Vicksburg Rules
1. Putting out
Everything must be putted out unless opposing team deems the putt good.
For consistent treatment, group can apply the grip length rule, most grips are about 12-14 inches long.
Down the wire if your playing partner does not give you a putt it’s probably for competitive reason.
We do want to promote good sportsmanship and pace of play here.
2. Lost Ball & Time to Find
You are allowed 3 minutes to find your ball. The group of players could assist and if it’s deemed we made the effort then let’s agree and move on.
Lost ball will be treated as a lateral hazard (red stakes) - see lateral hazard ruling #7.
3. Number of Clubs
14 clubs maximum. Does not matter what type and how many.
4. Out of Bounds
Option 1: You can re-tee hitting your 3rd from the driving tee box.
Option 2: You can drop on the fairway without re-teeing lateral to your point of entry into out of bounds. If you choose do so, you are now hitting your 4th shot. Drop within 2 club lengths from the rough.
If you hit two balls out of bounds, you can drop on the fairway lateral to your point of entry or on the fairway at the furthest point from the hole if you did not hit pass the fairway hitting your 5th shot.
5. Unplayable Lies
Deemed unplayable, you can take 1 stroke penalty and give yourself a relief within 2 club lengths but not closer to the hole. You can not deem unplayable in hazard.
6. Water Hazard (Yellow Stakes)
If you hit into a water hazard, it will be a 1 stroke penalty.
You can draw a straight line between where you hit the ball and where it entered the water hazard and drop anywhere along that line. Another option is to hit from the same spot you just hit from.
*If the ball do not cross water or land on the other side, you must drop before the hazard.
7. Lateral hazard (Red Stakes)
If you hit into a lateral hazard, it will be a 1 stroke penalty.
You have the option to play out of the hazard if you want without taking a penalty.
If you can’t find your ball in the hazard, you will need to consult with opposition to agree on point of entry (POE) and flight.
Lateral drops can be 2 club lengths from POE or you can take it backwards as far as you like based on agreed-upon flight.
We do want to promote good sportsmanship and pace of play here.
8. Vicksburg Special Relief
To promote friendliness, limit frustration, and maintain a good pace, we are applying a very friendly drop rule for any 2 consecutive balls that do not clear a hazard.
In that scenario, whether it be off the tee or your approach shot, you will be able to drop at the furthest point from the hole on the fairway past the hazard.
9. Cart Path Relief
If the ball is “anywhere” ON the cart path, you may opt to take a 1 club length drop on either side of the path. Different case, if the ball is on the right side of the cart path and your stance is standing on the path. You can take relief not nearest to the hole 1 club length but it must remain on the right side. Same with the left side vice versa. If the cart path is going to affect your swing you’re allowed relief, just communicate with your playing group and 1 club length.
We do want to promote good sportsmanship and pace of play here.
10. Ground Under Repair
Should be pretty clear cut, move your ball out not nearest to the hole and move on.
11. Two Balls Off the First Tee (Can be voted on)
12. Movable Obstructions / Loose Impediments
Include bunker rakes, soda can, penalty stakes, stones, loose grass, leaves, loose branches, pine needles, etc. Large stones/boulders may be removed if you can reasonably move without delaying play.
13. Tall Grass or Branch in the Way of Back Swing
In instances where you have tall grass or obstruction and branches in your way you are not allowed to alter it any way to better your swing path. By moving things on the back swing you are improving your chances.
Under circumstances where you have a leaf or loose branch around your lie, you are allowed to move those but carefully without causing your ball to move.
*Controversial Point: If there is tall grass or a live branch in your backswing, you may NOT step on to hold down grass/branch to improve backswing even if you are not technically “removing” anything.
14. Divots
If it is a fairway divot, you are allowed to place the ball just enough to exit divot. Play ball as is for all other divots.
15. Playing Wrong Ball
During match play essential every hole is it’s own hole. If you hit another persons ball, you essentially lost that hole. In stroke, you are assessed a one stroke penalty for that hole. If it is not caught until after the hole, you will be penalized two strokes. Obviously if this is caught on the current hole and the other player’s ball who has already been hit by the initial offender, only the initial offender is penalized. If you both complete the hole with each other’s ball, both are penalized two strokes even if there is an initial offender; for singles match play, hole will be counted as a draw.
16. For match play, Birdies and Eagles will still only count as 1 point.
17. Failing to Replace Your Ball to its Original Position on Greens
Again, we’re trying to foster friendly competition so let’s try make a good judgment call here. 99% of the time, this is an honest mistake and there is no advantage gained and is done to get out of the way of the playing partners’ putting line(s). Please do your best as a group to remind each other, but we are NOT enforcing a 1-stroke penalty to keep it friendly.
18. Bunkers
No more 2-grip length relief. Must play fried egg lies. There should be no relief to move ball’s position unless it is a water-filled bunker. Under normal conditions, if your ball settles in an unraked area including footprints, consult with your group to make sure that is the case and not a fried egg lie caused by your ball. Relief will be to re-rake area and place ball in the same exact position.
19. Incorrect Scoring
2-stroke penalty once you complete the hole and confirm your score. It is your sole responsibility to maintain your stroke count. Do not take it out on your opposition if they don’t correct you until the next hole to assess the penalty.
