While watching quite possibly the best athletic event of the year, a big rules question came up between Brooks Koepka and Gary Woodland. So here’s the situation. On the 15th hole at the first round of the Masters 2023 on Thursday, video showed Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliot mouthing the word “Five” in the general direction of Woodland’s caddie, Brennan Little. It also appeared that Koepka held up five fingers in what looked like a signal in Woodland’s direction. The rules committee determined there was no infraction and players (and caddies) were cleared of any wrongdoing. Only Koepka and Elliot know the truth. Ultimately, these players are playing for a shot at the highest achievement in professional golf. It doesn’t make sense that they would want to give an advantage to a playing partner. They also know the rules better than anyone else in the game (with the exception of the rules officials) so “not knowing the rule” doesn’t make sense either. But the situation definitely brings out the question “What is the rule on giving or receiving advice"? So we thought we would share it here and try to clear up any misinformation.

USGA Rule 10.2 Advice and other help

The rules state “During a round, a player must not: give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course, ask anyone for advice, other than the player’s caddie, or touch another player’s equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player (such as touching the other player’s clubs or bag to see what club is being used)”

So what does it mean?

It means that the player or his/her caddie may not give or receive advice from anyone other than their own caddie during a round. When a player tells another player what club he or she has just hit, this is considered advice as the player can make a decision on what club to play based on that information.

What’s the penalty?

The penalty is a 2-stroke or general penalty if the player has been found guilty of the infraction. In Koepka and Woodland’s case, they would have both been awarded a 2-stroke penalty for the infraction.

Players and caddies often inform the media about which club they have just hit on a shot so the commentators can relay this information to the viewers and this may have been the case in this situation.

The rule book is big and there are a lot of rules to learn when it comes to playing. It’s even more important to learn these rules when you’re playing tournament golf and the score counts. For more information, you can download the USGA Rules App for Iphone or Android.

What are some rules you would like to learn about?

After a few discussions regarding proper etiquette on the golf course, the big takeaway for a lot of people is the importance of taking care of the golf course. It’s one of our biggest priorities to leave the course in better shape than you found it. So in today’s blog, we are going to explain the top three ways you can take better care of the golf course you are playing!

#1. Repair Your Divots

In the south, every golf cart has sand to repair your divots. A divot occurs when you hit the ball and then the ground, although it can also happen when you chunk a shot…but I digress. If you are playing on cool season grasses, your divot should actually come out in one piece. Go fetch your divot, and put it back where it came from. You should step on it and try to reconnect it to the ground. If you are playing on warm weather grasses, the grass will not come out in one piece which is where the sand comes in. Dump some sand in your divot and then smooth it out with your foot so when the mower comes by, it won’t get sand in the blades. If you can, repair some other divots while you’re at it. You should go back to the club house with 2 empty sand bottles.

#2. Repair Your Ballmarks

Especially on bent grass greens, you can get some really big ball marks on the green. To fix your ball marks, locate the high part of the ball mark, or the back of it, take a golf tee or a ball mark repair tool and push the prongs in at a 45 degree angle toward the middle of the ball mark and push straight up to 90 degrees all the way around the ball mark. Then tap it down with your putter or your foot. If you are close to the hole, use your putter. Also, try to pick up your feet while you’re on the green, especially if you have soft spikes. Also, repair your ball mark and a few others if you see them.

#3. Rake Your Bunker

During the last couple of years when golf has become really popular, golf courses were taking the rake off the golf course to avoid the spread of illness. They were telling people to just give yourself a good lie in the bunker and don’t rake it. Since a lot of people started playing golf during this time, newer golfers may not know about this common courtesy to other golfers. Very simple, forward and back with the rake and smooth over the foot prints.

Golf is called the gentleman’s game for a reason! It’s extremely important to not only take care of the golf course and leave it better than you found it, but it’s also about helping out your fellow golfer and having courtesy for those playing behind you. We hope you found this informative. Feel free to comment on ways you make your golf course better!