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Match Play Rules
TIED MATCHES: TO DETERMINE THE WINNER OF A TIE, THE MATCH PLAY COMMITTEE MAY EXTEND THE STIPULATED ROUND AND WE AGREE TO THAT UP-FRONT. A TIED MATCH AFTER 18 HOLES IS PLAYED OFF ON A HOLE BY HOLE BASIS, BIGINNING WITH HOLE NUMBER 1 AGAIN.
SUSPENDING PLAY: THE PLAYERS MAY AGREE TO SUSPEND PLAY IN A MATCH FOR SUCH THINGS AS LIGHTENING IN THE AREA, ILLNESS OF A PLAYER, DARKNESS, SEEKING A RULES DECISION FROM THE COMMITTEE, ETC. HOWEVER, THE MATCH PLAY COMMITTEE CAN IMPOSE A DEADLINE FOR COMPLETING A MATCH OR A ROUND OF PLAY. HITTING THE WRONG BALL: IF YOU MAKE A STROKE WITH THE WRONG BALL, EXCEPT IN A HAZARD, YOU LOSE THE HOLE.
IF YOU MAKE A STROKE IN A HAZARD WITH A WRONG BALL THERE IS NO PENALTY.
IF YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT SOMEHOW HIT EACH OTHER’s BALL, (Ladies that would be a first) THE FIRST TO PLAY THE WRONG BALL, EXCEPT IN A HAZARD, LOSES THE HOLE. WHEN THIS CANNOT BE DETERMINED THE HOLE IS PLAYED OUT WITH THE EXCHANGED BALLS AND THERE IS NO PENALTY. IN GENERAL THE PENALTY FOR BREACH OF A RULE IN MATCH PLAY IS LOSS OF HOLE, BUT THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS (I.E. 2 STROKES OR DISQUALIFICATION). THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF EACH PERSON READ THE RULES PRIOR TO PARTICIPATING IN MATCH PLAY. THIS CAN MINIMIZE THE RULES DISPUTES AND/OR UNCERTAINTIES.
IN MATCH PLAY, IF A RULES DISPUTE ARISES, PLAYERS SHALL CONTINUE THE MATCH AND ANY CLAIMS OR DISPUTES ON RULES WILL BE RESOLVED AFTER THE MATCH BY THE MATCH PLAY COMMITTEE USING THE RULES BOOK.
Additional Rules
MATCH PLAY IS PLAYED BY HOLES. IN A HANDICAP MATCH, THE LOWER NET SCORE WINS THE HOLE. THE SCORING FOR A WINNING HOLE IS +1 AND FOR LOSS OF A HOLE IS -1. HALVED HOLES ARE RECORDED AS O.
THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW BASIC RULES WHICH WILL GET YOU STARTED ON AN EQUAL FOOTING:
• ANY PLAYER MAY CONCEDE THE OPPONENT TO HAVE HOLED OUT WITH HER NEXT STROKE AND THE BALL MAY THEN BE REMOVED BY EITHER PLAYER.
• WHEN A STROKE OR HOLE IS CONCEDED BY A PLAYER, THE STROKE OR HOLE MAY NOT BE DECLINED OR WITHDRAWN.
PLAYERS MUST ALWAYS HOLE OUT IN MATCH PLAY UNLESS THE OPPONENT CONCEDES THE STROKE OR HOLE. FAILURE TO HOLE OUT RESULTS IN DISQUALIFICATION.
• IN MATCH PLAY, ONCE THE HONOR IS ESTABLISHED OFF THE 1ST TEE THEN WHOEVER WINS THE HOLE HAS THE HONOR OFF THE NEXT TEE.
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER HIT OUT OF TURN IN MATCH PLAY. THE PLAYER WHO IS AWAY ALWAYS HITS NEXT UNTIL BOTH PLAYERS HAVE HOLED OUT. THIS IS ONE OF THE RULES THAT IS HARD TO REMEMBER WHEN WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO PUTTING OUT IN STROKE PLAY. USUALLY THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR HITTING OR PUTTING OUT OF TURN, BUT YOUR OPPONENT CAN REQUIRE THAT YOU HIT THE SHOT OVER IN THE APPROPRIATE ORDER.
• ANY PLAYER WHO STEPS ON THE OPPONENTS LINE OF PUTT CAN BE PENALIZED BY THE OPPONENT. THE PENALTY IS LOSS OF HOLE IN MATCH PLAY. PLEASE>>>>NO STEAL SPIKES!
• ON THE PUTTING GREEN A PLAYER CAN REMOVE LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS AND CAN REPAIR BALL DIVOTS OR OLD HOLES. HOWEVER, YOU CANNOT REPAIR OR TAMP DOWN OLD SPIKE MARKS.
• THERE CAN BE NO MORE THAN 14 GOLF CLUBS IN YOUR BAG. IF YOU OR YOUR OPPONENT DISCOVERS THAT YOU HAVE TOO MANY CLUBS IN THE BAG AFTER THE MATCH BEGINS, THE PENALTY IS 1 STROKE/HOLE OR A MAX. OF 2 STROKES FOR THE ROUND AND THE EXCESS CLUBS MUST BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM THE BAG. QUITE FRANKLY IF YOU NEED MORE THAN 14 CLUBS ….YOUR BAG IS TOO HEAVY!
• IF YOU HIT THE BALL INTO THE ROUGH AREAS, YOU MAY NOT IMPROVE YOUR LIE BY MOVING, BREAKING OR BENDING GROWING VEGETATION. PENALTY: LOSS OF HOLE.
REMEMBER YOU CANNOT GROUND YOUR CLUB IN A SAND TRAP OR A HAZARD PRIOR TO HITTING THE BALL IN EITHER MATCH OR STROKE PLAY.
• IF A COMPETITOR REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH A RULE AFFECTING THE RIGHTS OF HER OPPONENT, SHE IS DISQUALIFIED.
IN MATCH PLAY, PLAYERS CANNOT AGREE TO EXCLUDE THE OPERATION OF ANY RULE OR WAIVE ANY PENALTY. IF THIS OCCURS BOTH PLAYERS ARE DISQUALIFIED.
ANY CLAIM MUST BE MADE BEFORE ANY PLAYER IN THE MATCH PLAYS FROM THE NEXT TEE OR IN THE CASE OF THE LAST HOLE OF THE MATCH, BEFORE ALL PLAYERS IN THE MATCH LEAVE THE PUTTING GREEN.
Please contact Claudia Lemons with any questions or need for clarification.
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