2024 Lost Balls Golf League Rules ** DRAFT *** PENDING APPROVAL

The USGA publication “The Rules of Golf” contains as its first section “Etiquette”, please make sure that you always consider the following when on the golf course: Safety, Consideration for Other Players, and Pace of Play. There were some significant rule changes for 2019 so please make sure you review them PDF or video

All USGA rules apply with the following exceptions:

Ball in Heather: Due to a large amount of tall grass on the golf course and to keep the pace of play moving, any ball hit into the heather that is NOT found can be dropped to the nearest relief from the heather no closer to the hole. All other rules apply to any marked heather (i.e. it is marked as a hazard) and you cannot ground your club, etc

Local League Rules adaptions to USGA rules:

Out of Bounds: All out-of-bounds markers are to be played as they are. *** As of 2016 it was voted that on Hole 18, any part of the road, asphalt or gravel, will is to be considered out of bounds. Only balls lying in dirt or grass are in bounds.

Provisional Play: If you are unsure of whether you have “Lost” your ball, which means out of bounds, or in a hazard, you may hit a provisional ball to eliminate the need to re-tee after searching for your ball. You must announce that you are hitting a provisional and mark the ball in a way to identify it. You can play your provisional ball as many times as you need in order to reach the area where your group suspects the original ball was lost. Once you reach that area and search for your ball if you cannot find it you consider the original ball lost and count the strokes plus the penalty for the provisional ball.

Timeliness: Please make your best attempt to show up on time, your group will wait only 1 tee time (allowing the next group to play through) before the loss of holes will result. Also at the end of your round please, immediately clear your cart off the course and return to the cart return area.

Ready Golf: Please be aware of what your other playing partners are doing, practice-ready golf, when you get to your ball proceed with hitting it. Arrowhead will have marshals on the golf course and they will enforce the speed of play.

Summer Rules are in effect everywhere on the golf course, which means you play the ball as it lies (i.e. rough, heather, etc). You are NOT allowed to touch the ball in the rough unless course conditions require it (i.e. relief from standing water) or you are preparing to identify your ball when you must announce to the opposing team before touching your ball. The only local exception is the stated winter rule below.

Winter Rules are only allowed in your OWN fairway. You may move the ball at any time for a preferred lie no closer to the hole and no more than two club lengths. You may unplug a ball in the rough but no closer to the hole and no more than one club length.

On rare occasions and due to course conditions, FULL winter rules could be in effect. A posting stating such will be placed by the scorecards or starter to inform that that rule is in effect. If there is no posting, summer rules (stated above) and as always winter rules in your own fairway are in effect.

Concession of putts: The league will allow a concession of a putt of reasonable length. The individual foursome should decide on what “reasonable” length is. Your opponent that you are playing your MATCH against is the only person that may concede the putt not his partner or your playing partner. If a putt is NOT conceded then you must finish out the hole in the proper order of play.

Rules for a Lost Ball or Out of Bounds: If a player hits a ball that may have been hit out of bounds or maybe lost they should announce that a provisional ball will be put into play before any searching is done. If the announcement is not made then the first ball is considered to be “lost” and the second ball is now the ball in play under the stroke and distance rule. The provisional ball can be played until the point where the first ball may have been lost or out of bounds. Play is suspended for a three (3) minutes to search for the first ball. After those 3 minutes, the play is resumed. If within the 3 minutes the first ball is found, the player must play the first ball for the remainder of the hole and abandon the provisional. If the ball is not found in the 3 minutes this ball is now considered a “lost” ball.

Rules for Unplayable: The player may deem the ball unplayable at any place on the course except when the ball is in a water hazard (i.e. tall grass, next to a tree, in a tree). The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable. If a ball is deemed unplayable he must under penalty of one stroke do one of the following: a) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played; b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; c) Drop a ball within 2 club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole. If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker. As of 2019, there is a 4th option if unplayable in a bunker. The player may proceed to one club length in line out of the bunker to take a shot but incurs a 2 stroke penalty.

