scramble rule query

billy3sheets

In a scramble, when electing to play a ball from the rough,
a. Must players drop their ball or place it?
b. Must the ball be played from within 1 club length or 6 inches?
c. In the absence of a clearly stated rule in advance of the competition, can a team be penalised for choosing to place?

PARlance

billy3sheets wrote: »

In a scramble, when electing to play a ball from the rough,
a. Must players drop their ball or place it?
b. Must the ball be played from within 1 club length or 6 inches?
c. In the absence of a clearly stated rule in advance of the competition, can a team be penalised for choosing to place?

I think a, b & c can be answered by the same response.
There are no hard and fast "winter rules", they are just local rules and it's whatever the Commitee decides... The Commitee should make it clear in advance but the onus is always to make sure yourself.

Norfolk Enchants_

billy3sheets wrote: »

In a scramble, when electing to play a ball from the rough,
a. Must players drop their ball or place it?
b. Must the ball be played from within 1 club length or 6 inches?
c. In the absence of a clearly stated rule in advance of the competition, can a team be penalised for choosing to place?

Scrambles don't really fall under the rules of golf, they're meant to be abit of craic, you can do whatever you like really, but to answers your questions, in the normal course of things the answers would be,
A=Drop
B=As close as possible to where the original lay
C=Yes they can

billy3sheets

Thanks for replies.
When playing today, we placed in the rough. Wasn't until well into the game I saw someone else take a drop. I became suspicious at that point. We ended up with a great score but fessed up when we got back to clubhouse.
From googling, the rules I could find only stated "players must play from the rough". But as you say " it's whatever the Commitee decides".

Oh well, lesson learned

PARlance

billy3sheets wrote: »

Thanks for replies.
When playing today, we placed in the rough. Wasn't until well into the game I saw someone else take a drop. I became suspicious at that point. We ended up with a great score but fessed up when we got back to clubhouse.
From googling, the rules I could find only stated "players must play from the rough". But as you say " it's whatever the Commitee decides".

Oh well, lesson learned

Unlucky but fair play for letting them know. Unfortunately there are only guidelines from the R&A concerning winter rules and clubs/committees regularly fail to make them clear, variances between different clubs also causes confusion.

There should really be an info board on every 1st tee.

FixdePitchmark

PARlance wrote: »

Unlucky but fair play for letting them know. Unfortunately there are only guidelines from the R&A concerning winter rules and clubs/committees regularly fail to make them clear, variances between different clubs also causes confusion.

There should really be an info board on every 1st tee.

Yes - that would be a good idea. (not hard to do) - Could even have a permanent board and you display standard info.

billy3sheets

Agree. An information sheet or board with basic rules should be posted. Yes, probably this particular rule could have been stated.
But, you will never cover all the situations that arise in golf.

pistol_75

Normally the rules should be clearly defined beforehand as a scramble is covered by local rules more than rules of golf and will vary from club to club.

In our club for example it is always placing (except in a hazard) and within one clublength of where the ball is marked.

mike12

You usually get a little rules sheet with you score card. if it is usually lift clean and place in the rough at the course then you would expect the same for a scramble. Most scrambles are placing everywhere.

fearruanua

another quick question. in a scramble can the player, who's ball has been chosen to play the next shot from, lift clean and place his ball before he plays? in all scrambles i have played in, the player who's ball we have chosen to play from, plays as it lies and all the rest place their ball.
I probably could have phrased that a bit better but i hope ye get what i am on about. : )

pistol_75

Yes you can. You can also play in any order (at least in any scramble I have played on)

cgh

I always thought in a scramble you ask for the rules before you play,

as in how many drives must be used,
placing on fairways,
placing or lift clean and drop in rough,
does the person who's drive is used can he place, must it be played as it lies.
etc etc.

billy3sheets

cgh wrote: »

I always thought in a scramble you ask for the rules before you play,

as in how many drives must be used,
placing on fairways,
placing or lift clean and drop in rough,
does the person who's drive is used can he place, must it be played as it lies.
etc etc.

More likely you ask "What are the rules?"