GOLF RULES! What Happens When You Hit Your Tee Shot From the Wrong Place?

It recently came to Seascaper’s attention that in a four-ball match, a player teed off from outside of the proper markers. His opponent flatly declared that the player had violated the rules and had lost the match.

This is absolutely wrong.

In match play, if you tee off from outside of the teeing ground – either to the side, in front or more than two club-lengths behind the proper markers – your opponent has the option of making you replay your tee shot. Or not. It’s his choice.

Here’s the rule:

11-4. Playing From Outside Teeing Ground

a. Match Play

If a player, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke and play a ball from within the teeing ground.

If you make this mistake in match play and your opponent does not immediately require you to replay the tee shot, there is no penalty.

The rule is different for stroke play. In this case, you must replay the tee shot from the proper teeing ground and you incur a two-stroke penalty. If you don’t re-tee from the proper area before making a stroke from the next teeing ground (or before leaving the green on the last hole), then you are disqualified.

Here’s the rule:

b. Stroke Play

If a competitor, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, he incurs a penalty of two strokes and must then play a ball from within the teeing ground.

If the competitor makes a stroke from the next teeing ground without first correcting his mistake or, in the case of the last hole of the round, leaves the putting green without first declaring his intention to correct his mistake, he is disqualified.

Opportunity to Help Coordinate Men's Club Tournaments; New Hats Will be On Sale Too

If you'd like to participate in running the Men's Club, there's a terrific opportunity available.

The Tournament Committee is looking for a few good men to help work for a few hours at a time checking in players when we're holding our monthly tournaments.

Duties include making sure players pay the fee; get their score cards, rules sheets and any announcements; collecting score cards, and selling any ASMC gear that we have to offer. Right now, that includes our new club golf hat as shown here. These go on sale this month for just $10 each.

If you're interested, you can contact either co-chairman of the Tournament Committee: Steve Olson, 831-768-0471,  olsosa503@msn.com or Breese White at 831-662-0560, beach.street@mac.com.

Sayous and Babin; Morris and Gosciminski; Taylor and Schwartz Win Flights in May Best-Ball Shoot-out

Bobby Sayous and Leo Babin won the first flight in ASMC's May two-man, best ball tournament, shooting 62, while Jim Morris and Jim Gosciminski won the second flight with a sizzling 60 and Glenn Taylor and Don Schwartz took the third flight with 64.

The tournament was also a qualifier for the NCGA senior two-man, best ball tournament and the qualifiers were Morris and Gosciminski along with Steve Goldstein and Dave Moultan who shot 63 to take third in the second flight. Bob McCormick and Mark Darrow, who shot 64 and took second in the first flight are the alternates for the NCGA tourney.

The Tournament Committee penalized two teams two strokes each for slow play -- a generous policy compared to the NCGA's policy of disqualifying teams that hold up the rest the tournament.

Here are the results for the top finishers by flight:

First Flight: Sayous and Labin, McCormick and Darrow, David Tavarez and Derek Nagamine, Gary Bruckner and Matt Kluger, Matt Ryan and Tom McNary, Brent Mays and Garth Watrous.

Second Flight: Morris and Gosciminski, Bill Daitchman and Franz Vaiarello, Goldstein and Moultan, Joe Guttardauro and Ray Apolskis, Tim Carl and Don Urfer, Bob Tomasi and Jim Walt.

Third Flight: Taylor and Schwartz, Rich Wameling and Rich Lakely, Dave Moore and Bob Postle, Paul McGillicudy and Michael Banks, Rodd Doerr and John Cranston, Dave Webb and Charlie May.

All ties settled by ASMC's card-off procedure.

Winners of closest-to-the-pin were:

No. 8: McNary, Sayous, Breese White, Brad Ryno, Derek Nagamine and Jerry Woods (tie).

No. 12: Mike Coyle, Mike Howley, Walt, Urfer and Steve Arkley.

To qualify for the NCGA Senior Best Ball Net on August 20, players had to be 55 or older as of 2/22/2014 with a maximum handicap index of 18.4. In addition, the difference between team member's course handicap could not exceed 8 strokes.