RGA Local Rules

 

USGA rules govern all play except as modified by local rules.

 

Updated 2/17/2025

 

1. Pump House Between #7 & #8

  • The unmaintained area around the pump house between holes #7 and #8 is deemed ground under repair and free relief may be taken (Rule 16.1b). If known or virtually certain that your ball has come to rest in that area, you may drop a ball between the nearest point of full relief and one club length no nearer the hole. No penalty.

  • If your nearest point of relief is toward #7 fairway, your nearest full relief could be on the cart path. You then get full relief from the path from the nearest point of relief and plus up to one club length no nearer the hole (Rule 16.1). No penalty.

 

2. Ball Lost or Out of Bounds

When your ball is lost or comes to rest out of bounds (OB), you have two options for relief: Stroke and Distance (Rule 18.2) or RGA adopted Modified Local Rule E-5, provided you did not hit a provisional ball. If you hit a provisional shot you cannot take advantage of Modified Local Rule E-5 and must use your provisional ball if your original ball is lost or OB.

 

  • Modified Local Rule E-5 Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds

    • We have adopted this rule to save you the time and hassle of trudging back to the point of your previous shot (Stroke and Distance) if your ball is lost or out of bounds.
    • According to the USGA Rules, "this option allows you to drop in a large area between the point where the ball is estimated to have come to rest or gone out of bounds and the edge of the fairway being played." You may drop up to two clubs onto the fairway from the reference point on the edge. Two stoke penalty.

  • When would this rule apply?

    • Possibly on hole #1 if your ball goes left under the trees and you are not able to find it after a 3-minute search.
    • Likewise, if you lose your ball after hitting left into the trees on holes #3 or #4. You could also use this rule if you fly your ball over the fences (OB) into someone’s backyard on #15 or into the practice area left of #18.

  • When would this rule not apply?

    • If you hit left on #11 or right on #15 and your ball rolls into a penalty area. In these cases, you would have to employ Stroke and Distance, Back-on-the-Line or, for a Red Penalty Area, Lateral relief (Rule 17.1).

 

3. Bunkers

Bunkers are defined as “a specially prepared area of sand” in the rules of golf. Unfortunately, being a public golf course the bunkers at Redtail are not well maintained. Therefore, the RGA has instituted Local Rule 3A that allows a player the option of creating a preferred lie in a bunker. During winter months bunkers may become unplayable even with preferred lies and Local Rule 3B may be put into force.

 

  • 3A. Preferred Lie in the Bunker

    • When a ball comes to rest in a bunker, the player may lift and clean the ball, rake the sand where the ball came to rest and replace the ball at the point nearest to where it came to rest. No Penalty.

  • 3B. Bunkers Deemed Unplayable

    • When bunkers are deemed unplayable due to weather or other conditions, they shall be treated as ground under repair (Rule 16). The player may drop a ball outside the bunker within the nearest point of full relief plus one club length no nearer the hole. No penalty.

 

4. Preferred Lies

Because of the wet conditions in the Pacific Northwest, we generally play preferred lies (USGA Local Rule E-3) from late fall through spring. The Rules Committee will determine when preferred lies are in play.

  • Ball in the General Area may be lifted, cleaned and placed, no nearer the hole within a 12” radius  (24” half circle) of where the ball came to rest. No penalty.

  • Balls in penalty areas may not be lifted except when taking penalty relief (Rule 17.1).

 

5. Embedded Ball

This rule applies when the course is wet due to rain in the fall, winter and spring. This rule does not apply if the ball is in a penalty area or out of bounds (Rule 16.3).

  • If a ball is known or virtually certain to be embedded in the general area of the course, excluding bunkers and penalty areas, a ball may be dropped within one club length no nearer the hole to where the ball is estimated to be embedded. No Penalty.

 

6. Leaf Relief

The “Leaf Rule” is in effect when large accumulations of leaves are present on the golf course. Under this rule a large accumulation of leaves in the general area of the course is considered an abnormal course condition (Rule 16.1) and the player is entitled to free relief. This rule does not apply if the ball is certain or virtually certain to be in a penalty area or out of bounds.

  • If a ball is found in or if not found is virtually certain to have come to rest in large accumulation of leaves (abnormal course condition), the player may take relief by dropping within one club length of where the ball crossed the margin of the abnormal course condition, no nearer the hole. No Penalty.

 

7. Hole #15. Relief from the Road.

When a ball has come to rest on or alongside the Road, you have two options for relief, both without penalty:

  • A ball may be dropped at the Yellow Tees.

  • Abnormal course condition relief may be taken by finding the nearest point of complete relief and dropping within one club length no nearer the hole (rule 16.1).

If the ball is not found on or alongside the road, but it is virtually certain it did not go out of bounds, the ball is lost and you have two relief options both with penalty strokes:

  • You can take Stroke and Distance relief for one penalty stroke (Rule 18.2a).

  • You can utilize Modified Local Rule E-5 to drop between where the ball is estimated to be lost and up to two club lengths onto the fairway for two penalty strokes.

If the ball is found OB (beyond the fence) or you are virtually certain it went out of bounds, you can proceed under Stroke and Distance (Rule 18.2) or Modified Local Rule E-5 described above with the appropriate penalty strokes.

 

8.No Drop Zones. (As if Red staked)

There are no drop zones on hole #3 or hole #11. If your ball comes to rest in any of the penalty areas near these holes you must proceed under Rule 17.

  • If the ball crosses into the penalty area over Red Stakes, you may choose Stroke & Distance, Back-on-the-Line or Lateral relief for one penalty stroke (Rule 17.1d, 1-3).

  • If the ball crosses into the penalty area over Yellow Stakes, you may only choose between Stroke & Distance or Back-on-the-Line relief for one penalty stroke (Rule 17.1d, 1-2).