FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Know the RulesWinter 2016
Home›Know the Rules›New Year, New Rules: Get Familiar with the Changes Before They Cost You Strokes

New Year, New Rules: Get Familiar with the Changes Before They Cost You Strokes

By Jimmy Becker
January 1, 2016
3600
0
Share:
new rules

Every four years, the Royal & Ancient and the United States Golf Association announce changes to the Rules of Golf. Recently, the two governing bodies announced the changes that became effective Jan. 1, 2016. Here is a review of some of the key changes:

Rule 6-6d – Wrong Score for Hole

A new exception has been introduced to Rule 6-6d (Wrong Score for Hole) to provide that a player is not disqualified for returning a lower score for a hole than actually taken as a result of failing to include penalty strokes that the player did not know were incurred before returning the score card. An example of this would be if a player removed an out of bounds stake thinking it was an immovable obstruction (it is a fixed object and cannot be removed) affecting his swing and did not include the 2-stroke penalty on his score card. The player in this example was unaware it was a penalty. Previously, the player would have been disqualified, but instead, the player now adds an additional penalty of 2 strokes for the scorecard error. In all other cases in which a player returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken, the penalty will continue to be disqualification.

Rule 18-2b – Ball Moving After Address

In 2012, Rule 18-2b was amended and an exception was added, stating that a player was not penalized 1 stroke for a ball moving after address if it was virtually certain that the player did not cause their ball to move (i.e. wind, water or an outside agency caused the ball to move). To simplify it even more, in 2016, Rule 18-2b has been withdrawn completely. Now, a 1-stroke penalty will be applied only if the facts show that the player has caused the ball to move.

Rule 14-3 – Use of Artificial Devices or Equipment

Under the Rules previously, a player was disqualified for using an artificial device or equipment that was not permitted during a stipulated round. For example, in 2010, Juli Inkster was disqualified from an LPGA Tour event for attaching a weighted donut to her club during a wait on the 10th tee. However, starting this year, the penalty for a player’s first breach during the stipulated round has been reduced from disqualification to loss of hole in match play or 2 strokes in stroke play. So, if Inkster did this in the first event of the 2016 LPGA season, she would only be penalized 2 strokes. A key point is the wording “first breach.”  If a player committed any subsequent breaches of Rule 14-3 (whether it was with the donut or some other device), the player would be disqualified.

Rule 14-1b­ – Anchoring

The biggest and most publicized change for 2016 is one that had already been previously announced. Rule 14-1b has been added, which prohibits anchoring the club while making a stroke. The full text is as follows: In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point.”

Note 1: The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm.

Note 2: An “anchor point” exists when the player intentionally holds a forearm in contact with any part of his body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.

Some other key points about this new Rule:

  • The long putter itself is not banned. This is not an equipment rule. Just the anchored stroke is banned.
  • The anchoring ban is not just limited to strokes made from the putting green.
  • A club or committee is not allowed to introduce a Local Rule or adopt a Condition of Competition overriding this rule.
  • Scores cannot be posted under the USGA Handicap System if the player anchored throughout the round.
Previous Article

USGA Releases Changes To The Handicap System

Next Article

Winter 2016

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Jimmy Becker

Since rejoining the SCGA in 2011 from the NCGA, Jimmy helps administer SCGA, CGA and USGA qualifiers/championships, and is featured in the Rules Crew video series, teaching the Rules of Golf to SCGA members and its clubs. Jimmy is also a member of a Rules & Competitions Department that annually scores some of the highest marks in the country on the USGA Rules of Golf exam at the USGA/PGA Rules workshops. He is a member of the USGA’s Women's Amateur Public Links Committee and works as a rules official at the WAPL Championship annually. A native Southern Californian, in his free time Jimmy enjoys hanging out with friends, playing sports and going to the beach.

Related articles More from author

  • Fall 2017Know the Rules

    Think You’ve Seen It All? When The Rules of Golf Make You Scratch Your Head

    October 23, 2017
    By Jimmy Becker
  • four ball
    Know the Rules

    What is Four-Ball and How Does It Affect the Rules?

    January 1, 2015
    By Jimmy Becker
  • SCGA Junior Champion
    SCGA JuniorWinter 2016

    Set for Success: Already Accomplished, Alyaa Abdulghany Aims for the Next Level

    January 1, 2016
    By Julia Pine
  • John Plate
    Where Are They Now?Winter 2016

    Golf-Father: Eschewing a professional career, John Pate has managed to combine amateur golf and family life, much to his satisfaction.

    January 1, 2016
    By Julia Pine
  • Torrey Pines
    Classic CourseWinter 2016

    A Public Work Of Art: The Evolution of Torrey Pines

    January 1, 2016
    By Tod Leonard
  • Golf Jackets
    EquipmentWinter 2016

    Golf Jackets Have You Covered: New Materials and Stylish Designs for Winter Weather

    January 1, 2016
    By Scott Kramer

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • FeaturedSpring 2022Travel

    Scotland Must-Plays & Hidden Gems: 10 Terrific Tracks that Prove the Old Course Isn’t the Only Game Around

  • Classic CourseFeaturedSpring 2022

    Western Home of Golf: Legends, Legacy and Looking Forward at PGA WEST

  • FeaturedSpring 2022Travel

    The Pubs of St Andrews

  • FeaturedProfilesSpring 2022

    Bob Does Hollywood: The Hardest Working Man on Instagram Finds Gold in Golf

  • FeaturedHandicap HintsSpring 2022

    Keeping You Informed: GHIN Push Notifications on your Mobile Phones

FOLLOW US

Facebook Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • The Pubs of St Andrews

    By Mike James
    April 21, 2022
  • Scotland Must-Plays & Hidden Gems: 10 Terrific Tracks that Prove the Old Course Isn’t the ...

    By Joe Passov
    April 21, 2022
  • Bob Does Hollywood: The Hardest Working Man on Instagram Finds Gold in Golf

    By Adam Hawk
    April 21, 2022
  • Not Your Father’s Game: With Two Facilities Newly Open and Callaway at the Helm, the ...

    By Scott Kauffman
    April 21, 2022
  • The Provisional Ball: What? How? When?

    By Jimmy Becker
    April 21, 2022
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...
  • Judy Carls
    on
    November 15, 2018

    The Gilded One: Eldorado CC

    Excellent magazine..thank you Judy Carls LPGA ...
  • SUE KNIGHT
    on
    October 19, 2018

    FULL HOUSE: First FORE Her Golf Outing

    I enjoyed the article ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Judy Carls on The Gilded One: Eldorado CC
  • SUE KNIGHT on FULL HOUSE: First FORE Her Golf Outing
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise