| IMPORTANT Safety Information for Foursomes |
| The BGGC Foursomes (alternate drives and shots) this Saturday 18th July is a pairs competition and England Golf has today published strict guidance on playing in a Foursomes format.Each pair plays with only one ball taking alternate drives/shots and the safety of yourself and your playing partner is of paramount importance. The fundamental principle is that the player who tees off is the ONLY player to handle that ball until that hole is completed, including when on the green.
The guidance is reproduced below and I ask that you read and understand this before play on Saturday. • Each partner should use their own golf ball, which is only handled by that player. For example, the player teeing off from hole 1 is the only player that touches the ball from teeing off through to completion of the hole. The partner teeing off from hole 2 does likewise with their ball. Under the Rules of Golf, a partner is permitted to drop the side’s ball in taking relief. It is also permissible to drop another ball when taking relief. • When marking and replacing the ball on the putting green this should be conducted by the partner the ball belongs to. Under this situation (or any other where the ball must be replaced) the original ball must be used and must not be substituted by another ball. So, for clarification, if during the play of a hole, a ball is being dropped in taking relief or because the ball is deemed unplayable, the player who took the tee shot must drop the ball, even though it may be his partner who is taking the next stroke. For completeness: George Auterson |