There is a surprisingly simple way to remember where a ball
officially lies under the Rules of Golf. The
ball lies on the smaller area that it touches. I will repeat this pearl of
wisdom as I address the different areas of the golf course. I will also tell
you that all of the information below appears in the front of your rulebook in Section II – Definitions. You should
read and study the Definitions very carefully. A full understanding of the
Definitions may well be the most important step you can take to understand the
Rules of Golf.
Bunker
A ball is in a bunker
when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker. (Bunkers are smaller
than the area that surrounds them.)
Casual Water
A ball is in casual
water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water. (Casual
water is smaller than the surrounding area.)
Ground Under Repair
A ball is in ground
under repair (GUR) when it lies in or any part of it touches the GUR.
Anything growing in GUR is part of the GUR. (GUR is smaller than the
surrounding area.)
Out of Bounds
A ball is out of
bounds when all of it lies out of bounds. If any part of the ball touches or overhangs the course, it is not out
of bounds. (The golf course is smaller than the land that surrounds it.)
Putting Green
A ball is on the putting
green when any part of it touches the putting green. (The putting green is
a small part of the hole.)
Water Hazard
A ball is in a water
hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the water hazard. This
includes touching a line defining the margin of the hazard, which the
Definition will tell you is part of the hazard. (A water hazard is generally
smaller than the golf course, unless your course abuts an exceedingly large
body of water, such as an ocean.)
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
