Local Rules for Play on Braid Hills and Wee Braids
LOCAL RULES FOR PLAY ON BRAID HILLS AND WEE BRAIDS
Effective from 20 February 2024.
The Rules of Golf as approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews shall apply and in addition the following Local Rules shall apply to the exclusion of those printed on the reverse of the Edinburgh Leisure scorecards:
1. OUT OF BOUNDS (Rule 18.2)
A ball is out of bounds if it comes to rest on or over any wall or fence bounding the course.
2. IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS (Rule 16)
a) All roads, tracks and paths through the golf course. (Please see LR 5c below for a ball lying on the bridle path behind the greens on the 5th and 11th on Braid Hills and 8th on Wee Braids).
b) Staked trees
c) All drainage covers
d) All open stone filled drainage ditches.
3. GROUND UNDER REPAIR: PLAY PROHIBITED
Any part of the course as defined by an enclosed white line is ground under repair from which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies in the area, or if it interferes with the player’s stance or the area of the player’s intended swing, the player MUST take relief under Rule 16.1a.
4. IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS CLOSE TO PUTTING GREENS (Rule 16.1)
In addition to the types of interference described in Rule 16.1a, when a ball lies in the General Area, interference also exists if an immovable obstruction (for example a fixed sprinkler head) is: on the player’s line of play, is within two club-lengths of the putting green and is within two club-lengths of the ball. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b (Exception – There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable).
5. ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITIONS (Rule 16)
a) Animal Dung
At the player’s option, animal dung may be treated either as:
• A loose impediment that may be removed under Rule 15.1, or
• Ground Under Repair from which relief is allowed under Rule 16.1
If dung is found on the putting green, the player may remove the dung from the line of play. If doing so improves the line of play or other conditions affecting the stroke, there is no penalty under Rule 8.1a.
b) Animal Hoof Damage
Damage that is clearly identifiable as having been caused by animal hoofs is ground under repair from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1. On the putting green Rule 16.1 does not apply as such damage may be repaired under Rule 13.1.
c) Path behind 5th/11th (Braids) and 8th (Wee Braids)
The bridle path and all ground between the path and boundary wall behind the 5th and 11th greens on Braid Hills, and behind the 8th green on the Wee Braids, is deemed to form the one abnormal ground condition and if relief is taken, the nearest point of complete relief will be on the course side of the path but must be no nearer the hole.
d) Relief from Seams of Cut Turf
If a player’s ball lies in or touches a seam of cut turf or a seam interferes with the player’s area of intended swing:
(1) Ball in General Area. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b
(2) Ball on Putting Green. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1d.
But interference does not exist if the seam only interferes with the player’s stance.
All seams within the area of cut turf are treated as the same seam in taking relief. This means that if a player has interference from any seam after dropping the ball, the player must proceed as required under Rule 14.3c(2) even when the ball is still within one club-length of the reference point.
e) Relief from Aeration Holes
If a player’s ball lies in or touches an aeration hole:
(1) Ball in General Area. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b. If the ball comes to rest in another aeration hole the player may take relief again under this Local Rule.
(2) Ball on Putting Green. The player may take relief under Rule 16.1d.
But interference does not exist if the aeration hole only interferes with the player’s stance or, on the putting green, on the player’s line of play.
6. PREFERRED LIES
Preferred lies will be in operation on Braid Hills and Wee Braids for Comiston competitions from the beginning of each year up to and including 30 April and at any other time as advised by Edinburgh Leisure.
In the event of preferred lies applying on the day of any competitions the following local rule will apply:
When any part of a player’s ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once, by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:
• Reference Point: Spot of original ball.
• Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:
• Limits on Location of Relief Area:
o Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
o Must be in the general area.
In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.
The penalty for breach of a Local Rule is the General Penalty i.e. 2 strokes in Stroke Play or loss of hole in Match Play.