Rules And Information

Welcome to the Nature Coast Golf League rules page. We also recommend that you install the USGA Rules of Golf app on your mobile device for use on the golf course when needed.

All rules will be governed by the league Rules Committee. This Rules Committee will be comprised of all the league managers or by specific people designated by the league managers.

Playing Rules

USGA rules (see https://www.usga.org/rules-hub.html) govern all league play. Following are some clarifications for common situations that may occur.
- USGA Rules and Etiquette
  - If you remember no other rule, remember rule 20.1c (for stroke play).
    - Players are encouraged to help each other in applying the rules, but any agreement may still be overridden by the Rules Committee. A player should raise any issue with the Rules Committee before submitting their scorecard.
    - Players should protect other players in the competition. If a player knows or believes that another player has breached or might have breached the rules and that the other player does not recognize or is ignoring this, the player should tell the other player and try to resolve the issue as soon as possible after becoming aware of the issue.
    - A player who is uncertain about the right procedure while playing a hole may complete the hole with two balls without penalty.
      - The decision to play two balls must be made after the uncertain situation arises and before making a stroke.
      - The player should choose which ball will count if the rules allow the specified procedure used for that ball, by announcing that choice to another player before making a stroke. If the player does not choose in time, the ball played first is treated as the ball chosen by default.
      - The player must report the facts of the situation to the Rules Committee before submitting the scorecard.
      - The Rules Committee will decide which ball conformed to the rules properly and determine the correct score for that player for that hole.
  - During stroke play, play the ball from tee to green until it gets in the hole (rule 1.1). There are no gimmes in stroke play. A stroke, hole or match may still be conceded by the opponent in match play.
  - There is no maximum score on a hole in stroke play (definition of Stroke Play).
  - Your ball must stay behind the tee markers when teeing off, between markers and within two club lengths back (definition of Teeing Area).
  - A ball should be marked on the green like a PGA professional would (rule 14.1a).
  - A player should identify to their group the type of ball the player is playing and any markings used on the ball, and should also do so if this changes during a round (etiquette). Also, when putting a provisional ball in play, it should be somehow different than the original ball (usually a different number on the ball) in order for the player to tell them apart later on that hole, because if the player can't tell the original from the provisional ball, the player will have to choose one of them to play as the provisional ball (with stroke and distance penalty) and abandon the other.
  - Accidentally causing your ball to move with your practice swing (or otherwise) incurs no penalty when playing the ball from the teeing area, on the putting green, or in limited other situations (see exceptions in rule 9.4 https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rule-9.html). However, there is a one stroke penalty when doing this while playing your ball from anywhere else on the course.
  - Playing the wrong ball generally incurs a penalty of 2 strokes in stroke play (but strokes made with the wrong ball do not count) and the correct ball must be played from the original spot. But this must be corrected before making a stroke on another hole or else the player is disqualified. The penalty in match play is loss of hole (see details in rule 6.3c https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rule-6.html).
  - Playing a provisional ball (rule 18.3):
    - A provisional ball is allowed when the original ball might be lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. But this does include if the original ball might also be lost in a penalty area too. (rule 18.3a)
    - The player must announce to someone that they are playing a "provisional" ball before the stroke with that ball is played. But if no one is nearby, the player may play the provisional ball and inform someone when possible to do so. (rules 18.3b)
    - The provisional ball becomes the ball in play when (1) the original ball is determined to be lost outside a penalty area or is out of bounds, or (2) the provisional ball is played from a spot nearer the hole than where the original ball is estimated to be, no matter how many times the provisional ball is played. The provisional ball must be abandoned when the original ball is found on the course outside a penalty area, or it is found in a penalty area or virtually certain to be in a penalty area. (rule 18.3c)
- NCGL-Specific Rules
  - (Reinstated for Season 7) One “breakfast ball” is allowed after a player takes his first stroke of a round. The player must decide this before leaving the teeing area of the hole. If this is done, the first stroke is not counted, the ball hit with the first stroke is not played further and the subsequent “breakfast ball” is played from the same teeing area as if it were the first stroke played.
  - (Reinstated for Season 7) Rollovers up to a club length are allowed everywhere inbounds outside the putting green, but not closer to the hole, not out of a hazard, and not improving the line of sight to avoid an obstruction. This rule is in place because we play courses that are often not well maintained and this will allow a player to avoid playing from, for example, unraked areas of a bunker and bare spots in the fairway.
  - (New for Season 7) Whenever you intend to move your ball while it is in play (between teeing off and holing out), at least one other league player in your playing group (and a majority of those players if more than one is involved) must agree that the spot to which the ball is moved, and the number of penalty strokes incurred if any, complies with all rules. This rule is meant to alleviate disputes under these circumstances.
  - USGA Model Local Rule E-5 (Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds) has been adopted by the league for all events. This allows an additional option for a ball lost or out-of-bounds. See https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html for an explanation.
  - There are many rules that may be implemented when there are specific course conditions during a league event. Rules for these conditions, if implemented, will be stated by a league manager to all players prior to the time where these conditions are encountered by any player on the day of the event. No such rule is in effect unless thus stated. Note that it is possible that some of these conditions will occur only on one day or another of an event, and thus possible that applicable rules may only apply to one day or another.
    
    Some common examples of such rules are:
    Model Local Rule E-2: Cleaning Ball
    Model Local Rule E-3: Preferred Lies

Competition Qualifying Rules

Before a player can compete for points or money in a league event, that player needs 3 or more qualifying 18-hole scores to create a valid league handicap. League Managers may also require a player to re-qualify if there has been a significant change in that player's scoring ability.

These qualifying scores can come through any one of the following methods as long as there is no question that the player has given their best effort to get their best score, that the playing rules are predominantly the same as the NCGL, and that hole-by-hole scores and the course and tee box played are submitted to the League Managers for these rounds.
- Any round from a competitive NCGL event available to all members, where the minimum number of NCGL members in good standing complete the event. The minimum is 6 currently.
- Any round from a non-NCGL competitive league or event approved by the League Managers.
- Any round played with an NCGL League Manager.
- Any round played with at least two NCGL members in good standing who approved by the League Managers.