The USGA, along with the R&A, constantly monitor and evaluate the Rules of Golf as the game continues to evolve. Every four years the Rules are re-published with additions and changes, and the Decisions on the Rules of Golf can be amended as often as every two years.
The Decisions Book contains over 1,200 actual scenarios and explains the ruling on each of them. Effective January 1, 2010 the USGA will adopt 28 new decisions and 51 revised decisions for the 2010-2011 edition of the Decisions Book. Some years feature changes with more impact than others. In 2010 there are will be no major changes, but there are a couple that should be highlighted.
One of the most interesting new decision is 20-2a/8 which deals with a player whose ball lies on an immovable obstruction. In this scenario, the player proceeds to take another ball out of his golf bag and test-drops it in the area where he would be taking relief in order to see how it will react when it strikes the ground and what kind of lie he may end up with. After analyzing the results he then decides whether or not he would like to take relief. The decision states that although the ball that has been dropped is not in play, the player incurs a penalty of loss of hole in match play and a two stroke penalty in stroke play because this is “”¦contrary to the purpose and spirit of the Rules”. The player then has the option to play the original ball as it lies or take relief.
Another new decision will have significant impact on how the CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA conduct the HealthONE Colorado Open Championships at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. Those of you who have played there are most likely familiar with the abundance of environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) on the golf course. Unfortunately, I am very familiar with most of them! The new Decision 33-8/44.5 is a situation where a player’s ball lies near but not in an ESA, but he has interference from a tree growing out of the ESA. In previous years, it was mandatory that a player take free relief in this situation in order to help preserve the ESA. We commonly referred to this as “getting out of jail for free.” In 2010, however, it will cost you to “get out of jail.” The new decision states that when an ESA is marked as a water hazard or out of bounds, anything that hangs out of the ESA is not considered to be in it, therefore no free relief. The player would then have the option of playing the ball as it lies or declare his ball unplayable.
