Rules of Play

GENERAL RULES

A. Location and Starting Time:

(1)  East Potomac Park Blue and White Golf Courses will be used during league play.

(2) Matches scheduled to tee off first on the Blue Course and the White Course must report to the starter 10 minutes before the first tee time. If the first foursome is not ready and the course is open, then the second foursome shall begin play. The first foursome shall then follow the second foursome.

(3) Should the golf course ever adjust their practice so that matches scheduled for the White Course do not have reserved tee times, foursomes must request starting times from the starter as soon as all players are present.

B. Matches are to be played as set forth in the schedule.

C. U.S.G.A. rules shall govern all play except for the following adopted local rules.

LOCAL RULES

1. WINTER RULES:

a. All matches shall be played under winter rules. This means that the lie of a player's ball may be improved without incurring a penalty. The ball may be moved to a spot within six inches of the spot where it originally lay that is not nearer the hole.

b. Exceptions.  The lie of the player's ball may not be improved when the ball lies: (1) within two club lengths of any fence or the trunk of any tree or bush (as measured using the player's putter); or (2) in sand inside the boundaries of a bunker.

2.  OUT OF BOUNDS

If a ball is lost, hit out of bounds or deemed unplayable (by the player) they can proceed under USGA rules or the following local rule - after obtaining agreement with the opponent about where the ball crossed into the obstacle (trees, water, OB, etc.), the player can move back on the line the ball came from toward the tee as far as they wish and drop another ball. Penalty - one stroke. (Rev. 3-08).

3.  LOST BALL

If a ball is lost outside a hazard, the player shall drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as near as possible to the spot the player and fellow competitors deem the ball came to rest. Exceptions to this are a ball lost in casual water, ground under repair, or a hole, cast or runway made by a burrowing animal, reptile or bird. Under these conditions, a ball may be dropped without penalty as near as possible to the spot at which the ball last crossed the margin of the area, or ground which avoids these conditions, but not nearer the hole.

4.  EMBEDDED BALL

"Through the green", a ball which by force of impact remains embedded in its own pit-mark may be lifted without penalty, cleaned, and dropped as near as possible to the spot where it lay, and must come to rest not nearer the hole. A ball may not be cleaned "through the green" unless so embedded.

5.  HAZARDS

If a player allows the club to touch the ground of a hazard while addressing the ball or during the backswing, a two-stroke penalty shall be incurred.

VIOLATIONS OF LOCAL RULES 1 THROUGH 5

In addition to the specified stroke penalties, a violation will result in loss of hole.

6. MARKING BALL

When a ball on the putting green is to be lifted, its position shall be marked by placing an object, such as a small coin, immediately behind the ball. If the object interferes with another player, it should be moved one or more putter head-lengths to one side.

7.  STRIKING OPPONENT'S BALL

If a player's ball strikes the ball of another player in the foursome anytime during the match, there shall be no penalty and the other player's ball shall be replaced at the spot where it was formerly at rest.

8.  WRONG BALL

If a player plays another player's ball, the player shall incur a two-stroke penalty and shall then complete the hole by playing his/her own ball.

9.  BALL HIT INTO PROTECTED AREAS

If a player's ball comes to rest in an area marked as a Protected Area, or is reasonably believed by the players to have come to rest in a Protected Area, the player should not enter the Protected Area but should determine the approximate point in the Protected Area where the ball came to rest. Once this point is established, the player must drop a ball under penalty of one stroke within 2 club lengths of the nearest point of relief that is not nearer to the hole. (Revised 5/13/07)

10. BALL HIT INTO AREA BEHIND HOLE NUMBER 9 ON WHITE COURSE

If a player's ball comes to rest behind hole number 9 on the White Course in an area that is not marked by white stakes, and is reasonably believed by the players to rest beyond the imaginary line that would be the course boundary were it not for the road leading to the club house, the player shall drop a ball without penalty within 2 club lengths of the nearest point of relief from the spot where the ball crossed that imaginary line. In the future, if the area beyond hole number 9 is marked by white stakes, the usual out of bounds rule shall apply.