Impediments Not Liftable

14. Nothing fixed or growing may be removed. A ball being in a hazard, nothing may be lifted.

'Rub Of The Green,' Etc.

15. Whatever happens by accident to a ball in motion, such as striking anything, must be reckoned 'a rub of the green,' and submitted to; but a ball displaced by any agency outside the match must be replaced, or another ball dropped, as near the spot as possible, without a penalty.

Playing Wrong Ball

1G. If a player play his opponent's ball he loses the hole.

If this occur from wrong information given by the opponent, the penalty cannot be claimed; and should the mistake be discovered before the opponent has played the other ball, it must be rectified by the ball being replaced as nearly as possible where it lay.

If it be discovered, before either side has struck off for the next hole, that one of them has played out with a ball of a third party, he loses the hole.

Balls Exchanged

17. If each side play the other's ball, the hole must be played out with the balls thus exchanged.

Striking Opponent's Ball

18. If a player strike his opponent's ball with his foot, club, or otherwise, he loses the hole (except see Rules Hi and 17).

Ball Striking Opponent, Etc.

19. If the player's ball strike bis opponent or his opponent's caddie or clubs, the opponent loses the hole.

Ball Striking Player, Etc.

20. If, by accident, the player's ball strike himself or his caddie, or clubs, he loses a stroke.

Striking Ball Twice

21. If, in the act of striking, the player strike the ball twice with his club, he loses a stroke.

Touching Or Displacing Ball

22. If, after it has been played from the tee, the player, by accident, touch his ball with his foot, or any part of his body, or displace it with his club, he loses a stroke.

Approaching The Putting-Green

23. Players approaching a putting-green must wait until the party in front have holed out before playing on to the putting-green.

Either side is entitled to have the flag-stick removed.

Clearing The Putting-Green

24. All loose impediments, of whatever kind, may be removed from the putting-green if desired by the player, provided always that nothing be removed which would cause the ball to move out of its place. The putting-green includes all ground within twenty yards of the hole, with the exception of any portion which may be a hazard.

Holing Out The Ball

25. No mark shall be placed or line drawn, either with the club or otherwise, to direct the ball to the hole.

A player or his caddie may remove sand, worm-earths, or such like, lying about the hole, but this must be done lightly with the hand. Except as above mentioned, or in the act of the player addressing himself to his ball, the putting-line must not be touched by the club, hand, or foot. If the player desire the line to the hole, it may be pointed out by a club shaft only.

If the ball rest against the flag-stick in the hole, the player shall be entitled to have the stick removed, and if the ball fall in, it shall be considered as holed out.

Parties Passing Each Other

26. A party, whether of two or four players, playing two balls, may pass parties playing three or more balls.

Players for medals and important prizes shall have precedence, both in starting and through the green, over parties playing ordinary matches.

Care Of The Links

27. The person appointed to take charge of the course shall make new holes when required, and in such places as to preserve the green in proper order. He shall mark out the teeing- grounds, carefully obliterating old marks, and shall carry out such instructions as he shall from time to time receive from the Green Committee.

Players having complaints to make regarding the state of the green, or suggestions thereon, should address them to the Committee, and not to the conservator of the links.

It is the duty of every player to replace, or see replaced, any portion of turf which may have been cut out in the act of playing; to have stones and other break-clubs cast off the course; and generally to conduce to the good preservation of the golfing-course and putting-green.

Asking Advice

28. A player must not receive advice about the game, by word, look, or gesture, from any one except his own caddie, his partner's caddie, or his partner.

In medal play, a player may receive advice from his caddie alone.

Disputes

29. Any disputes respecting the play shall be referred to a party or parties mutually agreed upon, or to the Committee of the Club, either of whose decision shall be final.

Breach Of Rules

30. In match play, where no special penalty for the infringement of a rule is mentioned, the loss of the hole shall be the penalty.

In medal play the penalty shall be two strokes or disqualification, as determined by the Committee of the Club.

Medal Play - Special Rules

31. New holes shall always be made on the day the medal is played for, and no competitor may play at those holes before he starts for the prize, under the penalty of being disqualified for competing.

Before starting, each competitor must obtain from the Secretary a scoring-card, and, in the absence of a special marker, the players will note each other's score. They must satisfy themselves at the finish of each hole that their strokes have been accurately marked; and on completion of the round hand the card to the Secretary or his deputy.

All balls must be holed out.

No stymies are allowed.

The player nearest the hole must play first, or lift his ball, if it be in such a position that it might, if left, give an advantage to his partner.

If a player's ball be displaced by any agency except himself, or his caddie, it must be replaced as exactly as possible, without a penalty.

No competitor may play with a professional.

The ordinary rules of the game, so far as they are not at variance with these special rules, shall also be applicable on medal days.

Bye-Laws

1. Balls lying on the tent rings or bare patches throughout the course, not being roads, paths, or recognised hazards, may be treated as balls lying on grass.

2. A ball may, under a penalty of a stroke, be lifted (a) from a whin, or grass among whins, and dropped; (6) from the gardens, butts, enclosures, and new plantations, and dropped at a distance of two club-lengths from the enclosure, but so that it shall not settle nearer the hole than the spot from which it was lifted; should it do so it must be dropped again; (c) in the ravines, and dropped in the ravine behind the immediate hazard, or from ravines if played from tee and teed again on teeing-ground.

3. Any party having holed out at the green opposite either club-house, shall take precedence of any party waiting to strike off, such party waiting to follow next and so on alternately. No party having completed the round shall be entitled to benefit by this rule.

4. During the Autumn Competitions, between 1 p.m. and 2.30 P.M., only those members playing for, or with a member playing for, the medals or other prizes shall be allowed to start, and the professional, or his deputy, shall be at the tee during this time to see that this bye-law is carried out.

5. On medal days no player shall start before the party in front have finished playing the first hole.

6. Players who have competed are bound, if necessary, to allow the use of their caddies to others who intend to compete.

Enclosures

Ground enclosed by wire or other fencing at the third and fourteenth holes is out of play, and the ball must be lifted therefrom under penalty of one stroke, and dropped at a distance of two club-lengths from the side nearest the course, but not nearer the hole than the spot from which it is lifted. From all other enclosures for the preservation of the whins the ball must be lifted and dropped behind the hazard under penalty of one stroke (see Rule 8). If played from the tee into the old curling-pond, the ball may be teed again on teeing-ground under same penalty.