New Golf rule or Local Rule

Was watching Indonesia Open yesterday, and noticed that there were few players pickup their ball for cleaning, the balls were not on the Green. It was on fairway, on apron. Is it new golf rule?

I remembered recently few golfers were telling me that there are two new rules:

a. If the ball has mud on it, player is allowed to mark, lift, clean and place it back where it was without penalty.

b. If play ball landed on divot, he is allowed to free lift and place it outside the divot not closer to the pin.

I have done some search on the internet, gone to USGA website, but didn't see any rule of such.

Any one knows? and point to the correct Rule?

it's local rule, some say it's winter rule.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handicap-System-Manual/Rule-07/

Singapore Open applies the same rule in 2008. Every pro picked and cleaned ball on the fairways.

happened in singapore too, it's "lift and clean", should be local rule incase rain and the ground is soggy.

Don't know about the divot one though, sounds very interesting.

Loudmouth wrote:

Was watching Indonesia Open yesterday, and noticed that there were few players pickup their ball for cleaning, the balls were not on the Green. It was on fairway, on apron. Is it new golf rule?

I remembered recently few golfers were telling me that there are two new rules:

a. If the ball has mud on it, player is allowed to mark, lift, clean and place it back where it was without penalty.

b. If play ball landed on divot, he is allowed to free lift and place it outside the divot not closer to the pin.

I have done some search on the internet, gone to USGA website, but didn't see any rule of such.

Any one knows? and point to the correct Rule?

Both a and b are incorrect sorry mate.

Lift clean and place, can be declared, only before an event has started, and can only be made by Tournament Director or Comittee...

b. Just does not exsist anywhere, nice try by your friends though....

If is the local rule "Winter rule" then is not something new, I know in tournament it has to be announced to the player that "Winter Rule" is in play before player can applied that. I have experienced once during a SCC's monthly medal, it was make know to us prior the game started.

And I remember when Winter Rule is in play, if your ball plunge so deep in the soggy ground and can't be found, you can place one new ball at the most reasonable place without penalty. That's provided the fellow competitor can witness that. Ture?

Shorthitter, thanks for the clarification on divot rule. Is the above correct about ball lost in soggy ground?

Shorthitter u r spot on. It happened here before at the Hana Classic last year end at OCC.

I check with the marshals n they told me is a tournament rules.

The tournament committee will decide on the weather pattern n ground playing condition

before making this "exception rules". All players and caddies are informed before the

tournament start.

Loudmouth wrote:

If is the local rule "Winter rule" then is not something new, I know in tournament it has to be announced to the player that "Winter Rule" is in play before player can applied that. I have experienced once during a SCC's monthly medal, it was make know to us prior the game started.

And I remember when Winter Rule is in play, if your ball plunge so deep in the soggy ground and can't be found, you can place one new ball at the most reasonable place without penalty. That's provided the fellow competitor can witness that. Ture?

Shorthitter, thanks for the clarification on divot rule. Is the above correct about ball lost in soggy ground?

Actually, no... the "Soggy ground" has to be declared Casual Water... if not then it is a lost ball and you must go back and play another under stroke and distance penalty...

This happened a lot at Royal Johor during Iskander Open, which is why they moved to Horizon Hills for a while....

Thanks for the enlightenment mate.

LoudMouth? Are u the one i know?