Tee Shots and Fairways and Greens (Oh My!)
In attempting to hit your tee shot, you swing and completely miss the ball, does that count as a stroke?
Yes, your next tee shot will be your second shot. You may keep it on the tee or not, and stay within the teeing area.
You hit your shot, then afterwards realize that the ball you hit was not yours. What do you do?
In match play, you lose the hole. In stroke play, you go to your actual ball, play it where it lies and take a 2 stroke penalty. If the ball you hit belonged to someone in your group, they may put it back where they think it was and play it without penalty to them.
Hole #9: your ball hits and bounces off of the rock wall in front of the green then goes in the water, do you go to the drop zone or take a club length from where it hit and drop no closer to the hole?
Go to the drop zone to hit your third shot.
If the ball had hit the green or out of the hazard before going in the water, you could take a penalty stroke and drop one club length from where it went in no closer to the hole
How soon after finishing a round are you supposed to post your score on GHIN?
The same day
How much time should you spend looking for a lost ball before dropping another and moving on?
No more than 3 minutes
When the cart rule is scatter, how should the carts enter and exit the fairways?
Not single file or over previous tracks, use different paths to spread out wear and tear on the course
Your ball lands next to a rock and you cannot play it without damaging your club, can you move it without taking a penalty stroke?
No, you can declare it unplayable, take a penalty stroke and move it one club length from the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole.
Hole #6: Your tee shot hits the ground and stops in the red hazard area short of the green, what are your options?
Play it as it lies or hit another tee shot, you cannot take a lateral drop if the ball never touched the ground outside the hazard area
You got rained out halfway through your round and didn't play all the holes, what do you post?
Post hole-by-hole the holes that you did play, GHIN will estimate the others based on the scores from the holes you played
What are 3 ways to improve your pace of play if your group is lagging behind?
Play ready golf, play a provisional when in doubt, plan your shot and have your club ready when it's your turn, be helpful to others in your group, keep your pre-shot routine short, aim to play your shot in 20 seconds, keep up with the group ahead of you.
You tee up your ball on the tee box a few inches in front of the tee markers, is this allowed?
No, you must be between the two markers, in line with or up to 2 club lengths behind them
Your ball lands in a hazard with various leaves, twigs and plants around it, which of these items are ok to move and which cannot be moved?
Loose rocks, leaves, debris can be moved. Tree branches or plants that are attached to the ground cannot be moved or broken.
Hole #7: Your ball goes into the environmental hazard short of the green, if you decide not to play it as it lies, where do you drop and how many penalty strokes do you take?
Drop on the line that it entered the hazard, as far back as you want, and take 1 penalty stroke
When is it ok not to post your score?
When you notify the pro shop IN ADVANCE of your round that you are playing a practice round, scramble type format, or if you are playing by yourself
What is the proper way to fix a fairway divot?
If the piece of sod is there, put it back on the divot and step on it, then fill the bare areas with sand. If there's no piece of sod, fill the divot with sand only to ground level (not mounded). And while you're there, if there are others, fix one or two of those as well!
Which stakes (red, yellow, white) are movable obstructions that you may move if they are impeding your swing?
Red and yellow stakes are movable obstructions. White stakes cannot be moved.
Your ball lands in standing water in a bunker. Where do you drop and is there any penalty?
Drop in a playable part of the bunker no closer to the hole if there is one. If not then drop out of the bunker no closer to the hole. No penalty.
Hole #18: Your ball goes into the creek alongside of the green, where do you drop and how many penalty strokes do you take?
You may drop on either side of the creek no closer to the hole from where your ball went in, one club length out of the hazard and one penalty stroke
You golf your own ball in a tournament where you are given a mulligan, magic putt and hand throw. Should you post your score?
No
Where is the best place to leave the golf cart while you are putting?
Leave the carts on the path near the back part of the green so you don't have to walk back to the cart while others are playing behind you
You take a practice swing and accidentally hit the ball, does this count as a stroke?
No, it only counts as a stroke if you intended to hit your shot
Name 3 situations where you can move your ball to a new location without taking a penalty stroke
Ball on cart path, drain or sprinkler, yardage marker, ground under repair.
Drop one club length from nearest point of relief no closer to the hole
Hole #6: Your tee shot hits the fairway then rolls off through the red hazard area into the water, what are your options?
Take a lateral drop from the red stakes where the ball entered the hazard or take another tee shot
Your handicap is 20 and you blew up one hole and shot a 12. If you are not posting hole by hole, what would you adjust the 12 to before posting?
Net Double Bogey
Double Bogey plus whatever handicap strokes you would have received on that hole
Your ball goes into someone's yard, what is the correct way to locate your ball and play your next shot?
If your ball is visible from the edge of the course, go pick it up, bring it back, take your 2 stroke penalty and drop 2 club lengths into the fairway no closer to the hole. If it is not visible, do not enter the yard to look for it.