Defining Who May Help or Give Advice to Players
8H
Defining Who May Help or Give Advice to Players
H-1
Use of Caddie Prohibited or Required; Caddie Restrictions
Purpose. A Committee can choose to modify Rule 10.3 to
- Prohibit the use of caddies,
- Require players to use a caddie, or
- Limit a player's choice of caddie (such as not allowing a caddie to be a professional, a parent or relative, another player in the competition, etc.).
Model Local Rule H-1.1
If caddies are prohibited:
"Rule 10.3a is modified in this way: A player must not have a caddie during the round.
Penalty for Breach of Local Rule:
- The player gets the general penalty for each hole during which he or she is helped by a caddie.
- If the breach happens or continues between two holes, the player gets the general penalty for the next hole."
Model Local Rule H-1.2
Or, if there are limits on who the player may have as a caddie:
"Rule 10.3a is modified in this way: A player must not have [identify prohibited type of caddie for example, a parent or guardian] as his or her caddie during the round.
Penalty for Breach of Local Rule:
- The player gets the general penalty for each hole during which he or she is helped by such a caddie.
- If the breach happens or continues between two holes, the player gets the general penalty for the next hole."
Model Local Rule H-1.3
If a player is required to have a caddie:
"Rule 10.3a is modified in this way: A player must have a caddie during the round.
Penalty for Breach of Local Rule: The player gets the general penalty for each hole during which he or she does not have a caddie."
H-2
Appointment of Advice Giver in Team Competitions
Purpose. Under Rule 24.4a, in a team competition the Committee can allow each team to name one or two people who may give advice to team members while they are playing on the course:
- Any “advice giver” must be identified to the Committee before giving advice.
- The Committee can limit the types of advice that this person may give (such as not allowing the advice giver to point out the line of play when a ball lies on the putting green).
- The Committee can prohibit an advice giver from walking on certain parts of the course (such as putting greens).
- It is not normal for a Committee to allow two advice givers per team, unless the nature of the competition warrants it, for example in a competition where no caddies are permitted or there is a large number of players on each team.
- The Committee should determine the appropriate penalty for a violation by an advice giver. This may be a penalty to a specific player who was assisted in a prohibited manner or an overall penalty for the team, for example the addition of two strokes to the team’s score in a stroke-play event.
Model Local Rule H-2
"Each team may name [one/two] advice giver[s] whom players on the team may ask for advice and receive advice from during the round. The team must identify each advice giver to the Committee before any player on the team begins his or her round.
[The team may change its advice giver during the round, but must tell the Committee when it is doing so.]
[The advice giver must not point out a line of play [or walk on the putting green] when the ball of a team player lies on the putting green.]"
H-3
Restricting Who Can Be a Team Captain
Purpose. Under Rule 24.3, in a team competition the Committee can set limits on who may serve as a team captain and on the conduct of the team captain under Rule 24.4a. Where advice givers are allowed (see Model Local Rule H-2), the team captain may also be an advice giver.
Model Local Rule H-3
"A team captain must be [insert eligibility restriction, such as a member of the same club]."
H-4
Treating Advice Giver as Part of the Player’s Side
Purpose. The Committee can provide that the advice giver has the same status as a member of the side to ensure the Rules of Golf apply to that person's actions.
Model Local Rule H-4
"The advice giver has the same status as a member of the side in relation to each member of his or her team."
H-5
Advice: Team Members in Same Group
Purpose. Under Rule 24.4c, in stroke play where a player's score for the round counts only as part of the team's score, the Committee can adopt a Local Rule allowing team members playing in the same group to give each other advice even if they are not partners.
Model Local Rule H-5
"Rule 10.2 is modified in this way:
Where two players from the same team are playing together in the same group, those players may ask for advice and receive advice from each other during the round."
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Someone who helps a player during a round, including in these ways:
- Carrying, Transporting or Handling Clubs: A person who carries, transports (such as by cart or trolley) or handles a player’s clubs during play is the player’s caddie even if not named as a caddie by the player, except when done to move the player’s clubs, bag or cart out of the way or as a courtesy (such as getting a club the player left behind).
- Giving Advice: A player’s caddie is the only person (other than a partner or partner’s caddie) a player may ask for advice.
A caddie may also help the player in other ways allowed by the Rules (see Rule 10.3b).
Any verbal comment or action (such as showing what club was just used to make a stroke) that is intended to influence a player in:
- Choosing a club,
- Making a stroke, or
- Deciding how to play during a hole or round.
But advice does not include public information, such as:
- The location of things on the course such as the hole, the putting green, the fairway, penalty areas, bunkers, or another player’s ball,
- The distance from one point to another, or
- The Rules.
