Who doesn’t know in regards to the three minute rule? Nobody. It’s been drilled into us because the new guidelines decreased the time allowed for a search from 5 to a mere 180 seconds again in 2019.
You understand you get to the world the place you’re ball could be hiding and the clock begins ticking. And, sure, right here’s one other entreaty to make use of a watch or a cellphone to begin ticking off these valuable grains of sand.
However is that each one there may be to it? Do the seconds all the time tick off till they inevitably run out?
We’re going out into the sector – or extra appropriately some tough – for an actual life guidelines instance. One which comes particularly from my life because it occurred to me in a current competitors.
I’d tugged my ball left off the tee and into some heavy stuff. It was a busy day and we have been being caught by a gaggle behind. After a minute and a half of fruitlessly searching, stated group arrived on the tee.
We waved them by means of. I used to be clearly of their potential hitting zone, so I ended the clock, halted the search, waited for them to tee off, after which resumed trying once they had completed so.
I couldn’t discover it and, as I used to be on my method again to the tee (sure, I ought to have hit a provisional), I took some mild ribbing about ‘three minutes’ and the way lengthy the general course of had taken.
This obtained me pondering: how a lot do golfers really know in regards to the search guidelines for a golf ball? In the event you’re searching and should cease to let a gaggle by means of, can you actually pause the timer when you look forward to them to hit?
Golf ball search time: Can I cease the clock if I wave a gaggle by means of?
Sure, you’ll be able to. That is one thing nicely value realizing however you received’t discover it within the common sized Guidelines of Golf. Maybe that’s why it may not be frequent information.
That is tucked away in a clarification to Rule 18.2a (1). Test it out on the R&A web site or look it up within the large Official Information to the Guidelines of Golf.
It reveals when the time allowed for a search is “briefly interrupted” and this clarification says there are conditions when the clock stops.
It provides a couple of examples however right here is the one which saves me a clumsy dialog within the clubhouse:
“A participant is trying to find their ball for 2 minutes, then steps apart to permit the next group to play by means of. The search time stops when the search is briefly stopped, and the participant is allowed another minute to look.”
You’ll wish to bear in mind two issues earlier than you go gung-ho. Firstly, and I’m saying it for the second time in a single article, for this reason it’s actually necessary you time your search.
Use a stopwatch, click on in your cellphone – nonetheless you do it’s as much as you. However do it. In the event you don’t know the way a lot time you’ve used how can you know the way a lot you’ve obtained left if it’s time to begin looking out once more?
The second factor is to deal with the phrases “briefly stopped”. Which means the search is STOPPED. Don’t stick with it, shuffle round in a circle hoping you may have the ability to eek out some artful seconds, or get your friends to hold on the hunt.
In the event you hold looking out, the clock retains working. Cease wait you might be doing and wait.
Acquired a query for our professional?
Regardless of the modifications to the Guidelines of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are nonetheless some that go away us scratching our heads. I’ll attempt to assist by that includes the most effective of your queries on this column.
What do you consider this rule a for a golf ball search time? Let me know by leaving a touch upon X.
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