Barb Hanson

I just attended the 2012 PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. I have never heard so much talk about getting women into the game of golf. The PGA launched a “grow-the-game” initiative (called Golf 2.0) that has three objectives: “1) to retain and strengthen the core;(i.e. those who already play the game)  2) to engage the ‘lapsed golfer;’ and 3) to drive new players.” Maybe you see yourself in one of these three categories.

So why aren’t more women playing golf?

The PGA of America has retained Donna Orender, former WNBA President, as a consultant to lead the charge for women and girls. She says, “Women want to play the game, but they also want and need an invitation to play. They want to feel welcome.”

I would take that one step further and say that women want a golf experience that provides fun, camaraderie and some measure of personal satisfaction.

According to PGA of America President, Allan Wronowski, “We need to make golf more welcoming and more relevant to all.” Thus, the PGA of America is exploring many ways to “speak female.” Watch for upcoming events and changes at your golf course that will be offered to make women feel welcome.

A Business Golf Event

The woman who plays golf for business is utilizing one of the best business tools there is. She sets herself apart from the competition by capturing quality time with a client or prospective client. This is a true story….

Indoor/outdoor golf lesson

In Minnesota, it’s the “off-season.” I guess there’s an off-season for most of us at some time or another, a time when we put the clubs aside and focus on other activities.  But for some of us, the off-season is way too long.When the restlessness begins to set in, we start planning a golf get-away, or we hunker down in front of the TV to watch a golf tournament, or we bring out the putter and start practicing on the carpet.

This is all well and good, but there are some other ways you can keep your spirits up and actually prepare yourself for the upcoming season.

• Engage in a golf-specific fitness program. Strengthening your core is one of the best things you can do for your swing. Balance and endurance exercises are also very good.
• Clean and renew your equipment. Maybe this is a good time to find that specific club you’ve been looking for. Maybe you need new grips or a new bag or new spikes in your shoes.
• Take a lesson or two. There are indoor facilities everywhere and pros who will be happy to help you. The off-season is a great time to make a swing change.
• Set some goals for yourself. Make them realistic and achievable. Then use them as motivation for exercising.

Have a great off-season!

You may not move anything in a hazard even if the object is interfering with your shot. In the photo, you’ll notice that even though the ball is clearly within the hazard markings, it is very playable. The only problem is the reed (a loose impediment) lying on top of the ball. Unfortunately, you may not move the reed. You have to play the ball as it lies – without grounding your club. That makes the shot a little more challenging but not impossible. By the way, this rule applies to the bunker as well.

Let’s go back to the original question. What can you move? You may move any movable obstruction (man-made objects), such as a candy wrapper or cigarette butt – even in a hazard. Movable obstructions are defined as anything that “may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage.” (Rule 24)  You might want to be proactive in marking your ball before you try to move a movable obstruction. If your ball moves, you must replace it without penalty.

You may only move loose impediments (natural objects) – things such as twigs, rocks, and leaves outside of hazards. One thing to remember is that if, in the act of moving a loose impediment,  your ball moves, you must take a penalty stroke and replace your ball.

By the way, I was playing golf today when out of the blue, one of my companions said, “I just love playing golf!” So do I! Enjoy this beautiful season of golf.

I consulted with the Rules Director for the tournament I referenced in my last post, (see “Use the Rules”) and she added some very interesting additional information. She said that what I wrote about was actually Part 2 of the scenario.

“Part 1: (The player’s) ball was next to a coffee cup lid (movable obstruction). So first I had her mark her ball (in case it moved), and remove the obstruction.

“Then there was part 3: When dropping while taking relief, a cart path was within the area she would drop in. If she dropped to avoid the cart path, she would have been back in the ‘jungle.’  So she took a chance and dropped on the path. The ball rolled not more than two club lengths and rolled to the edge where there was a bit of dirt that had washed onto the path. She could’ve taken relief from the cart path at that point, but she had a pretty good lie and a a good line to the green, so she elected NOT to take that relief.”

Note: if the ball had rolled further than two club lengths, she would’ve had to drop again, and if that, too, rolled further, she would’ve placed it.

Pretty interesting stuff!

For example, a woman competing in a tournament found her ball in the woods in an unfavorable lie. When she determined the stance she would take in order to hit the ball, she noticed that she would be standing on a drain pipe. She was given free relief and ended up having an open shot to the green.

Now maybe I should tell you that the drainpipe stance wasn’t the only stance she could have taken in order to hit her ball. In this case, she noticed the drainpipe first and used it to her advantage. After the incident was over, she was complimented by the rules official for knowing the rules.

Marking your ball

What should you do when you can’t tell if a ball is yours? Sometimes the ball is in heavy grass and  the logo is not visible; other times it may be partially covered with mud or sand.

Lately I’ve been aware of golfers picking a ball up to peek at the logo or just giving it a twist until the identification becomes possible. This is not legal according to “The Rules of Golf” (Rule 12-2) and could cost you a two-stroke penalty.

The correct way to proceed is this: 1) announce to your fellow-competitors that you can’t identify the ball; 2) give them a chance to observe your next actions; 3) mark the ball and pick it up just enough to be sure of the identification; 4) replace the ball exactly as you found it.

During this procedure, you may not palm the ball, clean it or rotate it. If the ball has a lot of mud or grass on it,  you may clean it off only to the extent to where you can see its markings.

Being proactive about marking your ball with a personalized mark or symbol will avoid most of these situations. So stick a permanent marker in your bag and get creative with your own personalization.

Barb Hanson

In The Rules of Golf, Rule 10 is “Order of Play.”

It states that on the tee, the person who scored lowest on the previous hole, or in the case of match play, the player who won the previous hole, goes first.

In the fairway or on the green, we probably all know that the ball farthest from the hole is played first. But what are the consequences if you play out of turn whether it be on the tee, in the fairway or on the green?

In match play there is no penalty for playing out of order, but your opponent may immediately require you to cancel the stroke you just made and make another stroke in the correct order.

Likewise, in stroke play there is no penalty unless two players have agreed to play out of turn in order to give one of them an advantage.

However, in the interest of pace of play (especially in a stroke play situation), it’s often a good idea to play out of turn just to keep the game moving. As long as there is no intentional advantage or safety issue, go ahead and play the shot.

Barb Hanson

When finishing up a short putt, can you stand on one side of the hole and reach across the hole to tap it in?

YES. As long as you “fairly strike” the ball, not scrape, push or spoon it. (The Rules of Golf - Rule 14-1) The rule also states that the “ball must be fairly struck with the head of the club.”

I was asked if it was a rule that you must address the ball when putting.

NO.  “A player has ‘addressed the ball’ when she has taken her stance and has also grounded her club.” However, a player is not forced to address the ball before striking it. In fact, in very windy situations on a putting green, it is wise NOT to address the ball, i.e. ground your club, because if the ball moves, you do not incur a penalty.

One more question: Is it okay to hold the flagstick with one hand while putting with the other?

YES. Rule 17-1/5

What does Rule 11 say about teeing from outside of the teeing ground?

In stroke play, you incur a two-stroke penalty and you must correct your mistake before teeing off on the next hole or, in the case of the last hole of the round, declaring your intention to correct your mistake before leaving the green. If the mistake is not corrected, you are disqualified. That would have been Padraig’s fate if the officials had agreed that there was an infraction.

In match play, your opponent may require you to replay the shot. This must be done immediately and there is no penalty involved.

If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation, I’m pretty sure you won’t make that mistake again. I know I won’t.

By the way, do you know the specific parameters of the teeing ground? It is a “rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers.”