Qualifying competitions

Kingswood Rover

Hi all, can you have qualifying comps with placing on the fairways in conjunction with a local rule allowing lift clean and drops from plugged balls, have read the CONGU manual and i am not sure.

First Up

No

ProV

If your club has a local rule posted that a plugged ball may be dropped in the rough without penalty and the course satisfies all Qualifying criteria ( e.g. the majority of the bunkers are in play ).
Then the "placing on the Fairway only" conditions would mean that the competition is qualifying.
Bearna Golf club have a good post on their website which may help http://www.bearnagolfmembers.com/?p=1541

Kingswood Rover

Thanks PRO V most helpful, come on first up give me a rationale why it cant be so. The Congu manual talks about getting officials ou to look at your course to ok extending the preferred lies to the rest of the course and a preferred lies period, this is a mine field.

ProV

For most Clubs in the country the decision on extending the qualifying period thru winter months is easy, especially with the weather we have had over the last 3 or 4 months. It simply cannot be done.
Other issues that would see competitions set by committees as non qualifying would be;

• Balls covered with mud in the rough but not plugged.

• a lot of courses have a problem hole/ holes which leads to say a 14hole route and reduced length course been chosen, this is usually favoured by members ( on and off the course as quick as possible during Crap weather)
• Having the majority of Bunkers in play.
• Stating comp conditions as Placing everywhere except hazards usually sees a quicker pace of play, again favoured by members.

The only clubs with the minefield dilemma are links courses and very well drained/maintained parklands.

First Up

Kingswood Rover wrote:

Thanks PRO V most helpful, come on first up give me a rationale why it cant be so. The Congu manual talks about getting officials ou to look at your course to ok extending the preferred lies to the rest of the course and a preferred lies period, this is a mine field.

I think placing on the fairway is OK and a ball plugged "through the green" is covered by a specific rule.

But if you go beyond that (placing or dropping in the rough, rake and place in bunkers or allowing a lost ball to be played without penalty - i.e. plugged or the "leaf rule" applied in parts of the US in autumn) - then it should be non-qualifying.

ProV

First Up wrote: »

I think placing on the fairway is OK and a ball plugged "through the green" is covered by a specific rule.

But if you go beyond that (placing or dropping in the rough, rake and place in bunkers or allowing a lost ball to be played without penalty - i.e. plugged or the "leaf rule" applied in parts of the US in autumn) - then it should be non-qualifying.

So that's a Yes to the OP's question ??

Kingswood Rover

Thanks First up, as you guys know we are a niner and so on our 2 par 3's we have a local rule in play all year round allowing plugged balls to be lifted and dropped. One is has a bank around part of the green so plugging can happen after a wet couple of days in The summer but its still qualifying, by that logic can courses extend their local rules to all plugged balls all over the course bar hazards and bunkers similar to Castle Barna.the Congu manual also talks about clubs always aspiring to play qualifiers in the preferred lies time period.

First Up

ProV wrote:

So that's a Yes to the OP's question ??

Yeah, maybe.

I'm just a bit leery about "local" rules.

ProV

Yes you can extend that for the full 9 fulls, making sure it is clearly worded on the local Rules board

ProV

First Up wrote: »

Yeah, maybe.

I'm just a bit leery about "local" rules.

Local rules are an essential part of course / competitions
For dealing with specific course issues & Rules issues not covered in the current Rules of Golf

First Up

ProV wrote:

Local rules are an essential part of course / competitions For specific course issues & Rules issues not covered in the current Rules of Golf

No problem with local rules.
Just not sure about how they work in relation to handicaps that are recognised by other courses.