Local Rules - Ryde Golf Club

General
1. Care of the course
  - Divots must be replaced and pitch marks must be repaired.
  - After playing a bunker shot, sand must be smoothed over with the rake provided and the rake replaced inside the bunker.
  - All players must use the seed boxes to repair divots on tees where provided.
  - The ball must not be removed from the hole with the putter blade or by removing the flag.
  - Buggies and trolleys must not be taken on to tees, greens or green fringes, or between greenside bunkers and the green itself.
  - Litter must be deposited in the receptacles provided.
2. Safety
  - Players on the 1st/10th tee must be aware of players on the 9th/18th hole.
  - Players approaching the 9th/18th green must be aware of players on the 1st/10th tee.
  - Players on the 7th/16th tees have priority over those on the 8th/17th tee.
3. Public Footpath
  - Golfers MUST give way to pedestrians and cyclists on the footpath crossing Holes 1/10 and Holes 8/17.
4. Pace of Play
  - Players must maintain a prompt pace of play as required by Rule 5.6 and are requested to play “ready Golf” as outlined in Rule 6.4.2
5. Starting
  - When playing friendly games the only start points are the 1st and 3rd tees. Players starting on the 1st tee must alternate with those leaving the 9th green. Players starting on the 3rd tee must give priority to those already on the course.
Abnormal Course Conditions (GUR, Temporary Water and Animal Holes) including Immovable Obstructions (Rule 16.1 applies)
1. Ground Under Repair includes:
  - Any area encircled by a white line.
  - Cracks in the ground in parts of the general area cut to fairway height or less. But interference does not exist if the crack only interferes with the player’s stance.
2. Immovable Obstructions includes:
  - All paths on the course.
  - All bridges on the course.
  - Drainage covers.
  - All permanent distance marker posts on the course.
  - All permanent distance markers in the middle of the fairways.
  - Wooden seats.
  - Man-made steps.
  - Sleeper walls.
  - A ball coming to rest in a deep rut caused by machinery.
  - Fixed Sprinkler Heads if they are on the line of play, within 2 club lengths of the putting green and within 2 club lengths of the ball.
    - Relief is available under Rule 16.1. Mark the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole and drop within a club-length no nearer the hole.
    - Penalty for playing ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty under Rule 14.7a.
3. Staked Trees (Rule 16.1f)
  - Staked trees are No Play Zones. If a player’s ball lies anywhere on the course other than in a penalty area, and it lies on or touches such a tree, or such a tree interferes with a player’s stance of area of intended swing, relief without penalty MUST be taken under Rule 16.1f.
Embedded Ball (Rule 16.3 applies)
1. Relief is allowed under Rule 16.3b only when a player’s ball is embedded in the general area.
Out of Bounds (Rule 18.2 applies)
1. A ball is out of bounds when it is beyond any hedge, fence or wall defining the boundary of the course.
2. Out of bounds is defined by the line between the course-side points at ground level of white stakes and fence posts.
3. A ball coming to rest on or beyond the car park and paved area around the clubhouse is out of bounds.
4. A ball coming to rest on or beyond the area around the green-keepers sheds is out of bounds.
5. The course-side edge of the footpath on the left of the Teeing Areas on Holes 1 and 10 defines the boundary of the course.
6. A ball coming to rest on or beyond Ladies Walk path is out of bounds, even if it comes to rest on another part of the course that is in bounds for other holes.
7. The course-side edge of the road on Holes 3 and 12 defines the boundary of the course.
8. The course-side edge of the ditch on the right of the hole on Holes 9 and 18 defines the boundary of the course.
9. During play of Hole 15 only, the area on the left in the region of Hole 14, defined by white stakes, is out of bounds. These stakes are treated as boundary objects during the play of Hole 15. For all other holes, they are immovable obstructions.
Playing Ball in Bunker
1. Before playing a ball in a bunker, a player may remove loose impediments under Rule 15.1 and movable obstructions under Rule 15.2. This includes any reasonable touching or movement of the sand in the bunker that happens while doing so.
Penalty Areas (Rule 17 applies)
1. All Penalty Areas are defined as red penalty areas and are marked with red stakes.
Temporary Greens
1. When temporary putting greens are in play any putting green that has been replaced by a temporary putting green is a wrong green and free relief for interference must be taken under Rule 13.1f.
2. When temporary putting greens are NOT in play any temporary green is part of the General Area.