Golf Rules for 2019

As a Referee I came across three players looking for a ball in a Red Penalty Area.  They explained the shot had hit a tree within the penalty area and had bounced, but they didn't know if it was off a rock in the penalty area or something else.  They were convinced (Virtually Certain), however, that the ball was in the penalty area.  After a significant search without finding the ball, the player asked what options she had. I explained the three options (Rule 17) and she opted to take relief back on the line from the point of entry.  Off a steep downhill, side hill lie, she hit a nice draw around the tree in the penalty area and back into the fairway.  When she went forward to hit her fourth shot, she said, "Here is my first ball on the cart path.  Where do I take relief?" Sorry.  Rule 14.4 says that once the original ball has been abandoned, it may no longer be played on that hole, it is a Wrong Ball.  She had to lift it and continue on with her substituted ball.

For both of you who might have missed it, on August 8, Rory McIlroy tried to move a loose impediment in a fairway bunker.  When he started to touch it, he realized it might not be a stone as he thought, but could be a clump of sand instead.  He admitted to touching the clump, but it didn't move and he did nothing to improve his lie in the bunker.  The referee he called over called for clarification and after some discussion the committee decided that Rory had earned the General Penalty -- two strokes. Rule 12.2a permits removing loose impediments an movable obstructions in a bunker.  It further explains that "...any reasonable touching or movement of the sand in the bunker while doing so" is permitted. Rule 12.2a(1) describes when touching sand will result in a penalty.       Before making a stroke at a ball in a bunker, a player must not:          Deliberately touch sand in the bunker with a hand, club, rake or other object to test the condition of the sand to lear

This has nothing to do with the Rules, but since it is my Blog, my rules. A couple of weeks ago (June 27), I had an opportunity to put one more item into my personal bucket of things to do before I can't do them anymore.  I had a $500 gift card for Pebble Beach and since I was visiting my sister in California, I took the opportunity to play the Links.  I call about a week ahead of time to see about availability and got a time of 1:40 pm on the 27th, joining a twosome and another single.  Since I was not staying at the Lodge, it only cost me another $95 to play. The rough was still about 3-3 1/2 inches (after the US Open less than two weeks earlier) and the greens were relatively slow, stimping at 9 according to both the proshop and my feel for them.  I played to course from the white tees (6200 yds, roughly, 72.0/135) and managed a 94 with my 10 course handicap. For you stats geeks, I hit nine fairways, two greens (three putted one and birdied the other) and couldn't adva