08 Feb '10

RULE: Taking advice - what iron did you hit?

Ever been asked what club you used to hit into the three par? Or for that matter, from anywhere on the course?

Isn’t that against the Rules of Golf about giving advice??
Depends - when were you asked?

But first, what is advice? Advice, according to the definitions, “is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of  club or the method of making a stroke.”

Info about rules, distances, location of a hazard, flagstick or the green is considered public information, so is not advice.

Back to your question. If you have hit, and then I ask before I hit, that is considered an attempt to influence my choice of club  - penalty two strokes for me (loss of hole in match play).

Now, what if you answer my request for "advice" about the club you hit? You too will be penalized if you provide that advice.

However, if we have both played the shot, and then I asked which club, there was no advice sought or given.

The rule provides for penalty of two strokes for ‘giving’ advice, or ‘asking’ for advice!

Rule 8-1 ADVICE

During a stipulated round, a player must not:

Give advice to anyone in the competition playing on the course other than his partner; or
ask for advice from anyone other than his partner or either of their caddies.

Line of play is another form of advice. You may have another person indicate the line to the flag (usually when you are hitting blind to the green), but that person cannot stay on or near that line while you make the shot. The same applies to any mark placed by you or another person - it must be removed before the stroke is played.

On the putting green, you can have the line for putting pointed out to you by your partner or caddy before but not during the stroke. BUT in doing this, the putting green must not be touched! Nor can you place a mark anywhere to indicate the line of putt.