The “rules of golf” are worrisome for most golfers due to the fact that the rules are extremely lengthy and somewhat confusing. If you are a serious golfer it’s extremely important to know and understand the rules of the game and all golfers know that anything can happen on the golf course so you must be educated to make the proper decisions. The rules of golf are complicated and even pro’s sometimes make mistakes that will cost them strokes in important rounds or even disqualification in a tournament. The USGA reported some of the most crucial rule incidents of 2008 that had a big impact on pro’s and their game.

Sometimes there are conditions out on the golf course that are completely out of your control. A perfect example of this is happened at the U.S Senior Open in Colorado this year when Hale Irwin’s backswing of his drive off the first tee was interrupted when a loud bell rang from a nearby shrine. Irwin tried to pull back his club however was unsuccessful and made contact with the ball hitting it 20 yards in front of him. Irwin was not rewarded a mulligan shot due to Decision 14/1.5- Intent to Strike Ball because Irwin was unable to stop the club from hitting the ball on his downswing and was forced to hit his second shot from where the ball lied.

Unlike Irwin, sometimes pro’s just flat out forget or make an obvious mistake that can cost them the entire tournament rather than just one stroke. In Michelle Wie’s case in the LPGA State Farm Classic, Wie simply forgot to sign her scored card for her 5-under par round of 67 and was disqualified from the golf tournament. Immediately after Wie left the ruling grounds someone called her back about the unsigned card but technically because she had already turned in the card and left for the day her late signature was not acknowledged.

Although the game of golf is fun and definitely exciting it is important to be conscious that your golf tournament abides by the rules. At US Hole In One we encourage all of our clients to educate themselves and fully understand the terms and conditions that comes along with hole in one insurance so that there are no worries at your tournament when someone hits the grand prize.