See rule 5.3a: When to Start a Round

You must start at (and not before or after) your starting time.

Penalty for Breach of Rule 5.3a: Disqualification, except in these three cases:

Exception 1 – You Arrive at the Starting Point, Ready to Play, No More Than Five Minutes Late: The general penalty is applied to your first hole.

Exception 2 – You Start No More Than Five Minutes Early: The general penalty is applied to your first hole.

Exception 3 – Committee Decides that Exceptional Circumstances Prevented You from Starting on Time: There is no breach of this Rule and no penalty.

([Rule 16.1] (https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=pe&section=rule&rulenum=16&subrulenum=1))

All cart paths are obstructions, whether or not they are artificially surfaced.

The maintenance building and fenced-off area around it (holes 6E, 8E, 9E) are treated as an immovable obstruction. Keep in mind that to take relief for a ball in the maintenance area, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in there (95% certain is the standard).

All sprinkler control boxes are immovable obstructions.

All colored yardage marker plates are immovable obstructions.

The wall by the 5W green is an immovable obstruction.

Areas defined by white lines are deemed to be ground under repair and relief may be taken in accordance with 16.1b. French drains, which are exposed trenches filled with rocks or stones (not when they are covered over with soil or grass) are ground under repair.

White-lined areas tied into artificially-surfaced roads or paths are declared to be obstructions, not ground under repair. Relief, without penalty, is provided under rule 16.

If a ball comes to rest on the wrong green, the ball must be dropped in accordance with rule 13.1f.

Relief is allowed only when your ball is embedded in the general area. But if your ball is embedded on the putting green, you may mark the spot of your ball, lift and clean it, repair the damage, and replace your ball on its original spot.

Exceptions – When Relief Not Allowed for Ball Embedded in General Area:

When your ball is embedded in sand in a part of the general area that is not cut to fairway height or less, or

When interference by anything other than your ball being embedded makes your stroke clearly unreasonable (for example, when you are unable to make a stroke because of where your ball lies in a bush).

Your ball is embedded only if it is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of your previous stroke and part of your ball is below the level of the ground.

For more information about how to take relief, see rule 16.3b.

When aeration holes exist:

• In the general area, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted without penalty, cleaned, and dropped as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. See rule 16.1 for more information about taking a proper drop from abnormal ground conditions.

• On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot, not nearer the hole that avoids the situation.

USGA APPROVED EQUIPMENT/NON-CONFORMING EQUIPMENT

Only golf equipment/balls approved by the USGA may be used in Bunker Hills Men's Golf Club activities. Penalty for use of non-conforming equipment/balls is disqualification.

__ [Rule 20.1c: Playing Two Balls] (https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=pe&section=rule&rulenum=20)__

If you are uncertain about the right procedure while playing a hole, you may complete the hole with two balls without penalty:

You must decide to play two balls after the uncertain situation arises and before making a stroke.

You should choose which ball will count if the Rules allow the procedure used for that ball, by announcing that choice to your marker or to another player before making a stroke.

If you do not choose in time, the ball played first is treated as the ball chosen by default.

You must report the facts of the situation to the Committee before returning your scorecard, even if you score the same with both balls. You are disqualified if you fail to do so.

While playing a match, should a dispute arise that affects the outcome of a hole, you may continue playing the match with the hole(s) in question undecided. Once the match is complete, should the hole(s) in question affect the outcome of the match, you should consult the pro shop personnel for a ruling, or a member of the match play tournament committee.

In case of lightning, a player has the right to stop playing if he thinks he is in danger even though the committee may not have specifically authorized it by signal. An official halt of play will be signaled by one prolonged horn note, repeated. Resumption of play shall be signaled by two short horn notes, repeated.

During BHMGC events, players may use artificial devices that measure distance only. The use of artificial devices that gauge or measure other conditions that might affect a player's play (e.g., wind or gradient) regardless of whether or not that device also measures distance, is not permitted. The penalty for using a device that measures conditions other than distances is a disqualification.

The Board of Directors of Bunker Hills Men's Golf Club has determined the use of music devices and Bluetooth speaker devices acceptable under the following conditions:

• Anytime during practice on the driving range or practice facility
• During a men's club round, your playing partners must agree
• Must turn down if requested
• Must turn off if requested
• Ear buds are not allowed during official playing competition. Ear buds are allowed to be used during practice

While the Board approves the use of music devices and external speakers, it encourages members to be respectful in the use of these devices.

[Model Local Rule E-5] (https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html)

“When a player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance.

For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):

Two Estimated Reference Points:

a. Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball is estimated to have:

• Come to rest on the course, or
• Last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.

b. Fairway Reference Point: The point of the fairway of the hole being played is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer to the hole than the ball reference point.

For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.

If a ball is estimated to be lost on the course or last crossed the edge of the course boundary short of the fairway, the fairway reference point may be a grass path or a teeing ground for the hole being played cut to fairway height or less.

Size of Relief Area Based on Reference Points: Anywhere between:

• A line from the hole through the ball reference point (and within two club lengths to the outside of that line), and

• A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (and within two club lengths to the fairway side of that line).

  But with these limits:

Limits on Location of Relief Area:

• Must be in the general area, and
• Must not be nearer the hole than the ball reference point.

Once the player puts a ball in play under this Local Rule:

The original ball that was lost or out of bounds is no longer in play and must not be played. This is true even if the ball is found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).

But the player may not use this option to take relief for the original ball when:

• That ball is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a penalty area, or
• The player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.3).

A player may use this option to take relief for a provisional ball that has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds.