Most of the popular sports that are played today are at least two hundred years old, and in that time, they have undergone numerous changes, including alterations to the rules. Golf, however, is closer to 600 years old, meaning that it has been privy to even more changes over the years.
What that means, then, is that there are a lot of rules in golf that most people are unaware of and may even find downright strange. These are some of the weirdest rules that apply to any official game of golf.
The Cactus Rule
Golf courses can be found throughout the world, in just about every ecosystem imaginable, including semi-arid and desert regions. This is why it’s possible to come across the odd cactus while playing, but it also creates the opportunity that the ball might land right next to the cactus, which can be a problem for the golfer wanting to take a full swing.
The rules state that a golfer is permitted to wrap their arm and hand in a towel to provide protection when the ball is near to a cactus, but they may not wrap the cactus itself in a towel.
Ball In The Clubhouse
Of course, due to the fact that a course’s clubhouse is never too far away, the chance exists that the ball may somehow end up inside the building. This might seem like an end to the game, but there is actually a rule that allows the player to keep going.
If the ball does indeed land up within the clubhouse, the player is permitted to enter, open up a corresponding door or window, and manoeuvre the ball back out and on to the course to continue the game.
Landing on An Anthill
Ants build their anthills wherever they please, and a golf course is the perfect environment for them to set one up. This means that it’s entirely possible for a ball to somehow land on an anthill during play, which is seen in the rules as a loose impediment.
This means that if the ball does land on an anthill, the player is allowed to take the ball off and place it nearby without suffering a penalty of any kind, but at this point it might be easier to head inside and check out roulettecanada.com/real-money games.
Missing Clubhead
Modern golf sticks are built to be as durable as possible, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t ever break. One problem that may occur is the clubhead falling off completely when leading up to a swing.
The rules state that if the clubhead falls off when during the downswing, it’s considered a stroke. If the clubhead falls off when the club is in the upswing, the stroke is not counted.
Embedded In Fruit
While it might seem unlikely, if the event occurs that the balls is somehow lodged in a fruit, the player will either have to try and take the shot regardless or declare the shot unplayable and accept any penalties.