Rules for Practice Stroke After Hole Completion: A player may not hit practice shots or putts while playing a hole. (Practice swings and strokes are permitted as long as the player doesn’t intentionally strike the ball.) Between holes, players are allowed to hit practice chips or putts on or near the previous green, a practice green, or the next tee providing the practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play. So this means a golfer can’t stroll back into the fairway and replay that chunked wedge. They can’t re-hit any shot that basically led to the area around then green and practice bunker shots are out as well. The penalty for improper practice stroke after a hole is played will be imposed on the offending player on the next hole using the stroke play penalty of two strokes. The USGA matchplay rules and penalties will not be used for our league as there is no good way of separating the two types of play. ** New for 2022

Click here for Arrowhead Golf Club specific rules

Lost Balls Point System:

The Lost Balls League follows a three-point scoring system, where each player on a team can earn at most one point, plus one point for the team’s net total.

An individual match could result in the following outcomes:

	T1 Win	T2 Win	Split
Player for Team1	1 point	0 point	½ point
Player for Team2	0 point	1 point	½ point

The team point is awarded to the team with the lowest NET score, which is determined by adding the GROSS score of each player and subtracting the total team handicap.

It is possible to lose both individual matches and win team total, as well as win both matches and lose total as well as all matches split and split total.

The maximum amount of points a team with two substitutes can win is 3 points. However, the two substitutes used must have an established league handicap. A substitute is required to play a minimum of 3 weeks before a handicap is established. If both do NOT have an established handicap then the maximum number of points is 2. One for each match, total points are forfeited. If a player has an established GHIN we can use that for an established handicap (added 2018)

If only a single team member shows up or a substitute player is playing for an absent player, the player with the lower handicap automatically becomes the “A” player and must compare his card to the “A” player from the other team. A single player can win at most one point, the total score is forfeit. All Substitutes will be required to sign in with the league with contact information (first and last name, phone#) so everyone could leverage them as a substitute if one is needed.

If only a single team member from each team shows up, the maximum points awarded will be 2 points (1 player point and 1 team point).

If a player is late and misses a couple of holes he cannot win holes missed. The score on the card should be valued as a double bogey or 2 strokes above the opponent’s hole score whichever is deemed higher. The player cannot win the hole. The total score can still be won by the team with a late player, however, if more than three holes are missed the team can NOT win the total score. And if a player has missed 5 or more holes it is considered a no-show.

All matches must be played on the day of the league. If you can arrange to start earlier than your designated tee time with that week’s opponents then do so.

All players under the age of 65 are required to play from the white tees or back. Players 65+ have the option to play from the senior tees (gold) without any handicap adjustment. ** New rule in 2017, Revised 2020

If an incomplete scorecard is turned in it will be up to the league secretaries’ discretion to award points. If no scorecard is posted, no points will be awarded for both teams.

Final standings are determined by the total score accumulated throughout the season of play. If there are ties on the total score then the total team points taken will break the tie. If it is still tied we will do a virtual match between the teams using the scorecards from the final week of play.

Handicaps:

All new players that do not have an established Lost Balls or Arrowhead handicap will be temporarily handicapped at 80% of what they post (using a maximum of a double bogey for equitable stroke control) which is a maximum of 14 strokes in 9 holes. It is not possible to properly handicap anyone who does not have at least three nine-hole rounds posted, so the player will play the first three weeks with this method. Returning Lost-Balls League members will use their final handicaps from the prior year. For a match played with a non-handicapped player, the A and B players will be figured out after the match is over. Once again, the league secretaries will figure out the handicaps. We will still be rounding handicaps down (i.e. 7.83 = 7). Handicaps will NOT be kept by Arrowhead so a sheet will be present with the scorecards in the clubhouse.

Inclement Weather:

The course decides if inclement weather will cancel the play. Please contact an officer or Arrowhead by phone (716)542-4653. If the course is closed, the officers will be notified by 2:00 PM on the day of play. Our website will be updated with the cancellation notice. For all cancellations, we have scheduled dates at the middle and end of the season to replay matches that were not completed. If play is called during league due to weather then ALL matches are voided and will be rescheduled.

Additional Items:

Full Disclosure of league funds will be provided at the end of the season.

Skins Game:

Once again there will be a non-handicapped skins game every regular week. The cost will stay at $3.00 per person. The pay-out will be of all the money each week. A skin will be automatically rewarded to the player with the lowest net score. 20% of the week’s money will be put aside for the final week of skins. In order to qualify for the final week of skins, the player is required to participate in at least 10 weeks of skins.

Members of Rules Committee: (If a ruling is disputed it should be taken up with these people)

Josh Blair,  Chris Miller, and  Duane Roth