TeeGolf

The Recreational Golfer's Game

Rules

 

Rule 1
The Game

Rule 1.1 The Game: TeeGolf is a golf game played on any standard golf course (championship, executive, par 3, or pitch and putt) designed primarily for recreational golfers with low to medium skills. It is a revision of the rules set by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Scotland. (Note: TeeGolf is NOT connected in any way with the USGA or the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland.)

TeeGolf differs from traditional golf (as exemplified by the USGA rules) in the following ways:

- The use of tees any place on the golf course, except the green.
- The use of mulligans (3 per 9-hole round)
- No restrictions on golf clubs or balls
- Ability to improve a golf ball’s lie (as specified in the rules)

Rule 1.2 Rules: Players must adhere to the rules as set forth in The Rules of TeeGolf. Any situations not covered in the rules shall be decided among the players in a group. Decisions on any situation not covered in the rules must not give any player an unwarranted advantage over other players.

Rule 1.3 Winner: The player with the least number of strokes, as outlined in these rules, is declared the winner.

(Comments - Rule 1 - The Game)

Rule 2
Equipment

Rule 2.1 Clubs: Any golf club on the market may be used. There are no restrictions on the composition (club head or shaft) of the club.

(NOTE 1: The United States Golf Association's "spring-like effect" rule that sets maximum standards for a club's coefficient of restitution (COR) - the efficiency with which a driver transfers energy from the club head to the ball, does not apply in TeeGolf.)

(NOTE 2: Adjustable clubs may also be used. Also, mallet-type putters may be used.)

There are no restrictions on the number of clubs players may carry in their golf bags. Thus, a player may use only one club or as many as he/she can place into a golf bag and carry on the course.

Rule 2.2 The Ball: Any golf ball on the market may be used. There are no restrictions on the composition of the golf ball. Players are NOT required to use the same ball for play on any given hole.

Rule 2.3 The Tee: The tee may be of any composition but may not exceed 6 inches in length. Unconventional golf tees may be used (including the anti-slice tee).

(Comments - Rule 2 - Equipment)

Rule 3
Striking the Ball

Rule 3.1 Stroke: A stroke is the deliberate attempt of the player to strike the ball. To be considered a stroke the club must make contact with the ball.

Rule 3.2 Contact with Ball: In TeeGolf, a golf swing that does not make contact with the ball does NOT count as a stroke. No stroke is counted if the club accidentally touches the ball while the player prepares to strike the ball.

(Comments - Rule 3 - Striking the Ball)

Rule 4
Striking the Ball at the Teeing Ground

Rule 4.1 Teeing Ground: The teeing ground is the area between the tee markers. Where more than one teeing ground exists for any hole, players may choose any one of them from which to tee up the ball. When competing with other players, all players must use the same teeing ground.

Rule 4.2 Use of Tee: Players are not required to use a tee at the teeing ground.

Rule 4.3 Order of Play: There is no requirement for the order in which the players tee up the ball. (For example, the player who scored the least strokes on the previous hole does not have to tee up the ball first.) The players in a group may decide on the order. (Suggestion: To speed up the game, players in a group who hit the shortest drives should drive first, as soon as the previous group has cleared the normal distance that the players would drive the ball.)

Rule 4.4 Mulligan: A mulligan is a substitute swing for a swing with which the player is not satisfied. If the player determines that he/she could benefit from another swing at the teeing ground, the player may take a mulligan. The stroke for which a Mulligan is taken does not count against the player’s final score. Each player is entitled to three (3) mulligans in each nine (9)-hole round of golf. The player may accept either the original swing or the mulligan. Only one mulligan may be taken on any hole.

(Comments-Rule 4-Striking the Ball at the Teeing Ground)

Rule 5
Striking the Ball from the Fairway/Rough

Rule 5.1 Locate the Ball: If the player cannot locate the ball, the player must inform the rest of the group. A player may pick up the ball to determine if the ball belongs to the player. (See “Placement of the Ball” below.)

Rule 5.2 Lost Ball Procedure: The player must choose one of the following:

1. Option 1:

(a) Determine the point (usually in the rough) where the player thinks the ball should have come to rest
(b) Let the rest of the group know the location
(c) Place the ball in that location (on a tee, if the player desires)—NO PENALTY.

2. Option 2:

(a) Determine the point (usually in the rough) where the player thinks the ball should have come to rest
(b) Let the rest of the group know the location
(c) Place the ball on the fairway at the nearest location to the assumed location of the lost ball. PENALTY: one stroke. (NOTE: Player may NOT return to the location where the ball was originally hit. The decision to take a Mulligan must have been made where the ball was originally hit.)

Rule 5.3 Placement of the ball: The player may pick up the ball from where it came to rest and place the ball, as follows:

Within a line (not to exceed two club lengths in width) extending from the pin through the location where the ball came to rest as far back as will allow the player to reasonably strike the ball.  The ball may NOT be placed any closer to the pin than where the ball came to rest.  NO PENALTY STROKE

(NOTE: The player may choose to place the ball on any natural location such as a raised clump of grass within a club length of the original location that will give the player the best possible swing.)

