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Local Rules – Victor Harbor Golf Club

Penalty For Breach of a Local Rule

Match Play – Loss of Hole … Stroke Play – General Penalty

TEMPORARY LOCAL RULES

Please refer to the notice board on the clubhouse window for all Temporary Local Rules.

SUSPENSION OF PLAY FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATIONS

The Club reserves the right to close the course and/or to suspend play and call players in from the course in dangerous weather conditions such as lightning, high winds or high temperature. Refer to Rule 5.7 “Stopping Play; Resuming Play”. Players on the Course will be notified by the sounding of a siren as below.

An “Immediate Suspension:” of play for dangerous situations where there is “Imminent Danger” to players will be signalled by “one prolonged sounding of the siren”. Players MUST not make another stroke, mark their ball and report to the Proshop/Clubhouse ASAP. Refer to Rule 5.7b (1).

A “Normal Suspension” of play for “Darkness or an Unplayable Course” will be signalled by “sounding the siren three consecutive times”. Refer to Rule 5.7b (2).

When play is to be “Resumed” it will be signalled by “sounding the siren two consecutive times”. Refer to Rule 5.7c “What Players Must do When Play Resumes”.

DROPPING STAKES (3rd, 6th and 15th Holes)

3rd HOLE

If a ball enters the Tea Trees on either side of the green between the area marked by “White Stakes” the player MAY play the ball as it lies or choose to use the “Dropping Stake” (whether the ball is found or lost) at the back of the green with a PENALTY OF 1 STROKE following the procedure below.

6th HOLE

A ball ending up in the Red Penalty area at the back of the 6th green is subject to Rule 17 “Penalty Areas”. The “EXCEPTION” to Rule 17 is where a ball is lost, or the player chooses the option of taking relief, the player MUST drop the ball at the “Dropping Stake” with a PENALTY OF 1 STROKE following the procedure below.

15th HOLE – SOLAR PANEL COMPOUND ADJACENT TO FAIRWAY

The solar panel compound is an “Immovable Obstruction” as described in Rule 16.1 “Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions”.

It MUST be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the obstruction. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty the player MUST proceed under rule 18.2a “Ball Lost or Out of Bounds”.

If the ball is identified as being in the solar panel compound the player MUST drop a ball, WITHOUT PENALTY, at the “Dropping Stake” adjacent to the compound following the procedure below.

Dropping Stake procedure

  1. The “Dropping Stake” will be white in colour, approximately 1 metre high with the words “Dropping Stake” printed on at least two sides.
  2. The ball MUST be dropped as per Rule 14.3 “Dropping Ball in Relief Area”, within two club lengths of the “Dropping Stake” and not nearer to the hole.
  3. The Dropping Stake is defined as an “Immovable Obstruction”.

RELIEF FROM CAPEWEED

If a player’s ball comes to rest on or touches Capeweed (aka dandelions) on the fairway of the hole being played, relief MAY be taken WITHOUT PENALTY by dropping the ball within one club length of the position of the ball no
nearer the hole.

OUT OF BOUNDS DELINEATION

All boundary fences and Black and White posts define out of bounds.

DEFINED PRACTICE AREAS

The practice putting and chipping areas and the practice fairway at the VHGC are defined by Black and White posts. Practice is only permitted within the boundaries of those posts and balls MUST only be hit from within the defined area. Players practising outside those boundaries on any Stroke competition round are breaching Rule 5.2b “Stroke Play” and a “General Penalty” will be applied to their first hole.

RELIEF FROM EXPOSED TREE ROOTS IN OR CLOSE TO THE FAIRWAY

If a player’s ball lies in the “General Area” and there is interference from making a stroke by exposed tree roots that are in a part of the “General Area” that is cut to fairway height or less or in the rough within 3 clublengths from the edge of the area cut to fairway height or less, the tree roots are treated as GROUND UNDER
REPAIR. The player MAY take free relief under Rule 16.1b “Relief for Ball in General Area”.

Relief is NOT allowed if the tree roots only interfere with the player’s stance. Penalty for Playing the Ball from a WRONG PLACE in Breach of a Local Rule is a GENERAL PENALTY under Rule 14.7A “Place from Where Ball Must Be Played.”

BALL DEFLECTED BY POWER LINE &/OR ITS STRUCTURE

If it is known or virtually certain that a player’s ball hits a power line or the wire or pole supporting a power line during the play of the 1st, 10th or 11th HOLES, the player MUST replay the stroke by playing the original ball or another ball from the spot where that stroke was made (see Rule 14.6).

If the player replays the stroke but does so from a WRONG PLACE, they get the GENERAL PENALTY under Rule 14.7.

If the player does not replay the stroke, they get the GENERAL PENALTY and the stroke counts, but the player has not played from a wrong place.

MEASURING DEVICES

Devices measuring distance only are allowed.

GROUND UNDER REPAIR

Where a ball lies in “GUR” defined by “White Stakes” or “White Lines” the player MUST take relief as per Rule 16 “Relief from Abnormal Ground Conditions”

BUNKERS WITH ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITIONS

If the ball lies in “Animal Prints” (excluding human) in the bunker or in “Washaways” in the bunker or at the margins of the bunkers caused by water flowing down the banks, FREE RELIEF MAY be taken as per Rule 16.1C “Relief for Ball in Bunker”.

Interference occurs ONLY when the ball lies in or touches the condition and DOES NOT exist if the condition only interferes with a player’s stance.

ADDITIONAL IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS

In addition to “Immovable Obstructions” as defined by the Rules of Golf, relief MAY also be taken as per Rule 16 “Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions” for the following:

  • Trees with stakes or guards.
  • Artificial surfaced roads or paths.
  • All garden beds.

MUD RULE

The Mud Rule will be permanently in place from the 1st May until the 31st August. If the Mud Rule is to be applied outside of these dates due to inclement weather the Proshop will place a sign on the 1st Tee to advise players that the Mud Rule is in play for the day. (No sign no Mud Rule)

If the ball is in the “General Area” and there is mud on the ball, the ball MAY be lifted, cleaned, and replaced WITHOUT PENALTY.

NOTE: THE BALL MUST HAVE A LUMP OF MUD AND NOT JUST DIRTY. THE PLAYER MUST FIRST CONFIRM WITH THEIR OPPONENT/MARKER THAT MUD IS ADHERING TO THE BALL BEFORE LIFTING.