Everything must be putted out unless opposing team deems the putt good.
For consistent treatment, group can apply the grip length rule, most grips are about 12-14 inches long.
Down the wire if your playing partner does not give you a putt it’s probably for competitive reason.
We do want to promote good sportsmanship and pace of play here.
2. Lost Ball & Time to Find
You are allowed 3 minutes to find your ball. The group of players could assist and if it’s deemed we made the effort then let’s agree and move on.
Lost ball will be treated as a lateral hazard (red stakes) - see lateral hazard ruling #7.
3. Number of Clubs
14 clubs maximum. Does not matter what type and how many.
4. Out of Bounds
Option 1: You can re-tee hitting your 3rd from the driving tee box.
Option 2: You can drop on the fairway without re-teeing lateral to your point of entry into out of bounds. If you choose do so, you are now hitting your 4th shot. Drop within 2 club lengths from the rough.
If you hit two balls out of bounds, you can drop on the fairway lateral to your point of entry or on the fairway at the furthest point from the hole if you did not hit pass the fairway hitting your 5th shot.
5. Unplayable Lies
Deemed unplayable, you can take 1 stroke penalty and give yourself a relief within 2 club lengths but not closer to the hole. You can not deem unplayable in hazard.
6. Water Hazard (Yellow Stakes)
If you hit into a water hazard, it will be a 1 stroke penalty.
You can draw a straight line between where you hit the ball and where it entered the water hazard and drop anywhere along that line. Another option is to hit from the same spot you just hit from.
*If the ball do not cross water or land on the other side, you must drop before the hazard.
7. Lateral hazard (Red Stakes)
If you hit into a lateral hazard, it will be a 1 stroke penalty.
You have the option to play out of the hazard if you want without taking a penalty.
If you can’t find your ball in the hazard, you will need to consult with opposition to agree on point of entry (POE) and flight.
Lateral drops can be 2 club lengths from POE or you can take it backwards as far as you like based on agreed-upon flight.
We do want to promote good sportsmanship and pace of play here.
8. Vicksburg Special Relief
To promote friendliness, limit frustration, and maintain a good pace, we are applying a very friendly drop rule for any 2 consecutive balls that do not clear a hazard.
In that scenario, whether it be off the tee or your approach shot, you will be able to drop at the furthest point from the hole on the fairway past the hazard.
9. Cart Path Relief
If the ball is “anywhere” ON the cart path, you may opt to take a 1 club length drop on either side of the path. Different case, if the ball is on the right side of the cart path and your stance is standing on the path. You can take relief not nearest to the hole 1 club length but it must remain on the right side. Same with the left side vice versa. If the cart path is going to affect your swing you’re allowed relief, just communicate with your playing group and 1 club length.
We do want to promote good sportsmanship and pace of play here.
10. Ground Under Repair
Should be pretty clear cut, move your ball out not nearest to the hole and move on.
11. Two Balls Off the First Tee (Can be voted on)
12. Movable Obstructions / Loose Impediments
Include bunker rakes, soda can, penalty stakes, stones, loose grass, leaves, loose branches, pine needles, etc. Large stones/boulders may be removed if you can reasonably move without delaying play.
13. Tall Grass or Branch in the Way of Back Swing
In instances where you have tall grass or obstruction and branches in your way you are not allowed to alter it any way to better your swing path. By moving things on the back swing you are improving your chances.
Under circumstances where you have a leaf or loose branch around your lie, you are allowed to move those but carefully without causing your ball to move.
*Controversial Point: If there is tall grass or a live branch in your backswing, you may NOT step on to hold down grass/branch to improve backswing even if you are not technically “removing” anything.
14. Divots
If it is a fairway divot, you are allowed to place the ball just enough to exit divot. Play ball as is for all other divots.
15. Playing Wrong Ball
During match play essential every hole is it’s own hole. If you hit another persons ball, you essentially lost that hole. In stroke, you are assessed a one stroke penalty for that hole. If it is not caught until after the hole, you will be penalized two strokes. Obviously if this is caught on the current hole and the other player’s ball who has already been hit by the initial offender, only the initial offender is penalized. If you both complete the hole with each other’s ball, both are penalized two strokes even if there is an initial offender; for singles match play, hole will be counted as a draw.
16. For match play, Birdies and Eagles will still only count as 1 point.
17. Failing to Replace Your Ball to its Original Position on Greens
Again, we’re trying to foster friendly competition so let’s try make a good judgment call here. 99% of the time, this is an honest mistake and there is no advantage gained and is done to get out of the way of the playing partners’ putting line(s). Please do your best as a group to remind each other, but we are NOT enforcing a 1-stroke penalty to keep it friendly.
18. Bunkers
No more 2-grip length relief. Must play fried egg lies. There should be no relief to move ball’s position unless it is a water-filled bunker. Under normal conditions, if your ball settles in an unraked area including footprints, consult with your group to make sure that is the case and not a fried egg lie caused by your ball. Relief will be to re-rake area and place ball in the same exact position.
19. Incorrect Scoring
2-stroke penalty once you complete the hole and confirm your score. It is your sole responsibility to maintain your stroke count. Do not take it out on your opposition if they don’t correct you until the next hole to assess the penalty.