Showing 1 - 10 of 146
Free relief, OB stakes and the one-club drop
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 11/02/2026
» Please allow me to try and explain what is an immovable obstruction once more. They are basically artificial, fixed objects like cart paths, sprinklers, or fences -- they allow for a free, one-stroke relief drop if they interfere with a player's lie, stance, or swing. Relief is not permitted for line-of-sight interference. Players must find the nearest point of complete relief, not closer to the hole, and drop within one club-length.
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.
One wrong move, two strokes gone
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 31/12/2025
» Giving or asking for advice like "What club did you use?" from anyone except your caddie or playing partner results in a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. Unsolicited advice from strangers or spectators is okay, but the player must not encourage it.
Single mistake can end your tournament
Sports, Published on 25/12/2025
» Signing your scorecard after you've finished your round is more than just a formality; it directly impacts the outcome of a round. A small error in confirming your score can lead to serious consequences, including disqualification from the tournament. In stroke play tournaments, a player's score is recorded by a marker after each hole. After completing the round, the marker must verify the score by signing, initialing, or marking the scorecard. However, the responsibility of totalling the score and performing other calculations lies with the tournament committee, not the marker.
Penalty or no penalty? These tricky scenarios will test you
Sports, Brett Brasier, Published on 12/11/2025
» Let's see how good you know your golf rules; Here's some questions that will get you thinking -- You and your opponent are using the same type of ball in a match and inadvertently play each other's ball into the green. You're not sure who played a shot with the wrong ball first, so you finish out the hole as if nothing happened. Penalty or no penalty?
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?
Manners matter as much as scorecard
Sports, Published on 22/10/2025
» One of the first rules we are taught when we venture onto the golf course is the rule of how we should behave, and a 'clip around the ear' by my father, when we first played together, made me understand how important this essential rule is. Etiquette includes repairing divots and ball marks, raking bunkers, and being mindful of other players by remaining quiet and still when they are playing. Also included in our game's etiquette guidelines is to be mindful of maintaining a good pace of play and allowing faster groups to play through.
Sumo stars make giant splash in London
AFP, Published on 16/10/2025
» LONDON — For one week, a corner of London has been transformed into a pocket of ancient Japan, with dozens of sumo wrestlers descending on the city in a rare foray outside the sport's homeland.
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.