GPGC LOCAL RULES
USGA RECOMMENDED LOCAL RULES:
GPGC has adopted the following 7 local rules. The full text of 5 of them—B-3, E-4, E-5, F-5, and F-19—is found in the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf, Committee Procedures, IV Model Local Rules and Other Forms of Play, Section 8 Model Local Rules. The full text is also found on line at the USGA website www.usga.org/rules-hub.html. Click on the “Full Rules” button, go to Committee Procedures, then 8 Model Local Rules. Or, visit the USGA Rules of Golf app and click on Committee Procedures, then 8 Model Local Rules. We urge you to carefully read them at one of those resources. Two of our adopted Model Local Rules—F-9.2 and F-10--were modified to fit us, so they are stated verbatim below, within the quotation marks.
Provisional Ball for Ball in a Penalty Area (Rule B-3)
This rule allows the player to play a provisional ball even though the original ball might be in a penalty area. GPGC permits this rule be used with reference to all red or yellow penalty areas.
Relief from Aeration Holes (Rule E-4)
This rule allows the player to take relief from aeration holes in the general area or on the putting green in the same method as taking relief from abnormal course conditions (Rule 161b for the general area, Rule 161d for the putting green.)
Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds (Rule E-5)
If a player’s ball winds up lost or out of bounds, and the player failed to hit a provisional, time is wasted while the player goes back to hit again under stroke and distance relief. This option allows the player to drop in a large area between the point where the ball is estimated to have come to rest or gone out of bounds and 2 clubs into the fairway but not nearer the hole. The player gets two penalty strokes when using this relief option, which means that the relief is comparable to what could have been achieved if the player had taken stroke and distance relief. If the player did hit a provisional ball, this option may not be used.
Relief from obstructions close to the putting green (Rule F-5)
This rule allows relief if your ball is very close to the green and a sprinkler head or other immovable obstruction would interfere with you putting the ball. The immovable obstruction must be on your intended line of play, AND must be within two club lengths of the green, AND must be within two club lengths of the ball.
Relief from Tree Roots (Rule F-9.2)
The following rule is a matter of safety: “If a player’s ball is in the general area and there is interference from exposed tree roots that are in a part of the general 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. But interference does not exist if the tree roots only interfere with the player’s stance.”
Damage by Animals (Rule F-10)
Recognizing that Griffith Park has gophers, including a substantial amount of turf with damage both recent and of long standing: “In the general area, areas of damage caused by burrowing animals are treated as ground under repair from which relief is allowed under Rule 16.1b. But, except for still loose soil casts, interference does not exist if the damage only interferes with the player’s stance.” Thus, one may take Rule 16.1 abnormal course condition relief if your ball lies in/on old gopher damage, and drop on turf constituting your nearest point of relief. But standing on old gopher damage affords no relief.
Edging Grooves Near Putting Greens (Rule F-19)
Relief is permitted for a ball in an edging groove separating a green from the fringe.