Stroke play competition rules

The next several month’s articles are dedicated to the five situations in Stroke Play when a player will be disqualified for not correcting the following mistakes before making a stroke on the next hole (or if on the last hole of the round, before returning the scorecard).

    1. Failure to hole out (Rule 3.3c)

    2. Failure to correct having played from a Wrong Tee, or outside the Teeing Area (Rule 6.1b(2)

    3. Failure to correct having played a Wrong Ball (Rule 6.3c)

    4. Failure to correct having played from a Wrong Place with a Serious Breach (Rule 14.7)

    5. Failure to correct having played in the Wrong order in Foursome Play (Alternate Shot Rule 22.3)

For this month, we will look at Rule 3.3c failure to hole out. For clarity, know that when the Rules of Golf refer to “holing out” or to “hole out” it means when the player’s ball is holed, when the entire ball is at rest below the surface of the putting green. In cases of when the ball came to rest against the flagstick, a ball is considered holed when any part of the ball is below the surface of the putting green.

Although it is common to hear fellow players say “that’s good” while on the green— keep in mind that concessions or calling something good only applies in Match Play. In Stroke Play competitions in order to complete the hole, the ball must be holed. I suspect that at least once during play, you’ve missed the gimme, or a putt you knew you were going to make – even happens to the Pros. Who remembers John Daly’s six-putt at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio? Or Ernie Els putting debacle six-putt from three feet at the Master’s. As far as the Rules of Golf are concerned, in Stroke Play, you do not have a score for a hole unless the ball ends up in the cup.  Unlike Match Play where the opponent can see or be aware of any potential rules issues and bring up those concerns to their opponent on time, the competitors in the field in a Stroke Play competition only have knowledge of what is happening in their group. Players in other groups need to have their interests protected by everyone being treated equally under the Rules of Golf.

A player in a different group may have not been as generous in “giving” a putt. To keep things fair for all players, every player in the field must hole the ball. I recognize not every time a player hits the links, it is to compete in a tournament. But even those skins games, or money games when you have more than one group playing, putts in stroke play need to be holed.

The Rules are also very clear that if two or more players agree to ignore a Rule or any penalty they know applies (i.e. saying putts “within the leather” are good) those players are disqualified—unless the agreement is made prior to the start of the round, and the agreement is cancelled prior to any involved player beginning their round). If they players have started their round and haven’t yet acted on the agreement to ignore the Rule, the players involved are still disqualified.

So, what happens if during Stroke Play you forget to hole out, or someone tells you “That’s good” and you pick up your ball in play? You need to place the ball back on its estimated spot and finish the hole then add one penalty stroke for moving your ball in play. If you have teed off on the next hole before correcting your mistake, you are disqualified.

Remember, that in Stroke Play “that’s good” is not good.