* SGC ALL LOCAL RULES SUMMARY EFFECTIVE: 11th March 2025*
This list is generated by The Golfing Committee to include: The Manager, Handicap Secretaries, Course Representative, Captain and Ladies Captain, Vice Captains, Seniors Chairman, Juniors Chairman.

1. Ground Under Repair: All GUR will be marked by a white line or stakes – stakes have priority. When the margin of ground under repair is defined by stakes, the stakes are inside the ground under repair and the margin of the ground under repair is defined by the nearest outside points of the stakes at ground level. Relief MUST be taken under Rule 16.1 from all areas marked “GUR play prohibited”. In addition, areas in bunkers where sand has been removed by the movement of water resulting in deep furrows through the sand are GUR. Relief may be taken from this abnormal course condition under Rule 16.1c. The nearest point of complete relief, and the relief area, must be in the bunker. Back-on-the-line relief, outside the bunker, may be taken for one penalty stroke.

2. Flooded Bunkers: Flooded bunkers with a blue stake in are designated "through the green" and GUR. If a player’s ball lies in the bunker or the bunker interferes with the player’s stance or the area of intended swing, the player may take relief outside the bunker, without penalty, in accordance with Rule 16.1. All other bunkers on the course, regardless of whether they contain water, maintain their status as hazards and the Rules of Golf apply accordingly. (See also note about furrows in bunkers, above).

3. Immovable Obstructions: Relief under Rule 16.1 may be taken from the following:
i. Green-Keeping Access Paths: If a player's ball in play comes to rest on the following established green-keeping access paths:
a. 10th and 11th holes: From green-keepers’ machinery shed to the left of 11th across the 10th fairway, to include first cut semi-rough.
b. 12th hole: To the left of the fairway up to and including a drain cover beside the temporary green (12A) about 100 yards from the 12th green.
c. 18th hole: To the right of the fairway and paths across the fairway at 200 yards (approx.) from the tee, to include first cut semi rough.
ii. Hoops, Ropes & Stakes/Posts: The hoops, ropes and their supporting stakes used to protect the course from excessive wear must not be moved as they are deemed to be immovable obstructions and relief may be taken under Rule 16.1. If a ball hits a hoop, rope or supporting stake protecting areas on the course, a player may take the shot again from its original position without penalty. This also applies to the permanent rope and post fences around the course.
iii. Other Obstructions: The fairway yardage marker discs, sprinkler heads, water valve covers, services and fixtures, inspection covers and the drain hole on the 1st green (if in the line of the intended putt); supporting posts of bells on holes 10 and 18; staked trees or tube-protected trees.

4. Aeration Hole: On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot, not nearer the hole, that avoids the situation.

5. Out of Bounds (Rule 18): Beyond all boundary walls, hedges and fences and beyond the nearest inside points at ground level of all out of bounds white posts. If a fence runs through a hedge, the hedge is the boundary. Note: the electric badger fences are situated OOB from which there is no relief.

6. Penalty Area 15th Hole: When playing the 14th and 15th holes, if a ball is in the red-staked penalty area between the 15th tee box and the 15th green, including when it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found came to rest in the penalty area, the player may take relief as follows:
i) For one penalty stroke under Rule 17.1.d.
ii) Also, but ONLY when playing the 15th hole, as an extra option a player may drop another ball in the dropping zone which is located to the left of the path to the 15th green. The dropping zone (or mat) is a relief area under Rule 14.3 for one penalty stroke. The dropping zone is NOT to be used when playing the 14th hole.
iii) Balls in the red-staked area must not be retrieved. The area is a ‘no play zone’. Players may not play a ball from within the red-staked penalty area.

7. Prohibiting Play from Fringe of Wrong Green: If a player must take relief under rule 13 because his or her ball came to rest on the putting green of hole 3, 5 or 10 when playing a different hole (wrong green), or if one of those putting greens interferes with his or her stance or area of intended swing:
• In finding the relief area to be used when taking this relief, the putting greens of holes 3, 5 and 10 are defined to include the area of fairway within two club lengths from the edge of the putting green. This means the nearest point of complete relief must avoid interference from this area in addition to the putting green.

8. The Protective Fence to the Left of the 5th Fairway: The fence is an integral part of the course, not an immovable obstruction. As such there is no free relief option for stance, swing or line of play. Unplayable ball relief may be taken under Rule 19.2 (Relief Options for Unplayable Ball in General Area), adding one penalty stroke, or the ball may be played as it lies.

9. When the hedges around the course perimeter are cut for us, the contractor has to access the course to cut our side of the hedge. This can sometimes leave very deep tractor marks along the wettest areas of the 9th, 16th and 17th holes but there are other areas across the course with machinery tyre damage the ground.

To ensure that this tyre damage does not impact players enjoyment of the course, in line with the England Golf adverse weather policy, we are introducing a local rule that any ground damaged by machinery tyres on the course should be treated as ground under repair. Take relief by finding the nearest point of complete relief from the ground under repair and drop your ball away from the ground under repair within one club length of that point of full relief not nearer the hole.

10. When an artificial grass tee mat is required to be used as the teeing area on a particular hole (marked by the location of the tee markers on the front of the tee mat).
a) the teeing area for that hole is restricted in size behind the tee markers, by the outside edges of the tee mat;
b) the player may not stand outside of the teeing area in making the stroke at the ball in the teeing area.

If the ball is played from outside the area of the mat, this will be a breach of rule 6.2b(6) 'penalty for playing ball from the wrong place and the player will incur General Penalty under rule 14.7a of two strokes




March 11 2025