Rules – Waterford Ladies Golf Association

WLGA & USGA Rules

Match Play Explanation
Match Play Rules

USGA Rules (link to USGA site - opens in a new tab)

Match Play Explanations

1. Result of Hole and Match
In Match Play result of the hole or match is decided as follows:

● You win a hole when you complete the hole in fewer strokes than your opponent or your opponent concedes the hole or your opponent gets the general penalty (loss of hole).
● You tie a hole (also known as “halved”) when you and your opponent complete the hole in the same number of strokes.
● You win a match when you have more points at the end of 9 holes.

2. Concessions

● You may concede your opponent’s next stroke, a hole or the match, but a concession is only made when it is clearly communicated.

● A concession is final. You cannot withdraw it once made and your opponent cannot decline the concession.

3. Your Responsibilities in Match Play
You have a responsibility to:

● Tell your opponent the right number of strokes you have taken, when asked.
● Make your opponent aware as soon as reasonably possible after you get a penalty.
● Know the match score.

4. Protect Your Rights
In a match, you should protect your own rights and interests under the Rules:

● If you know or believe that your opponent has breached a Rule that has a penalty, you may act on the breach or choose to ignore it.
● If you and your opponent deliberately agree to ignore a breach or penalty you both know applies, you are both disqualified.

Partner Match Play Rules

1. The team that “holes out” of a hole in fewer net strokes than the opponent(s) wins the hole. There may be 18 /9 individual holes. The side winning the most holes WINS THE MATCH. Record your individual scores as you would for any game of golf. It is a good strategy to know whether your team is ahead, behind or tied.

2. RULES SPECIFIC TO PARTNER MATCH PLAY (R.30-3): One partner for all or any part of a match may represent a side. An absent partner may join a match between holes but not during play of a hole.

3. Balls belonging to the same team may be played in the order the team considers best.

4. Honors: At the first tee, “honors” may be awarded by the flip of a coin (lot). Or, the person with the lowest handicap is awarded the honor. After the first hole, the honor of “teeing off” goes to the winner/winning side of the last hole. If the hole was tied, whoever teed off first on the previous hole continues to tee off first until the “honor” is lost.

5. There is NO PENALTY for teeing off from the wrong tee box area. But your opponent may request that you tee off again properly.

6. Where a player incurs a penalty for breach of a rule, the penalty shall not apply to his partner. Where the penalty is stated to be loss of hole, the effect shall be to disqualify the ONE player for that hole only.

7. No more than 14 clubs in the bag. Loss of one hole for each hole where this occurred. Maximum loss of two holes per match.

8. If you play the wrong ball, you lose the hole. (Since this is partner match play, only one player is out of the hole The other player continues to try to hole out in fewer strokes than the opponent) See #6 above.

9. If you ask for advice, ask your partner. You may give distances to your partner or opponents. Information on the Rules or on matters of public information, such as doglegs, the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, or distances is not advice.

10. If a partner wants to know where to aim the ball when putting, you may indicate the spot BUT DON’T LET YOUR CLUBHEAD TOUCH THE PUTTING GREEN WHEN SHOWING THE “BEST SPOT.” It results in loss of the hole.

11. You may concede a stroke to your opponents, usually a putt (“gimmee”) or they to you. Remember to count the stroke toward your gross score on the hole. PICK UP THE BALL. DO NOT PUTT IT.

12. You or your partner may concede (“give”) the hole to the opponents. Only do this fYOUR SIDE IS TOTALLY OUT OF THE HOLE with no chance of either team member winning or tying the hole. All players take the score they would have probably made had the hole not been conceded.

13. Scoring: Win Hole = 1 or +
Lose Hole = 0
Tie Hole =.5 or -

Revised: 01/2021