Rule 5.4 Use of tee on fairway or in rough: The player may (but is not required to) place the ball on a tee (not to exceed six (6) inches in length) anywhere on the fairway or rough.

Rule 5.5 Hazards: If a player determines that the ball has an unplayable lie, the player may:

(a) Place the ball directly behind the location where the ball came to rest on a line (not to exceed two club lengths in width) extending from the pin through the location where the ball came to rest as far back as will allow the player to reasonably strike the ball.  NO PENALTY STROKE.
(b) Place the ball on the fairway at the nearest location to the ball with an unplayable lie. PENALTY: one stroke.

Rule 5.6 Unrecoverable Ball: Should a ball be hit into an area (out-of-bounds) where the ball cannot be recovered (such as private property or areas that can’t be conveniently accessed such as marshes, woods, or the other side of streams, etc., the player must place the ball on the fairway at the nearest point where the ball most likely came to rest, no more than one club length from the edge of the fairway. PENALTY: one stroke.

(NOTE: a player could decide to take a mulligan instead.)

Rule 5.7 Mulligan: A mulligan is a substitute swing from the fairway or the rough for a swing with which the player is not satisfied. Should the player hit the ball from the rough or fairway, and the player determines that he/she could benefit from another swing, the player may take a mulligan. The stroke for which the mulligan is taken does not count against the player’s final score. Each player is entitled to three (3) mulligans in each nine (9)-hole round of golf. The player may accept either the original swing or the mulligan. Only one mulligan may be taken on any hole.

Rule 5.8 Water Hazard: When a player hits the ball into a water hazard and determines that the ball is unplayable, the player has three choices:

(a) The player may place a substitute ball on the fairway nearest to the location where the ball came to rest in the water hazard. The player may place the ball no more than one club length from the edge of the fairway nearest to the place the ball entered the water hazard. The player should get agreement from the other players in the group as to the placement of the ball. PENALTY: one stroke.

(b) Place the ball directly behind the location where the ball came to rest in the water hazard on a line (not to exceed two club lengths in width) extending from the pin through the original position of the ball as far back as will allow the player to reasonably strike the ball—NO PENALTY STROKE.

(c) Take a mulligan—NO PENALTY STROKE.

(Comments - Rule 5 - Striking the ball from the Fairway/Rough)

Rule 6
Striking the Ball from a Sand Trap

Rule 6.1 Placement of the ball: A player may (but is not required) to place the ball on a tee not to exceed six (6) inches. The player may place the ball on a line (not to exceed two club lengths in width) extending from the pin through the original position of the ball in the sand trap as far back as will allow the player to reasonably strike the ball, but may not move the ball out of the sand trap.

Rule 6.2 Mulligan: A mulligan is a substitute swing from the sand trap for a swing with which the player is not satisfied. Should the player hit the ball from the sand trap, and the player determines that he/she could benefit from another swing, the player may take a MULLIGAN. The stroke for which a mulligan is taken does not count against the player’s final score. Each player is entitled to three (3) mulligans in each nine (9)-hole round of golf. The player may accept either the original swing or the mulligan. Only one mulligan may be taken on any hole.

(Comments - Striking the Ball from a Sand Trap)

Rule 7
Striking the Ball on the Green

Rule 7.1 Placement of the Ball: Once the ball is on the green, a player may NOT pick up or move the ball, except to mark the ball or replace the ball with a substitute. The player may NOT place the ball on a tee.

Rule 7.2 Order of Play: Players may decide among themselves the order of play on the green. This will reduce the number of times a player has to mark the ball. It is NOT required that the player furthest from the pin must play first.

Rule 7.3 Mulligan: A mulligan is a substitute swing for a swing with which the player is not satisfied. Should the player hit the ball on the green, and the player determines that he/she could benefit from another swing, the player may take a mulligan. The stroke for which a mulligan is taken does not count against the player’s final score. Each player is entitled to three (3) mulligans in each nine (9)-hole round of golf. The player may accept either the original swing or the mulligan. Only one mulligan may be taken on any hole.

(Comments - Striking the Ball on the Green)

Rule 8
Scoring

A player’s score shall be determined in the following manner:

Rule 8.1: Each player should record his/her score on the provided scorecard.

Rule 8.2: The total score is determined by totaling the number of strokes for each of the holes on the golf course. (Not including any mulligans taken by the player)

Rule 8.3: The number of strokes for each hole where a mulligan is used should be circled to keep track of the number of mulligans taken.

Rule 8.4: Should a tie occur, the player with the least number of mulligans is declared the winner.

Rule 8.5: Since TeeGolf is a golf game for recreational golfers, the standard (par) number of strokes for a round of TeeGolf is calculated by adding one stroke to the par for each hole.  Thus, players would add a total of nine strokes for par on a nine-hole round and eighteen strokes for a eighteen-hole round.

(Comments - Rule 8 - Scoring)

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