Interpretation Advice/1 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Advice
Examples of when comments or actions are considered advice and are not allowed include:
- A player makes a statement regarding club selection that was intended to be overheard by another player who had a similar stroke.
- In individual stroke play, Player A, who has just holed out on the 7th hole, demonstrates to Player B, whose ball was just off the putting green, how to make the next stroke. Because Player B has not completed the hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 7th hole. But, if both Player A and Player B had completed the 7th hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 8th hole.
- A player's ball is lying badly and the player is deliberating what action to take. Another player comments, "You have no shot at all. If I were you, I would decide to take unplayable ball relief." This comment is advice because it could have influenced the player in deciding how to play during a hole.
- While a player is setting up to hit his or her shot over a large penalty area filled with water, another player in the group comments, "You know the wind is in your face and it's 250 yards to carry that water?"
Interpretation Advice/2 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Not Advice
Examples of comments or actions that are not advice include:
- During play of the 6th hole, a player asks another player what club he or she used on the 4th hole that is a par-3 of similar length.
- A player makes a second stroke that lands on the putting green. Another player does likewise. The first player then asks the second player what club was used for the second stroke.
- After making a stroke, a player says, "I should have used a 5-iron" to another player in the group that has yet to play onto the green, but not intending to influence his or her play.
- A player looks into another player's bag to determine which club he or she used for the last stroke without touching or moving anything.
- While lining up a putt, a player mistakenly seeks advice from another player's caddie, believing that caddie to be the player's caddie. The player immediately realizes the mistake and tells the other caddie not to answer.
Any verbal comment or action (such as showing what club was just used to make a stroke) that is intended to influence a player in:
- Choosing a club,
- Making a stroke, or
- Deciding how to play during a hole or round.
But advice does not include public information, such as:
- The location of things on the course such as the hole, the putting green, the fairway, penalty areas, bunkers, or another player’s ball,
- The distance from one point to another, or
- The Rules.
Interpretation Advice/1 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Advice
Examples of when comments or actions are considered advice and are not allowed include:
- A player makes a statement regarding club selection that was intended to be overheard by another player who had a similar stroke.
- In individual stroke play, Player A, who has just holed out on the 7th hole, demonstrates to Player B, whose ball was just off the putting green, how to make the next stroke. Because Player B has not completed the hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 7th hole. But, if both Player A and Player B had completed the 7th hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 8th hole.
- A player's ball is lying badly and the player is deliberating what action to take. Another player comments, "You have no shot at all. If I were you, I would decide to take unplayable ball relief." This comment is advice because it could have influenced the player in deciding how to play during a hole.
- While a player is setting up to hit his or her shot over a large penalty area filled with water, another player in the group comments, "You know the wind is in your face and it's 250 yards to carry that water?"
Interpretation Advice/2 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Not Advice
Examples of comments or actions that are not advice include:
- During play of the 6th hole, a player asks another player what club he or she used on the 4th hole that is a par-3 of similar length.
- A player makes a second stroke that lands on the putting green. Another player does likewise. The first player then asks the second player what club was used for the second stroke.
- After making a stroke, a player says, "I should have used a 5-iron" to another player in the group that has yet to play onto the green, but not intending to influence his or her play.
- A player looks into another player's bag to determine which club he or she used for the last stroke without touching or moving anything.
- While lining up a putt, a player mistakenly seeks advice from another player's caddie, believing that caddie to be the player's caddie. The player immediately realizes the mistake and tells the other caddie not to answer.
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.
See Committee Procedures, Section 1 (explaining the role of the Committee).
The line where the player intends his or her ball to go after a stroke, including the area on that line that is a reasonable distance up above the ground and on either side of that line.
The line of play is not necessarily a straight line between two points (for example, it may be a curved line based on where the player intends the ball to go).
The area on the hole the player is playing that:
- Is specially prepared for putting, or
- The Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).
The putting green for a hole contains the hole into which the player tries to play a ball. The putting green is one of the five defined areas of the course. The putting greens for all other holes (which the player is not playing at the time) are wrong greens and part of the general area.
The edge of a putting green is defined by where it can be seen that the specially prepared area starts (such as where the grass has been distinctly cut to show the edge), unless the Committee defines the edge in a different way (such as by using a line or dots).
If a double green is used for two different holes:
- The entire prepared area containing both holes is treated as the putting green when playing each hole.
But the Committee may define an edge that divides the double green into two different putting greens, so that when a player is playing one of the holes, the part of the double green for the other hole is a wrong green.
The area on the hole the player is playing that:
- Is specially prepared for putting, or
- The Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used).
The putting green for a hole contains the hole into which the player tries to play a ball. The putting green is one of the five defined areas of the course. The putting greens for all other holes (which the player is not playing at the time) are wrong greens and part of the general area.
