In whatever situation you find yourself on the golf course, there is a ruling within The Rules of Golf which will cover how to proceed.
Sometimes though there can be disagreements about which Rule is applicable. There could also be debate about whether a particular Rule does apply.
What do you do if such a disagreement arises on the golf course? What course of action should you take if you don’t agree that a ruling you have been given is correct.
With referee
If you are very good at golf, there might be a referee to consult, whether you are playing match play or stroke play.
In those instances, the referee is where you will take your guidance. If a referee gives a ruling in a match or in stroke play their ruling is final.
Rule 20.2a says a player must follow the referee’s ruling on the facts or how the Rules apply.
The player has no right to appeal a referee’s ruling to the committee, but the referee can request a second opinion or refer a ruling to the committee.
You could suggest that they do either of those things, but the referee is not obliged to do so.
In some tournaments, the committee might decide to always allow a player a second opinion, but that option is not a given.
If a referee did refer a ruling to a committee and it was found to have been a wrong ruling, it will be corrected under Rule 20.2d(1) if it is still possible to do so. If it’s too late to do so, the wrong ruling will stand.
Without referee
For most of us, we’ll be playing golf competitions without referees on hand. What do we do if there’s a disagreement on the Rules? Rule 20.1 applies here.
In match play, if you disagree with your opponent about a ruling, you have the right to make a request for a ruling from a referee or committee before the result of the match is final.
If it’s not possible to ask a referee or the committee in reasonable time at the time of the incident or situation, you can inform your opponent that you’ll be making a request for a ruling when either referee or committee are available.
If you’re on the course and you’re unhappy with a ruling, and you have all the facts, that request must be made before either of you tee off on another hole.
If you’re on the last hole, you need to ask the committee before the result of the match is final.
If you play another hole, or the match becomes final, the result of the hole stands even if the Rules were applied incorrectly.
In match play, you can’t play two balls if you’re unsure how to proceed under the Rules. But you can do so in stroke play.
If there’s a disagreement on the Rules in stroke play and you are unhappy with a ruling suggestion from a playing partner, you can play out the hole with two balls.
You must announce to your playing partner which ball you feel is being played correctly according to the Rules. The score with that ball will apply if it is found to have been played according to the Rules.
The committee will decide whether the chosen ball has been played within the Rules. If so, the score for the hole with that ball will count. If the Rules did not allow, then the score with the second ball will count, as long as it was played within the Rules.
Basically then. In match play, if you have a disagreement on the Rules, you need to find out from the committee before you start another hole what the ruling should be. If you’re on the final hole, you must find out before the result of the match is final.
In stroke play, when you disagree on Rules, you should play two balls and seek guidance from the committee.
