Rule Exercises
Rules 10, 11 and 14 (Except for Rule 14-3)

  1. In stroke play through the green, the ball farthest from the hole is to be played first without exception.
  • True
  • False
  1. In the rain, a player holds an umbrella over his head with one hand while holing a short putt with his putter held in the other hand; there is no penalty.
  • True
  • False
  1. When a player’s ball is farther from the hole than an opponent’s ball, the player is said to have the honor.
  • True
  • False
  1. In stroke play if a player misses a short putt and holes the ball with the handle end of the club, the ball is holed with a penalty of two strokes and the stoke with the handle end counts.
  • True
  • False
  1. A player’s club strikes the ground behind the ball, not making contact with the ball. However, the ground is struck with sufficient force to cause the ball to move and the player’s club continues, subsequently striking the moving ball. What is the ruling?

(a)He must count the stroke at the ball that struck the ground and caused the ball to move; in addition, he incurs a penalty stroke for striking the ball more than once.

(b)His stroke at the ball does not count; however, he incurs a penalty stroke for causing the ball to move.

(c)He must count the stroke at the ball; he incurs no penalty for subsequently striking the ball with the continuing movement of the club.

  1. In which of the following circumstances, should the Committee disqualify a player?

(a)Before making a stroke the player moves the tee-marker to give himself somewhere to stand for his stroke.

(b)A player lifts a tee-marker before playing a stroke from the teeing ground for no apparent reason.

(c)After playing a stroke from the teeing ground, in order to assist the players behind him, a player moves a tee-marker because he believes they are too close together.

(d)All of the above.

  1. In a single match between A and B, A's ball is farther from the hole and at rest in the fairway on a par-4 hole. After making his 2nd shot, A believes that the ball might be lost. He announces that he is going to play a provisional ball, and does so before B plays. In this situation, A

(a)has followed the correct procedure.

(b)may be required by B to immediately abandon the provisional ball, then replay it without penalty, after B plays.

(c)must replay the provisional ball, without penalty, after B plays his next shot.

(d)loses the hole for improper procedure.

  1. In stroke play A played from outside the teeing ground and his ball came to rest out of bounds. What is the correct ruling?

(a)Since A’s original ball came to rest out of bounds, he must put another ball into play under stroke and distance (Rule 27-1). He will also incur a penalty of two strokes for playing a ball from outside the teeing ground. A must correct this error and will play his fifth stroke from within the teeing ground.

(b)Since A’s ball came to rest out of bounds, he is not penalized for playing from outside the teeing ground. A must put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance from within the teeing ground.

(c)A incurred a penalty of two-strokes for playing from outside the teeing ground. His ball was not in play, therefore, the fact that it came to rest out of bounds was irrelevant and the stroke itself did not count. A will play his third stroke from within the teeing ground.

  1. In a four-ball match A and B are partners, A holes out in 4 strokes, and B lies 2 on the fringe of the putting green. Both their opponents, C and D, have holed out in 4 strokes. While B plays his stroke from the fringe, A’s caddie stand on an extension of the line of play behind B’s ball to block distractions. B holes his third stroke. What is the ruling.

(a)The hole is halved.

(b)C and D win the hole.

(c)A and B win the hole.

  1. In match play, a player requests his opponent to lift his ball because it interferes with the player’s play. Instead of lifting, the opponent plays his ball. The player makes a claim. What is the ruling?

(a)The opponent incurs a one-stroke penalty and must replace his ball.

(b)The opponent incurs a loss-of-hole penalty for failure to lift when requested.

(c)The player may require the opponent to replay the stroke in the correct order.

  1. In which one of the following has the player made a “stroke” as defined in the Rules of Golf?

(a)A player starts the downswing and the clubhead then becomes entangled in a tree limb, which stops his swing.

(b)A player’s clubhead separates from the shaft during his backswing and he completes his swing, missing the ball.

(c)A player swings angrily with the back of his putter, resulting in his ball, which had been on the lip of the hole, coming to rest in a bunker.

  1. In stroke play, a player is required to make his next stroke from within the teeing ground. He builds a tee with sand on the surface of the teeing ground and places a conforming tee in the sand. The player then places a ball on top of the tee and makes a stroke at the ball that is within the teeing ground. What is the ruling?

(a)There is no penalty.

(b)He is penalized two strokes.

(c)He is disqualified.