Showing 1 - 10 of 40
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.
Find the ball fast or pay the price -- costly
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 18/02/2026
» The common feedback I've received from my recent rule tips have been asking for more clear simple explanations on queries involving penalty relief, ball movement, and on-course procedures. How long can you search for a ball and what's the penalty if you accidently move your ball on the green or bunker together with the ability to take free relief from abnormal ground conditions for example: ground under repair or temporary water.
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.
When a sprinkler raises its head
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 14/01/2026
» Sprinkler heads are immovable obstructions, and you get free relief if they interfere with your stance, swing, or lie, but for line-of-play interference (when it's just in the way of your shot direction), you only get relief from this predicament if a local rule is in effect, requiring the sprinkler head and ball to be within two club-lengths of the green and the green's fringe (fairway height or shorter). Without the local rule, you must play it as it lies or take penalty relief.
What happens when two golf balls collide on the course?
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 29/10/2025
» Golf balls do occasionally collide. It doesn't happen too often but it does occur occasionally. If a shot is played from off the putting surface and your ball hits another ball, what should you do?
Golf made simple: Key rules every player should know
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 01/10/2025
» Carrying on with some basic 'easy to understand' golf rules that we all need to know well. To correctly drop a golf ball, you must release the ball from your hand at knee height, allowing it to fall straight down without touching your body or equipment before hitting the ground. The ball must then land and come to rest within the defined relief area for that required situation. Should it bounce away from the dropping area you can try two more times. If still unsuccessful -- you can then place the ball. If you drop the ball incorrectly, you simply must re-drop it without penalty, but you incur a penalty if you play the ball from a wrong place after dropping it.
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.