for a stroke. those worsened conditions (Rule 8.1d).