26th August 2025
From the Captain’s Desk – 23rd August 2025
Catch up on all the golf news in the latest edition of “From the Captain’s Desk” – Click here to read now
News Archive
23rd August 2025
2025 Senior Foursomes Championship
Congratulations to Michael Brownlie and Russell Hughes who combined to win the 2025 Senior Foursomes Championship. Playing off a scratch team handicap, Michael and Russell stormed home recording a round of 69 following their opening round 79 to win by three strokes ahead of Terry Waterbeek / Mark Gordon and (76.5, 74.5) and Don MacPherson / Ivan Tyers (79,72) who tied for second place with a two round total of 151.
The gross total of 148 was also the leading gross score ahead of Bryan Morrison / Neil Evans on 164.
12th August 2025
From the Captain’s Desk – 9th August 2025
Catch up on all the golf news in the latest edition of “From the Captain’s Desk” – click here to read now
8th August 2025
From the Captain’s Desk – 26th July 2025
Catch up on all the golf news in the latest edition of “From the Captain’s Desk” – click here to read now
26th July 2025
Stuart McPhee’s Rules Tips
Rules Tip – Ball at Rest Moved
After Shane Lowry’s penalty for his ball moving, at the recent Open Championship in Ireland, I thought it fitting to remind everyone how important it is to be careful around your ball.
To clarify the confusion about the commentary of his penalty, he did not receive a two-stroke penalty for causing his ball to move, as this breach only incurs one penalty stroke. He received the two-stroke penalty for playing from a “wrong place”, as after you cause your ball to move, you must replace it. He didn’t know at the time and didn’t have the opportunity to replace it, therefore he played from a “wrong place”.
If you think your ball has moved, first you need to confirm that your ball has in fact moved. To ‘move’ means that your ball has come to rest on another spot. If the ball only wobbles (sometimes referred to as oscillating) and stays on or returns to its original spot, the ball has not moved. Your ball at rest is treated as having moved only if it is ‘known or virtually certain’ (KVC) that it did. This means that even though there may be a very small degree of doubt, all reasonably available information shows that it is at least 95% likely that the ball did move.
Once it is KVC that your ball has moved, you need to determine what caused it to move – this is needed as it determines whether we need to put it back. You or your caddie, your opponent (in match play) or an outside influence is treated as having caused the ball to move only if it is KVC to be the cause. If we cannot be 95% certain that one of those things moved your ball, then the ball is treated as having been moved by natural forces. Natural forces are the effects of nature such as wind, water or when something happens for no apparent reason because of the effects of gravity. If your ball is moved by natural forces, then there is no penalty and you play your ball from its new position.
It is important to know the most important exception to this Rule. Let’s say your ball has come to rest on the putting green and you have lifted it from the green (don’t forget to mark it with a ball marker first) and then replaced it. If your ball now moves, the ball must be replaced on its original spot, regardless of what caused your ball to move. Once you have lifted and replaced your ball on the green, your ball ‘owns that spot’ and it is the only spot you’re permitted to make your next stroke from, unless you take relief.
If it is moved by one of the other three reasons, you must replace it. If you or your caddie causes your ball to move, you will incur one penalty stroke. There are some exceptions to this penalty, with the most common being, accidentally causing your ball to move during a search for it, when proceeding under an applicable Rule or any movement in the teeing area or accidental movement on the putting green.
Players should take care when near any ball at rest, and a player who causes their own ball or an opponent’s ball (in match play) to move, will normally get a penalty.
For more information and to watch a handy video – check out Rules 9 on your favourite device.
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Rules Tip – Temporary Water – part 2 (in a bunker & on a green)
In the last FCD Newsletter, we covered temporary water in the general area. In this, we will cover interference from temporary water in a bunker and on the putting green.
Remember, you can get free relief from temporary water anywhere on the course, except for a penalty area, for three things – if you have interference to the:
- lie of the ball
- area of intended swing
- area of intended stance
Additionally, you can get relief from temporary water on your line of play – but only when your ball is on the putting green.
Bunkers
Very commonly, in winter months, we will encounter temporary water in bunkers. Unless the Committee has deemed the entire bunker as ground under repair before the competition has started, we need to deal with this situation if our ball comes to rest in some water in the bunker or we will be standing in the water for our next stroke.
To take free relief from temporary water in the bunker, the nearest point of complete relief and the relief area must be in the bunker. If there is no such nearest point of complete relief in the bunker, you may still take free relief by using the point of maximum available relief in the bunker as the reference point. This means that after you have taken relief, you will most likely still have some interference from the temporary water – for example your feet might still be in water, but the ball not.
- Note the concept of “maximum relief available” is unique to bunkers and greens – it cannot be used in the general area.
There is also an option to drop outside the bunker, back on the line, however this will incur one penalty stroke.
Putting Green
If your ball is on the putting green, and you have interference from temporary water, which also includes on your line of play, you can find the nearest point of complete relief (which may be off the putting green) and just place your ball there. There is no drop.
Like the bunker, if there is no such nearest point of complete relief, you may still take this free relief by using the point of maximum available relief as the reference point, which must be either on the putting green or in the general area.
Something to think about:
- If your ball is on the edge of the green and has “line of play” interference you can play from off the green to avoid hitting through water.
- But if you ball is off the green (maybe in the fringe by only a few centimeters) you cannot place it on a part of the green that avoids the water and is no nearer the hole. In this situation you will need to hit over, through or around any water on your line of play.
Rules Tip
Temporary Water (part 1)
With Sam Burns being denied relief from temporary water at the US Open recently (twice) and possible more rain during winter, I thought it timely to address temporary water.
Temporary water is any temporary accumulation of water on the surface of the ground that can be seen before or after the player takes their stance for the next stroke. Temporary water is one of the abnormal course conditions, which means the Ruling Bodies don’t believe it is part of the challenge of playing golf. Hence we are entitled to free relief.
Just hearing or feeling water is not sufficient, nor standing on mushy, soft ground – you must see water. There is no requirement for a set amount of water – one drop is enough. The water must be seen when you take your normal stance – you are not allowed to press down excessively with your feet. As we say, you get free relief for stance, not the dance.
You can get free relief from temporary water anywhere on the course, except for a penalty area, for three things – if you have interference to:
- lie of the ball
- area of intended swing
- area of intended stance
- and on your line of play (but only when your ball is on the putting green)
So if your ball is sitting in water, which can be seen sitting on top of the ground, then you are entitled to free relief straight away. Your area of intended stance is the position of your feet and body in preparing for and making your stroke. Therefore, you cannot stand next to your ball to bring up water in order to get relief, as that is not your stance to hit the ball.
Temporary water is not a judgement call or opinion, it is a fact that you must see.
The most important part (and why Sam Burns was correctly denied relief), is that the water must remain present either before or after the stance is taken. So seeing water for a second and then disappearing is not grounds for free relief.
In order to take relief (except on the putting green), find the nearest point of complete relief (where you no longer have interference from the water) and then drop within one club length from that spot, no nearer the hole. On the putting green, find the nearest point of complete relief (which may be off the putting green) and just place your ball there.
