Historically, Golfapalooza has basically operated as though all participants know the rules of golf and follow them with each round they play. While that is true for the most part, everyone seems to have there own subtle interpretations as to what is within the rules and what is not. First tee mulligans. Gimmies inside the leather. How to treat a lost ball or ball out of bounds. Winter rules. Each of these things can have a significant impact the outcome of a tournament when we have 33 guys playing with their own subtle interpretations of the rules. The Golfapalooza Scoring Committee has met to define a set of rules, much simpler than the actual USGA rules of golf, that will be used for the tournament, and should be able to answer most questions about how to play or score a hole. I wish they could be even simpler, as one Scoring Committee member declared these rules to be "the longest most boring thing he ever read", and that he fell asleep twice reading them. The rules seek to achieve consistency of scoring integrity across the tournament field and also maintain fairness on a course that has, to put it nicely, not the most diligent maintenance crew in the world of golf. Please familiarize yourself with these rules and let me know if you have any questions about them. Also, the rules will be available for reference on the daily tournament pairing sheets.

Golfapalooza Tournament Rules

FLUFFING OR IMPROVING YOUR LIE: You may improve your lie anywhere on the course within 2 rotations of the ball from the original spot. Your lie may be improved but not your conditions. If you are in the rough, your improved lie must still be in the rough. Same if you are in the woods, a bunker, or choosing to play from a hazard (see Red/Yellow Stakes rule below). If you need to move more than 2 rotations of the ball to be able to take a shot, see UNPLAYABLE LIE rule below. Exceptions to the "2 rotation limit": In a bunker, you may take relief from exposed mud or from standing water without penalty, but must remain inside the bunker and hit from the sand. If your ball is in a burned out patch of fairway or in standing water, you may move it to the nearest live and/or dry grass without penalty. You may move away from immovable man-made obstructions, such as fences, outbuildings and cart paths, without penalty.

LOST BALL OR POSSIBILITY OF LOST BALL: The first option is to hit a provisional from the original spot. Then play the provisional ball if your first ball cannot be found. The second option is to drop in the area of where it was last seen with a two-stroke penalty. If your first shot is lost, taking a drop where the ball was last seen means you are hitting your 4th shot. Losing a ball in the woods is a lost ball. DO NOT return to the spot of your previous shot to hit again if you cannot find your ball. Failure to hit a provisional after a shot that was bound for a wooded or otherwise overgrown area where there is reasonable expectation of not finding it is an acknowledgement that you will take the two stroke penalty as described in option 2 above if your ball is not found. Exceptions: For shots into hazard areas, see RED/YELLOW STAKES rule below. For shots hit where there is not a reasonable expectation of not finding it, see LEAF RULE below.

OUT OF BOUNDS (Marked with WHITE STAKES): Your options are identical to the lost ball rule stated above. Clarifications: DO NOT hit from the other side of the road on 12. Any ball that is ON THE ROAD or to the right of the road is out of bounds. DO NOT hit from beyond the white stakes behind 13 green. That is someone's back yard.

RED/YELLOW STAKES: Balls MAY BE played from inside the red or yellow-staked hazards. If your ball is not playable, then by penalty of one stroke, you drop within two club lengths from where the ball crossed the stakes. Another option is to hit from the original spot with 1 stroke penalty. If your first shot went into the hazard, take a drop outside the red/yellow stakes and hit your 3rd shot. You do not have to find your ball in the hazard, the LOST BALL Rule does not apply to RED/YELLOW staked areas. Clarifications: On hole 11, if your tee shot goes into the lake on a fly, hit from the tee again, hitting 3. (or 5, or 7, etc, depending on how many balls you hit in there. LOL. See GIMMIE rule below.) If your ball first touches land, then enters the water, you may take the one stroke penalty and drop within two club lengths from where the ball entered the water.

THE LEAF RULE: (1) PENALTY-FREE LEAF RULE You may take a drop in the fairway without penalty for a ball that is lost in the fairway. All members of your foursome must agree that the ball should be found in the fairway. The ball must have been observed to have landed in or bounced into the fairway for the penalty-free leaf rule to be applicable. Exception: For a tee shot on number 2, the foursome may agree that a ball should be found in the fairway without having observed it land or bounce. (2) ROUGH LEAF RULE You may take a drop in the rough WITH A ONE STROKE PENALTY for a ball that is lost in the rough in an area where there is reasonable expectation of finding it, as agreed upon by all members of the foursome. The ball must have been observed to have landed in or bounced into the rough and be reasonably expected to have stayed in the rough for the ROUGH LEAF RULE to apply. Exceptions: This rule does not apply to balls in wooded areas or otherwise overgrown areas (such as the area behind and to the left of number 4 green). See LOST BALL rule above. Neither section of this rule may apply to a tee shot on 15 that is attempting to clear the trees on the right, or cut the corner to the right side of the trees on the right. In those instances, if your ball is not found, you must hit from the drop area at the bottom of the hill, taking your third stroke. The leaf rule may apply on 15 for tee shots hit straight up the visible fairway.

UNPLAYABLE LIES: A player may take an unplayable lie anywhere on the course including the middle of the fairway. By penalty of 1 stroke, a golfer must drop two club lengths no closer to the hole from the unplayable lie. Unplayable lies normally prohibit the free swing of the golf club. Exceptions: If your swing or stance is impeded by a manmade obstruction, see FLUFFING/IMPROVING YOUR LIE above.

LONG PUTTS: Any putt made from a distance exceeding the length of the flagstick receives long putt points. (1) Fringe putts and short chips do not count. (2) The entire flagstick must fit between the ball and the hole to be valid. (3) A long putt cannot be longer than its previous putt. (4) Golfers cannot three-putt or worse and receive long putt points.

GIMMIES/PUTTING OUT: All putts where points are at stake must be holed out, no exceptions. If you pick up before your ball has gone in the hole, your scorecard will be marked with the lowest number of strokes that gives you zero points. Two instances where a gimmie is permitted: (1) If you are scoring zero points on a hole and your ball is on the green and is already closer to the hole than the length of the flagstick, you may take a gimmie (one stroke). (2) If you are already scoring zero points on a hole and your ball has not yet reached the green, you may drop with no penalty on the fringe, but at the furthest distance to the hole. From there, you may attempt to score putt points under the LONG PUTTS rule described above. The gimmie rule speeds up pace of play while still allowing for long putt points. All other forms of gimmie are prohibited. Exceptions: Taking a gimmie under either option 1 or 2  above is permitted by the entire field, but if you do so, you cannot qualify for the Raw Score Trophy or for Raw Score points in the Dequackathon