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August 2007 - "Should I hook it around the tree?"
This sounds like a fairly innocent question. But in fact, the player asking it has just copped a two-stroke
penalty in stroke play or a loss-of-hole penalty in match play under Rule 8-1, unless he was talking to his
caddie, his partner, or his partner's caddie.
The principle expressed in Rule 8-1 is that, except for advice from his partner or either of their caddies, a player must play his own game from the time he makes his first stroke of the round. The Rule not only bars the player from seeking advice, but also prohibits him from giving advice to any other player other than his partner.
To get a better understanding of the Rule, we need to know the meaning of the defined terms "partner" and "advice" as they apply to the Rules of Golf.
A partner is defined as a player associated with another player on the same side. Players competing together in a singles stroke, par or stableford competition are never "partners" of each other, even when another event such as an aggregate or 2Ball novelty event is associated with that singles competition. A player's partner is typically someone on his side in a foursome match or stroke play competition, a three-ball, best-ball or four-ball match, or a four-ball stroke play competition.
Advice is defined as any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke. Information on the Rules or on matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, is not advice.
Examples of advice that can't be asked for or given are club selection, swing tips, or recommendations on a course of action, such as whether to lay up or go for the green. A player would also be in breach of the advice Rule if he made a statement regarding his club selection which was purposely misleading and was obviously intended to be overheard by another player who had a similar shot (Decision 8-1/9).
Although asking a fellow-competitor or opponent what club he hit is a violation of the Rules if you haven't yet played your shot, that doesn't mean you can't use your powers of observation by peeking into another player's bag to see which club is missing. However, you are not allowed to remove a towel or bag hood covering another player's clubs to determine which club the player is using. This is a breach of Rule 8-1 because the information was obtained through a physical act and is the equivalent of seeking advice (Decision 8-1/11).
Not all questions are forbidden. Generally speaking, information which is readily available to the player is not considered advice. For example, a player may ask about the Rules.
The following is a list of some additional questions which are allowed under the advice Rule:
o Asking about club selection after all involved have played their shots.
o Asking anyone about the distance from a permanent object to another permanent object, including the putting green.
o Seeking information about the length of a hole when the information is not displayed on the tee.
o Exchanging distance information, including the distance between a player's ball and the hole.
o Asking whether a distance marker is accurate.
o Asking anyone how far an opponent's or fellow-competitor's ball on the green lies from the flagstick.
o Asking an opponent or fellow-competitor what club he used at a previous hole.
o Commenting about club selection after playing a stroke - eg. casually saying "I should have used a 5-iron". However, if the comment was made to another player who had a shot to play from about the same position, there was a breach.
o Asking for advice before commencing a round from someone who has already completed their round. Rule 8-1 applies only during the play of a round.
o Asking for advice after 18 holes in a 36-hole match. A 36-hole match consists of two 18-hole stipulated rounds (Definition of "Stipulated Round").
o Asking for advice when play is suspended. When a stipulated round is suspended, the prohibition against giving or asking for advice no longer applies.
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