The edge of a putting green is defined by where it can be seen that the specially prepared area starts (such as where the grass has been distinctly cut to show the edge), unless the Committee defines the edge in a different way (such as by using a line or dots).
If a double green is used for two different holes:
- The entire prepared area containing both holes is treated as the putting green when playing each hole.
But the Committee may define an edge that divides the double green into two different putting greens, so that when a player is playing one of the holes, the part of the double green for the other hole is a wrong green.
Two or more partners competing as a single unit in a round in match play or stroke play.
Each set of partners is a side, whether each partner plays his or her own ball (Four-Ball) or the partners play one ball (Foursomes).
A side is not the same as a team. In a team competition, each team consists of players competing as individuals or as sides.
Any verbal comment or action (such as showing what club was just used to make a stroke) that is intended to influence a player in:
- Choosing a club,
- Making a stroke, or
- Deciding how to play during a hole or round.
But advice does not include public information, such as:
- The location of things on the course such as the hole, the putting green, the fairway, penalty areas, bunkers, or another player’s ball,
- The distance from one point to another, or
- The Rules.
Interpretation Advice/1 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Advice
Examples of when comments or actions are considered advice and are not allowed include:
- A player makes a statement regarding club selection that was intended to be overheard by another player who had a similar stroke.
- In individual stroke play, Player A, who has just holed out on the 7th hole, demonstrates to Player B, whose ball was just off the putting green, how to make the next stroke. Because Player B has not completed the hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 7th hole. But, if both Player A and Player B had completed the 7th hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 8th hole.
- A player's ball is lying badly and the player is deliberating what action to take. Another player comments, "You have no shot at all. If I were you, I would decide to take unplayable ball relief." This comment is advice because it could have influenced the player in deciding how to play during a hole.
- While a player is setting up to hit his or her shot over a large penalty area filled with water, another player in the group comments, "You know the wind is in your face and it's 250 yards to carry that water?"
Interpretation Advice/2 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Not Advice
Examples of comments or actions that are not advice include:
- During play of the 6th hole, a player asks another player what club he or she used on the 4th hole that is a par-3 of similar length.
- A player makes a second stroke that lands on the putting green. Another player does likewise. The first player then asks the second player what club was used for the second stroke.
- After making a stroke, a player says, "I should have used a 5-iron" to another player in the group that has yet to play onto the green, but not intending to influence his or her play.
- A player looks into another player's bag to determine which club he or she used for the last stroke without touching or moving anything.
- While lining up a putt, a player mistakenly seeks advice from another player's caddie, believing that caddie to be the player's caddie. The player immediately realizes the mistake and tells the other caddie not to answer.
Any verbal comment or action (such as showing what club was just used to make a stroke) that is intended to influence a player in:
- Choosing a club,
- Making a stroke, or
- Deciding how to play during a hole or round.
But advice does not include public information, such as:
- The location of things on the course such as the hole, the putting green, the fairway, penalty areas, bunkers, or another player’s ball,
- The distance from one point to another, or
- The Rules.
Interpretation Advice/1 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Advice
Examples of when comments or actions are considered advice and are not allowed include:
- A player makes a statement regarding club selection that was intended to be overheard by another player who had a similar stroke.
- In individual stroke play, Player A, who has just holed out on the 7th hole, demonstrates to Player B, whose ball was just off the putting green, how to make the next stroke. Because Player B has not completed the hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 7th hole. But, if both Player A and Player B had completed the 7th hole, Player A gets the penalty on the 8th hole.
- A player's ball is lying badly and the player is deliberating what action to take. Another player comments, "You have no shot at all. If I were you, I would decide to take unplayable ball relief." This comment is advice because it could have influenced the player in deciding how to play during a hole.
- While a player is setting up to hit his or her shot over a large penalty area filled with water, another player in the group comments, "You know the wind is in your face and it's 250 yards to carry that water?"
Interpretation Advice/2 - Verbal Comments or Actions That Are Not Advice
Examples of comments or actions that are not advice include:
- During play of the 6th hole, a player asks another player what club he or she used on the 4th hole that is a par-3 of similar length.
- A player makes a second stroke that lands on the putting green. Another player does likewise. The first player then asks the second player what club was used for the second stroke.
- After making a stroke, a player says, "I should have used a 5-iron" to another player in the group that has yet to play onto the green, but not intending to influence his or her play.
- A player looks into another player's bag to determine which club he or she used for the last stroke without touching or moving anything.
- While lining up a putt, a player mistakenly seeks advice from another player's caddie, believing that caddie to be the player's caddie. The player immediately realizes the mistake and tells the other caddie not to answer.