Rules 2019

Last Monday was the first of many sessions delivered by England Golf in an attempt to outline the changes to the rules in 2019. The rules can be a complicated beast at times but they are an integral part of how we play and administer the game we love to play. In later editions and emails to the membership I will be sending out the presentations that the R&A and England Golf have been using to educate the educators.

But as a start I wanted to do a bit of a drip feed of some of the more important rule changes for you to begin to get ready for these changes. So let us get started with a big one. From 2019 you will only be able to look for your ball for 3 minutes and not 5 minutes. Now this may well not seem like a massive change but it is, it is nearly half the time less to look for a ball. This is great news for me as the ball sales are going to go through the roof in the pro shop. The theory behind this is to begin to try and speed play up and try to increase the use of the provisional ball to stop people having to return to the tee. So if you are unsure of whether you may find your ball please hit a provisional ball, you may well need it.

Another rule change which I am all for, is that you are now allowed within the rules of the game to putt with the flag in the hole. Now a lot of people are saying that they wouldn’t do this, so I thought as an idea I would test the water. At the previous rules event I asked the presenter to ask the room who would putt with the flag in the hole, surprisingly at least 75% of the room put their hand up. I for one will be doing it after reading some research and probability calculations stating the pin staying in is statistically more beneficial than being out.

Any questions you may have on the rules please don’t hesitate to contact one of the pro shop staff or the Handicap & Competitions committee.