Stoke by Nayland Golf Club Local Rules - March 2025

Out of Bounds (Rule 18.2)

Out of bounds is defined by the line between the course-side points at ground level of white stakes and fence posts.

Out of bounds is also beyond any fence or trees bounding the courses.

The boundary is defined as on or beyond any public highway.

The practice putting green, gardens and patio are also defined as out of bounds.

Any putting green that has been replaced by a temporary putting green is a wrong green and free relief for interference must be taken under Rule 13.1f.

If the player must take relief under Rule 13.1f because his or her ball came to rest on the putting green or that putting green 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 green is defined to include the area of fairway within two club-lengths from the edge of the putting green. This means that the nearest point of complete relief must avoid interference from this area in addition to the putting green.

If a ball is in the penalty area on the 11th Gainsborough or the 1st Constable (providing it has cleared the lake and landed in the trees on the right), including when it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found came to rest in these penalty areas, the player may:

Take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 17.1d(1), adding one penalty stroke, or the original ball or another ball in the dropping zone, behind the yellow tee on 11th Gainsborough and to the left of the penalty area on the 1stConstable, adding one penalty stroke. The dropping zone is a relief area under Rule 14.3. The player may not take relief under Rules 17.1d(2) or 17.1d(3).

If a player does not know whether his or her ball is in the penalty area on the approach shot on the 10th Gainsborough the player may play a provisional ball under Rule 18.3, which is modified in this way:

In playing the provisional ball, the player may use the stroke-and-distance relief option (see Rule 17.1d(1), the back-on-the-line relief option (see Rule 17.1d(2)).

Once the player has played a provisional ball under this Rule, he or she may not use any further options under Rule 17.1 in relation to the original ball.

In deciding when that provisional ball becomes the player's ball in play or if it must or may be abandoned, Rule 18.3c(2) and 18.3c(3) apply except that:

• When the Original Ball Is Found in Penalty Area Within Three-Minute Search Time.

The player may choose either:

• Continue to play the original ball as it lies in the penalty area, in which case the provisional ball must not be played. All strokes with that provisional ball before it was abandoned (including strokes made and any penalty strokes solely from playing that ball) do not count, or
• Continue to play the provisional ball in which case the original ball must not be played.
• When the Original Ball Is Not Found Within Three-Minute Search Time or Is Known or virtually Certain to Be in Penalty Area. The provisional ball becomes the player's ball in play.

When a player's ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:

Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.

Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:

Limits on Location of Relief Area:

• Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point
• Must be in the general area

In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.

Fairway mats may also be used.

If the ball on the mat is accidentally moved before a stroke is made, there is no penalty and the ball must be placed again on the mat.

If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole:

Ball in General Area. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b. If the ball comes to rest in another aeration hole the player may take relief again under this Local Rule.

Ball on Putting Green. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1d.

But interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s stance or, on the putting green, on the player’s line of play.

The young trees identified by a stake or plastic guard are no play zones:

If a player’s ball lies anywhere on the course other than in a penalty area and it lies on or touches such a tree or such a tree interferes with the player’s stance or area of intended swing, the player must take relief under Rule 16.1f.

(NB 15th Gainsborough, the tree supported on the left before the putting green is not defined as a young tree – so relief is not allowed)

Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction maybe taken under Rule 16.1.

The player also has these extra options to take relief when such immovable obstructions are close to the putting green and on the line of play:

Ball in General Area. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if an immovable obstruction is:

On the line of play, and is:

Within two club-lengths of the putting green, and within two club-lengths of the ball.

Exception - There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.

At the player’s option, dung from goose or dog dung may be treated either as:

A loose impediment that may be removed under Rule 15.1, or ground under repair from which relief is allowed under Rule 16.1.

All roads and paths on the courses, even if not artificially surfaced, are treated as immovable obstructions from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1.

A suspension of play for a dangerous situation will be signalled by a single loud burst from the claxon. Resumption of play will be signalled by another single loud burst from the claxon. See Rule 5.7b.

The area between 10th Gainsborough Fairway and the area in front of the 17th Gainsborough Tee is to be classed as a “No Play Zone”

This area is defined by a series of blue posts indicating the boundary.

A no play zone is a defined part of an abnormal course condition (see Rule 16.1f) or a penalty area (see Rule 17.1e) where play is not allowed.

A player must take relief when:

His or her ball is in a no play zone then the marked drop zone must be used, or a no play zone interferes with his or her area of intended stance or area of intended swing in playing a ball outside the no play zone (see Rules 16.1f and 17.1e).

GUR is defined by any area encircled by a white line. Relief must be taken under rule 16.1b

Where artificial tee mats are in use, the teeing area is restricted to the area of the mat, so the ball must be played from the mat and the player’s stance must be on the mat.

• Match Play – Loss of Hole
• Stroke Play – 2 strokes