Whether you are joining a tennis club, gym or golf club there are certain rules and etiquette procedures that need to be followed. In order to make this process a simple and non time consuming one, we have put together a small multiple question test which you the new member need to take after reading our shortened Rules and Etiquette section below in order to activate your membership.

DRESS REGULATIONS

Dress requirements may vary throughout clubs, however these are general requirements:

• No jeans
• No collarless shirts
• Shorts may be worn with visible socks
• Shorts must be of the golf variety i.e. not gym or running shorts
• Shirts must be tucked in

ETIQUETTE

Respect for the golf course, playing partners and other players on the golf course are all part of the game played by ladies and gentlemen alike.

RESPECTING THE COURSE

• Replacing your divots
• Fixing pitch marks
• Smoothing sand in the bunkers
• Keeping golf carts off the tees and greens
• Keeping the course clean and tidy i.e. picking up of litter, cans etc that you may come across during the course of play
• Try to keep the course looking the way you would like to find it

RESPECT FOR YOUR PARTNERS

• Remaining quiet and still whilst others play
• Staying off their putting line on the greens
• Not walking ahead of a player that has to play next

RESPECT FOR OTHERS ON THE COURSE

• Make sure players are out of range before playing your shot
• Keep the game moving to avoid slow play

HONOUR

• A player who tee’s off first on a hole has the honour. The honour has been earned by having the best score on the previous hole.

RULES

While playing golf you have a person to mark your card, referred to as your marker. There are no referees or umpires, therefore the game relies entirely on your trustworthiness and honour. The rules are not always there to penalize players, but rather to make sure everyone is playing the same game fairly. Knowing the rules can often be to the player’s advantage.

HOW TO DROP A BALL
During the course of play a ball may enter a hazard or become unplayable. It then becomes necessary to drop another ball in a stipulated area in terms of the particular rule. The position adopted when dropping a ball is to stand erect with your arm straight in front of you, shoulder height and facing the green, and drop the ball from the palm of your hand.

MARKING THE BALL
When the ball has been played onto the green, which is demarcated by very close cut grass, it becomes possible to lift and clean it or move the ball out of the line of the players who either need to play or putt. Place a ball marker (plastic disc) behind the ball and then lift the ball. To replace the ball, place the ball in the same position from which it was lifted in front of the marker and then lift the marker.

FLAGSTICK
A flagstick or pin fits into the hole so that the golfer can see the position of the hole from a distance. A ball that touches the pin while playing to the green does not incur a penalty. However a ball that touches the pin when played from the green incurs a two shot penalty.
When the ball is played from the putting surface the pin must be attended by either a caddie or playing partner, who must then take the pin from the hole before your ball approaches to avoid hitting the pin.

OUT OF BOUNDS
Depending on the golf course a certain amount of boundary fences are necessary. Playing a shot wayward over a boundary fence is termed out of bounds. The penalty is stroke and distance, meaning you add another shot to your score and play another ball from the position the last shot was played (see provisional ball).

PROVISIONAL BALL
Playing another ball when you think a shot may have gone out of bounds, or elsewhere, to become a lost ball would avoid you having to return to where your previous shot was played, therefore saving time.
This is called playing a provisional.
On playing a provisional, the player must notify the marker and other players of his/her intention. If the original ball did not become lost, or go out of bounds, then the provisional would be picked up and the game continues as normal without penalty. If the original ball had gone out of bounds, or missing, then the provisional ball becomes the ball in play with the stroke and distance penalty applied.

WATER HAZARD
There are two types of water hazards:

Water Hazard (yellow stake): Here you have three choices:

• Play the ball as it lies, not grounding your club in the hazard.
• Take a stroke and distance penalty.
• Take one stroke penalty and drop the ball behind the hazard keeping the point where you last crossed the hazard between you and the hole.

Lateral Water Hazard (red stake): Here you have the same three choices as above plus two others:

• Drop the ball two club lengths from the margin where it last crossed the hazard.
• Drop the ball two club lengths from the hazard, on the other side of the hazard not nearer the hole, and in both cases incur a one stroke penalty.

TAKING UP A STANCE IN A HAZARD
The term “taking your stance” refers to the position players adopt when addressing the ball to play a shot. Players normally ground their club when “taking their stance” except in a hazard or bunker where this is not permitted.

LINE OF PUTT
On the putting green a player is not permitted to touch, smooth or push down spike marks on the line of the putt. Pitch marks are permitted to be repaired and it is good course etiquette to do so.

UNPLAYABLE LIES
A ball may come to rest in an unfavorable position, i.e. at the base of a tree, in a deep hole, amongst rocks etc. Here you are allowed to drop a ball within two club lengths, not nearer the hole, adding one penalty shot to your score.

GROUND UNDER REPAIR (GUR)
The green keeper, having not had time to clean up some rubble, marks the area with a white line and places a GUR board indicating that the ground is busy being attended to. Relief from this area is a free drop within two club lengths, not nearer the hole.

If you do not have an official handicap, you are required to complete a theoretical assessment. Kindly complete this assessment and forward to info@zurreal.co.za.

Click Here to go the Application