RandA's Post-Golf Lockdown Guidelines: Pass On The Card And Pencil If You Can

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The “card and pencil” mindset lamented by early 20th century golf leaders remains high on the list of values needing a reset, and after reading the R&A guidelines for golf course presentation post-COVID-19 lockdown, they beat us to it.

From National Club Golfer’s Steve Carroll reporting on the extensive suggestions and recommendations:

e. Rules of Golf Related Matters

Until further notice, the following provisions are considered acceptable on a temporary basis:

Forms of Play and Scoring

  • It is recommended that non-competition play is used during the initial period of golf being played, and that stroke play competitions involving players in different groups are avoided.

  • If competitive stroke play is played, a method of scoring needs to be used that does not require any handling or exchanging of scorecards.

This was less appealing:

  • Committees may choose to allow methods of scoring in stroke play that do not strictly comply with Rule 3.3b, or do not comply with the normal methods used under Rule 3.3b. For example:

    • Players may enter their own hole scores on the scorecard (it is not necessary for a marker to do it).

    • It is not necessary to have a marker physically certify the player’s hole scores, but some form of verbal certification should take place.

    • It is not necessary to physically return a scorecard to the Committee provided the Committee can accept the scores in another way.

  • As provided in the Rules of Golf, scorecards can be electronic, which could include emailing or texting scores to the Committee.

And this is just pathetic:

  • Bunkers

    • If golfers take due care when smoothing bunkers, there should be no need to provide a Local Rule for bunkers. But if the Committee feels that the enjoyment of the game is being significantly affected by there being no rakes, it may introduce preferred lies in bunkers and provide that a player may place a ball in the bunker within one club-length of the original spot and not nearer to the hole than that spot.

Stay strong Committees! The first world has faith you can stand up to the whining.