Rule #2 – The Course

Know the rules with M&M – Rule #2: The Course

The course is set up in 5 defined areas:

• The General Area, The Teeing Area, Bunkers, Penalty area and the Putting Green.

We will get into the specifics of each area in coming episodes but for this week, the focus is determining what area of the course the ball lies in when in two specific areas. Rule 2.2c states that “A ball is always treated as lying in one area of the course”. Since where a player’s ball lies affects the rules that apply in playing the ball or taking relief, it is important to know the order of priority.

If a ball is in two specific areas of the course, it is treated as lying in the specific area that comes first in this order:

• Penalty area
• Bunker
• Putting Green
• Teeing area
• General Area

Regardless of the % of the ball that lies in each area, when touching two areas, you should treat the ball lying in the above sequence.

One final thought – Because Out of Bounds (OB) is not part of the defined area of the course.  If the ball lies on both the OB line and any part of the 5 defined areas of the course, the ball is considered in the defined area of the course.  For a ball to be OB, the ENTIRE ball must be OB.

I hope this information will be beneficial to you this coming season and we look forward to next week’s topic when we discuss the first part of the defined areas – The teeing area.

Hope you have a great week on the links and wish you all straight drives and one putts.

Until next week,

Mario Paradis & Michael Alderman