You Should Know - Odd Rules

Here are a few of our favorite rules in the game of golf that may come in handy.

Order of Play/Playing Out of Turn – Rule 10c

This one is different from match play to stroke play and really puts a damper -- at least in match play -- on the whole "play ready golf" idea.

Here's the situation: You're in a match-play scenario and your opponent is further from the hole. It should be his or her turn to hit first. But, they're taking too long (perhaps looking for a ball, etc.) and you decide to go ahead and hit without first asking permission to play out of turn.

There's no penalty in match play for playing out of turn, but, if your opponent so chooses since you played out of turn without asking permission, they can require you to immediately cancel the last stroke and replay your shot from the same spot.

In stroke play, meanwhile, there is no penalty and the ball is played as it lies. If, however, "the Committee determines that competitors have agreed to play out of turn to give one of them an advantage, they are disqualified."

Club Breaks During Back swing; Swing Completed – Decision 41-2

This one is very strange, but it happens. As you take your back swing, your club head snaps off, coming off the shaft. Since things are moving so quickly, you complete your swing -- and since there's no club head -- you whiff and miss the ball.

Is it a penalty?

No. A stroke is defined as the "forward movement of the club to the ball." According to the rules, a shaft itself is not a club. Replay the shot -- with a new club -- and no penalty.

Ball Falling off Tee – 11-3

It's happened to all of us. You put the tee in the ground, place the ball atop it, address the ball, and it falls off the tee. Heck, maybe you even tapped it with a waggle, but not an intended stroke.

Inevitably, there's that one wise guy in the group who always feels the need to laughingly yell out, "1!"

Well, guess what, buddy? There is no penalty -- or stroke incurred -- for a ball falling off a tee on its own or falling off as caused by the player (a waggle), provided there was no intended stroke.