Bizarre Rules of Golf

By Andrew Podnieks

What happens if your golf ball becomes lodged in a tree and you can't get it down? What are your
options if a ball lands behind a boulder or you want to try to play your ball out of a water hazard?
What if you knock the ball off the tee while making a practise swing? For every situation in golf,
there's a rule, and for every rule there's a bizarre case of occurrence or misunderstanding.

Bizarre Rules of Golf examines more than 60 rules and situations-and their ramifications for golfers
both famous and obscure. From Tiger Woods putting for birdie and ending up in the water to Brad
Faxon hitting a nice approach shot only to watch a bird lift his ball off the green and plop it in the
water, the game's many rulings and interpretations of the rules book are probed and described in
entertaining detail.

Including the story of poor Pete Oakley. Competing at the 2012 Senior British Open, he was penalized two
strokes for losing his caddy. That's right-his caddy! (who also happens to be his wife) It's all here in Bizarre Rules
of Golf!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
• Release date: Apr 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781784281021

Book preview

BIZARRE RULES OF GOLF

Andrew Podnieks

 

This edition published in 2015 by Arcturus Publishing Limited 

26/27 Bickels Yard, 151–153 Bermondsey Street, 

London SE1 3HA 

Copyright © 2015 Arcturus Holdings Limited 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person or persons who do any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. 

ISBN: 9781784281021 

DA004718US

CONTENTS

Introduction

Bizarre Rules of Golf

INTRODUCTION

No sport has a larger field of play than golf. A tennis court or hockey rink, baseball diamond or football field all pale in size compared to the multi-acre, 18-hole golf course spread out over about 7,000 yards of grassy, hilly, rocky, watery, sandy terrain.

It is not surprising then that the game has an abundance of rules covering everything from the basics (how to keep score) to the truly bizarre (what happens when a bird absconds with your ball?).

And in no other sport is the integrity and honesty of these rules so salient to the sport. In every other sport, the word ‘cheating’ is usually used in a good way. Think of the hockey player who ‘cheats a little’ on the faceoff, the runner at first base who ‘cheats off first’ trying to steal second, the soccer player who dives trying to draw a penalty kick. Use the word cheat in golf and you are anathema.

Golfers adhere to the rules - each and every one of them - as though their lives depended on it. They would rather err on the side of caution and withdraw from an event than go to sleep at night wondering if they had violated the rules. They would rather penalize themselves than let a dubious situation slide. This is not only because of the admirable ethics of the players; but also because of the many crazy rules of the game. Golf’s rules can be detailed, harsh, or, many golfers will say, just plain unfair. Jack Nicklaus says the rule book needs to be re-written. Other players chuckle at the way the game is adjudicated; others still are just plain confused.

The history of golf is a slow progression over a period of two and a half centuries. It is, arguably, the oldest sport, the one that started so long ago its antecedents are seemingly all but lost. Yet over the course of time and change, the rules - or, the philosophy behind the rules - have remained remarkably constant.

The first 13 rules of golf were drawn up in 1744 by the Gentlemen Golfers of Edinburgh in preparation for a tournament at the Leith Links, the winner receiving a silver golf club. The historic event was played on April 2, 1744, over a five-hole course which consisted of holes named Sawmill (414 yards), North Mid Hole (401 yards), East Hole (425 yards), South Mid Hole (495 yards), and Thorntree Hole (435 yards).

This marked the first documented tournament in golf’s history. It was won by John Rattray, who was called ‘captain of the golf’ after his win. It was contested by eleven men: Robert Biggar, James Carmichael, Richard Cockburn, William Crosse, David Dalrymple, Hew Dalrymple, James Gordon, Hon. James Lesie, George Suttie, James