COURSE RULES

• All fences on the Old Back Nine golf course are considered out of bounds.
• A player who's ball is on the non-golfing side of the fence (i.e., out of bounds) may:
  • Return to the place where the ball was struck and hit again (one stroke penalty). To save time, the golfer can play a provisional ball if they suspect the ball has gone out of bounds or that they might not find it. They must announce that they are playing a provisional ball before doing so. If they are then unable to find their original ball, or they find it out of bounds, their provisional ball is the ball in play under stroke and distance, and it's not necessary to to take the time to walk all the way back to the spot of their previous stroke; OR,
  • Drop their ball in the fairway within two club-lengths of the edge nearest where the ball was deemed to gone out of bounds. (2-stroke penalty, i.e., stroke and distance).
    
• Golfers must not drive carts into the brush on ANY hole.

TEMPORARY RULE FOR #12 GREEN RESCINDED (updated May 28th):

While the #12 green isn't yet at its best, we feel that it's playable enough to suspend the 2-putt maximum rule. Until further notice, putt out on the hole, and count each one.

LOCAL CLUB RULES

• Local Rule 1: A ball lying near or on animal droppings and interfering with a golfer's stance or cleanliness of the ball in play may mark the ball, lift and drop it one club length away, but no closer to the hole.
• Local Rule 2: As of January 1, 2017, the Old Back Nine GC has adopted a rule that modifies USGA Rule 18-2 by providing that there is no penalty if a player accidentally causes his/her ball on the putting green to move. This also includes the accidental movement of a ball marker.
• Local Rule 3: On hole #11, the rocks on the RIGHT are not out of bounds. If you have an unplayable lie you must either:
  • take a drop from the rocks near where your ball lies, but no closer to the hole (one stroke penalty), or
  • declare a provisional shot and hit another ball from the tee. If the second ball has a better lie, you may take a one stroke penalty and continue play.
• Local Rule 4: On the #15 men's tee, if the tee shot goes into the pond in front of the tee box, then the drop area shall be just be on the opposite side of the pond from where the men's tees are located (nearer to the green), incurring a one stroke penalty.
  

• Local Rule 5: The rough by the railroad tracks along the #15 fairway will be considered a red-staked area during league play. If you hit a ball into the new hazard area bounded by the right side of the fairway and the top level of the railroad track embankment, or the ball is lost in the hazard, it may be dropped within two club lengths out from the edge of the fairway where it is determined to have crossed the boundary, with a one stroke penalty. The red staked area shall include the bushes and rocks at the western end of the fairway nearest the green, as well as the treed area on the eastern end directly north of the cart path termination.

        If you deem your lie playable without moving it, you can play out of the hazard with no penalty.

• Local Rule 6: The area on hole #17 beyond where the fence stops and the boulders begin is not out-of-bounds. Balls may be played from the area toward the green with no penalty.

Old Back Nine Men's & Women's Golf Club members must return their completed scorecards to the clubhouse or to a league official after each league round, or post their gross scores on the GHIN website.