TDMGC Local Rules

Ball Mark and Divot Repair

Pace of Play Suggestions

Local Rule E-5

Tahoe Donner Men’s Club Local Rules
2025

The current USGA Rules of Golf will govern play along with the following Local Rules.

1. You may take relief from all man-made rock walls that interfere with your stance or swing. Relief is within one club length from your nearest point of complete relief, no closer to the hole.
   
   

2. Within mown and maintained grass areas, cut tree stumps are considered immovable obstructions.  Take free relief under Rule 16.
   
   

3. All penalty areas are marked with the appropriate colored stakes. The margin of the penalty area is designated by either the mow line, cart path or painted line. Where none of these exist, the penalty area is line of sight between penalty stakes.
   
   

4. A ball which crosses a public road and comes to rest either on or beyond that road is considered to be out of bounds, even though it may lie on another part of the course.
   
   

5. Private Property: If your ball comes to rest on improved private property, you may take a drop within one club length of the area of nearest relief, no closer the hole. Free relief is given only to move the ball off improved property and not for the purpose of gaining an improved lie. The group should all agree on the place to drop.
   
   

6. All paved cart paths, maintenance roads and rock-lined French drains not in penalty areas are considered obstructions and the player is allowed free relief under Rule 16 (abnormal course conditions, including immovable obstructions).
   
   

7. The extra free relief option under Rule 16.1b is available if an immovable obstruction (e.g., sprinkler head) is on the line of play and is within two club lengths of the putting green and within two club lengths of the ball. There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.
   
   

8. TDGC has adopted Optional Rule E-5 Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds for general play. TDMGC adopts this rule as described here for Wednesday games, general play, and some tournaments except the Club Championship, Match Play (and qualifier) and NCGA 12-Man Team Match Play.
   
   Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds: When a provisional ball has not been played, and that player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance: for two penalty strokes, the player may take relief by dropping a ball at the nearest point in the fairway (within two club-lengths of the mow line) even with the point where the ball is estimated to have come to rest or crossed out of bounds, no closer to the hole. This Local Rule may be applied on any Hole.
   
   

9. Penalty for Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty (loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play).
   
   

10. Pace of Play Guideline: Golfers are expected to complete the front nine in 2:15 or less and then eighteen holes in 4:30 or less. Players who fall behind the group in front of them are expected to catch up immediately even if it means picking up and taking net double bogey for the event (net par for posting) on a hole or holes.