Published by Paul Graff

We had many positive reactions on the Club Championship this year, which was a completely different event than usual. Mainly because it involved one round of nightgolf,, which one of the members (besides one of the organisers) ever experienced.
After arrival at the Pinehurst golfcourse near Don Muang Airport in Bangkok and checking in to the hotel, we had a simple Thai lunch (Massaman( after which we had time to relax and/or prepare for the tournament. We started the first round while it was still light, but soon the sun started to set, which lead to spectacular views of the course.
After finishing the first round an evening snack was provided, ham and cheese springrolls, and the board retreated to calculate the scores and make up the flightlist for the next morning.
After breakfast we played the second round on the same course, which did look different without the darness and the bright lights coming from behind.
An extensive lunch awaited us after the second round, followed by the award ceremony and announcement of the winners:
Tore Wikola was the winner with the men and also the Club Champion of 2019. Oddvar Ahlen was the runner up with the men. With the women, Lene Rosenstand was again the winner, followed by Glenda Ferguson.

Golf’s new Rules were published on 12th September by The R&A and the USGA and are now in effect.  The Players Edition of the new Rules many be seen at www.randa.org/en/rog/2019/pages/players-edition.
            This is the biggest overhaul in many a decade with the number of rules shrinking from 34 to 24.  The changes to the rules of golf are designed to make them easier to understand with an emphasis on speeding up the pace of play.  Some of the new rules are more subtle than others with a few you’ll no doubt encounter in your very first round of 2019.  

  The R&A and USGA have come up with a fabulous Rules of Golf 2019 app available for both Android and Apple iOS devices which includes simple explanations, diagrams and quizzes.  We would suggest getting your head around these changes before your first 2019 round; that’s probably the worst time to be learning.
 

Without overloading you too much, here are our picks of the most important changes.
1. Drop the ball from knee height
From now on, you’ll be required to drop the golf ball from knee height when standing.
2. Reduced search time
The time you are allowed to search for a ball has been reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
3. Putting with the flagstick in
You can putt with the flagstick in safe in the knowledge that there will be no penalty if your ball hits it.
4. No penalty for ball moving on putting green
There will no longer be any penalty applied if your golf ball accidentally moves on the putting green.
5. Stroke and distance local rule
We must stress that this is a local rule so check with the club before your round to see if this is in place.
If so, you may take a two-stroke penalty drop in the vicinity of where you ball was lost or went out-of-bounds instead of going back to the tee to re-hit.
6. No penalty for a double-hit
If you accidentally double, or triple hit the golf ball during your swing there will no longer be any penalty; just keep on playing as if it never happened.
7. You can now ground your club in a penalty area
You can proceed just as if your golf ball is on the fairway. You can remove loose impediments and even ground your club while making a practice swing.
8. Unplayable ball in bunker
If your ball in the bunker is unplayable you can now drop outside the bunker under the penalty of two-strokes.
9. Relaxed bunker rules
You can now touch the sand with your hand or club in a bunker, and even move loose impediments.  You still cannot touch the ground directly in front or behind your golf ball, with a practice swing or on your back-swing.
10. No penalty if ball hits your bag
There is no longer a penalty if your golf ball hits your own golf bag.
11. Fixed distance used for measuring
To mark out your drop zone this is defined as “the length of the longest club in the player’s bag, except that this cannot be his or her putter.”
12. Measuring, dropping and playing from relief area
If a dropped ball does not stay within the relief area, re-drop.  If it still does not stay in the relief area, place it as close as possible to where your second drop hit the ground.
13. Green repair
Scuff marks, spike marks or any unnatural damage to the green is now be allowed to be fixed and repaired; not just plug-marks.
14. Embedded golf ball
You get a free-drop if your ball is embedded in its own plug-mark anywhere on the golf course except bunkers.
15. Ball moved during search
There is no penalty for accidentally moving your golf ball while searching.  Replace it, hit it and move along.
 
From Tracey Walton; Banyan Golf Club’s General Manager & Director:  “We feel that modernising the game is a great way forward by making the Rules of Golf easier to apply and we will experience more quick and new entertaining formats of golf at both professional and amateur level in the future to further grow the game.”
 
Check out www.randa.org for a library of information and videos before next heading for the course!
​

Posted by Paul Graff

Posted by Paul Graff

Cha-Am Members joined the Charity Day at Springfield on 20th October 2018 as a most successful 2018/2019 season curtain raiser which also helped raise funds for Cha-Am Schools.
The lack of match practice and continuous rain may have explained the absence of any winners on the day but that did not reduce the enjoyment of Club Members.
The Club’s participation and contributions to the Cha-Am community was recognised by the course management during the event presentations, and we believe it will help to strengthen our relationship with Springfield.
The Club purchased a number of green vouchers during a charity auction to be used during the season for the benefit of Club Members.
Our participation in this event and the positive feedback from those taking part suggests that the season to come will be full of great events and great golf!

Posted by Paul Graff

 The recommended Local Rule would state: When a player’s ball cannot be found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance.
For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief by dropping the original ball or a substituted ball in a relief area (see Rule 14.3):
Two Estimated Reference Points:
A. Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball (see position A in the diagram above)
 Is estimated to have come to rest on the course, or
 Last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.
B. Fairway Reference Point: (see position B in the diagram above)
The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point. For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.
Size of Relief Area Based on Reference Points: 
Anywhere between: A line from the hole through the ball reference point (or within two club-lengths to the outside of that line), and a line from the hole through the fairway reference point (or within two club-lengths to the outside of that line). 
But with these limits:
Must be in the general area, and must not be nearer the hole than the ball reference point.
The player may not use this option when:
The ball is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a penalty area, or
The player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.3).”
Another Relevant Rule Change 
Proposed change last year would have allowed a player to drop from any height but this has now been altered. Golfers will now drop from knee height when taking relief. That is knee height when in a standing position, although the player need not be standing when the ball is dropped.
For more information see www.randa.org or find the  complete Rules available at www.usga.org.