Golf Rules Golf Rule 8 Advice Indicating Line Of Play (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles
Golf Rules Golf Rule 8 Advice Indicating Line Of Play (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles

Now rule number 8 is an interesting rule. It talks back indicating the line of play and asking for advice. And this is probably a rule that a lot of golfers will actually fall foul off, but don't know they are falling foul of it. Simple situation, hey we've got a par 3. I've just hit my shot upon to the green. It's landed stone dead next to the flag, and somebody says to me, what club did you hit? If that's in a stroke play competition, that person is now at a two-shot penalty added to their score because they're not allowed to ask for the club that I've hit. That would be in breach of the rules.

And actually it would be a breach of the rules if I told them as well or if I actually said, oh yeah that was a 7 iron. You should use a 7 as well. That's giving advice. That's not allowed by the rules as well. Because don't forget in a stroke play competition, we're not trying to give an advantage to everybody else in the field. So we're not allowed to ask for advice or give advice in terms of club selection. Now you are allowed to ask for a yardage and you are allowed to give a yardage. So if somebody said, how far is that? I’d be able to say oh the flag is a 150 yards away by my sort of SkyCaddie GPS unit or my laser range finder says it's 150. That would be allowed, but not it's a 150, therefore you should hit a 7 iron. There’s a subtle difference there that's asking and giving advice. Now other things, you are allowed to indicate the line of play to somebody. So if somebody is on a strange golf course, have never played this course before, and somebody says, well where's the middle of the fairway. You would be able to say, it's about over there. You can hit it at that tree. That's a good line. That would be acceptable. You wouldn't actually be able to go and position something in that line. You wouldn’t be able to sort of go out there and put a tee peg there and say hit it at the tee peg. You wouldn’t even be able to go and stand on a hill and say hey tee it at me, and you'll hit it over my head on to the green. That wouldn't be allowed. You could say hit it to me, hit it over my head and then move out of the way. That is allowed, but you are not allowed a fixed object to a point in the way. So some quite subtle rules there. Now if we're playing on a green and we’re putting and we've got a caddie. We've got a partner. We’re playing a doubles game and I say, where do you think this putt breaks. Somebody is allowed to go and show me, but are not allowed to touch the surface of the green. So if I am putting to the camera and I say, hey caddie, how does this putt break? He would be able to go up and say it breaks around here. But he's noticing he is not touching the surface of the green. That would be allowed. But actually to say, there you go. Hit it at that that would be a bit of a problem. Likewise if he was able to stand there and say look, I put my foot where I am pointing its way. Hit it straight at my foot. That's not allowed either. So some fairly subtle variations there. So just be very careful, have a good read of the rulebook, rule 8 in terms of advice and indicating line. Don't come a cropper with that rule. 2015-07-16

Now rule number 8 is an interesting rule. It talks back indicating the line of play and asking for advice. And this is probably a rule that a lot of golfers will actually fall foul off, but don't know they are falling foul of it. Simple situation, hey we've got a par 3. I've just hit my shot upon to the green. It's landed stone dead next to the flag, and somebody says to me, what club did you hit? If that's in a stroke play competition, that person is now at a two-shot penalty added to their score because they're not allowed to ask for the club that I've hit. That would be in breach of the rules.

And actually it would be a breach of the rules if I told them as well or if I actually said, oh yeah that was a 7 iron. You should use a 7 as well. That's giving advice. That's not allowed by the rules as well. Because don't forget in a stroke play competition, we're not trying to give an advantage to everybody else in the field. So we're not allowed to ask for advice or give advice in terms of club selection. Now you are allowed to ask for a yardage and you are allowed to give a yardage. So if somebody said, how far is that? I’d be able to say oh the flag is a 150 yards away by my sort of SkyCaddie GPS unit or my laser range finder says it's 150.

That would be allowed, but not it's a 150, therefore you should hit a 7 iron. There’s a subtle difference there that's asking and giving advice. Now other things, you are allowed to indicate the line of play to somebody. So if somebody is on a strange golf course, have never played this course before, and somebody says, well where's the middle of the fairway. You would be able to say, it's about over there. You can hit it at that tree. That's a good line. That would be acceptable. You wouldn't actually be able to go and position something in that line.

You wouldn’t be able to sort of go out there and put a tee peg there and say hit it at the tee peg. You wouldn’t even be able to go and stand on a hill and say hey tee it at me, and you'll hit it over my head on to the green. That wouldn't be allowed. You could say hit it to me, hit it over my head and then move out of the way. That is allowed, but you are not allowed a fixed object to a point in the way. So some quite subtle rules there. Now if we're playing on a green and we’re putting and we've got a caddie. We've got a partner. We’re playing a doubles game and I say, where do you think this putt breaks.

Somebody is allowed to go and show me, but are not allowed to touch the surface of the green. So if I am putting to the camera and I say, hey caddie, how does this putt break? He would be able to go up and say it breaks around here. But he's noticing he is not touching the surface of the green. That would be allowed. But actually to say, there you go. Hit it at that that would be a bit of a problem. Likewise if he was able to stand there and say look, I put my foot where I am pointing its way. Hit it straight at my foot.

That's not allowed either. So some fairly subtle variations there. So just be very careful, have a good read of the rulebook, rule 8 in terms of advice and indicating line. Don't come a cropper with that rule.