Showing 1 - 10 of 163
Repair the green, respect the game
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 01/04/2026
» Ball marks, shoe damage such as spike marks and scrapes or indentations caused by equipment or a flagstick are regarded as damage to the putting green and therefore may be repaired. Also included would be old hole plugs, turf plugs, seams of cut turf and scrapes or indentations from maintenance tools or vehicles, animal tracks or hoof indentations, and embedded objects such as a stone, acorn, hail or tee and indentations caused by them.
Smart play! Time to know your bunker relief options
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 04/03/2026
» There is no penalty for accidentally hitting the ball twice during a single stroke. If a player's club strikes the ball more than once, it only counts as one stroke, and the ball is played as it lies.
A guide to getting ball back in play
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 25/02/2026
» Drop a golf ball when taking free or penalty relief -- for example; a hazard, unplayable lie or abnormal conditions within a defined relief area. Place a ball back after previously marking it and lifting it from the green, replacing it after it moves, or cleaning it on the putting green.
Unplayable lies: Know the three relief options
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 04/02/2026
» You have basically three options if your golf ball finds itself in an unplayable lie. An unplayable lie allows a golfer to take relief almost anywhere on the course but comes with a one-stroke penalty, excluding penalty areas. The player is the sole judge of whether a ball is unplayable. The 3-options for relief are -- stroke-and-distance, back-on-the-line, or lateral relief within two club-lengths of where the ball is at rest.
One wrong score for a hole can end your round
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 15/10/2025
» If you return a scorecard with a wrong score for a hole; the score you entered stands if it was higher than your actual score. However, you are disqualified if you return a score that is lower than your actual score or if you fail to return a score for a hole. Putting down a lower score is considered a serious breach of the rules and results in disqualification, unless an unknown penalty was the cause. Some professional tours have adopted a rule that gives players a 15-minute window to correct an incorrect score after leaving the scoring area.
Golf's odd club rules explained
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 08/10/2025
» Here's a confusing rule that l would like to hopefully make clearer. You're allowed to carry up to fourteen clubs for a round of golf. However, you can have fewer -- just one if you wish. There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry so long as they conform to the Rules of Golf. For example, you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed clubs. If you start a round with fourteen clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one. But if you break one you can continue using that damaged club, replace it, or have it repaired, if possible. If you start a round with fewer than fourteen clubs, you can add clubs during the round until you reach fourteen, but you must not delay play in doing so.
Why a provisional saves you long walk back
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 17/09/2025
» Continuing on the theme of our rules; here's one that we should all know but it's best to go through the procedure once more.
From divots to bunkers: Clearing up rules
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 10/09/2025
» Feedback always comes back thick and fast when l mention the rules of golf as our rules can be confusing for many. Last week, l discussed the situation of if your ball embeds itself and from the feedback came the helpful comment that there's no relief if your ball comes to rest in another pitch mark or divot.
Choosing the right putter is important
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 20/08/2025
» Putters come in many shapes and sizes: blade putters and mallet putters. Some are more traditional, have a simple design and are often favoured by 'feel' putters who rely more on their intuition and touch. Mallet putters have larger heads and offer more forgiveness on off-centre hits, making them ideal for golfers who prefer a 'straight-back-straight-through' stroke.
A few simple setup tweaks
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 06/08/2025
» Those of us getting on in life usually have more time to play but suffer from less flexibility, less range of motion and less speed. It's a sad combination, especially when your brain still remembers the swing you used to have.