Have fun playing the American Foursomes tomorrow.
Just remember that your playing partner didn’t mean to hit you into that pond!
Enjoy.
Wednesday comp results repaired.
There was an issue with results going to GA Connect on Wednesday with 16 players not having their day’s effort credited to their playing record.
All fixed now!
Women’s Golf Illawarra Pennants
The WGI Pennant season starts this Monday. Jamberoo has nominated 4 teams. We wish all the players the best of luck.
Our Silver Pennant team start this Monday with a game at Jamberoo .
Preferred lies removed Monday16 February
From Monday there will no longer be preferred lies.
Play it as it lies both in the fairway and rough. Please see local rule 7.2 under abnormal ground conditions.
“Bare patches on fairways are to be treated as abnormal course conditions and free relief may be taken after first identifying the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole”.
Local Rules Update
All local rules can be found on the MiScore App, under the menu tab.
For those without the app. the latest version of the local rules are printed below.
Local Rules at Jamberoo updated 2 February 2026
Out of Bounds: Those areas beyond the inside points, at ground level, of any course boundary
fences or any line of white stakes with black tops. A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of
bounds. The out of bounds option of taking a drop is not in play.
The first tee area and the carpark is OB while playing the 9th.
Penalty areas: Penalty areas are defined by red or yellow stakes or markers. Note: The stakes or
markers are immovable obstructions.
Ground Under Repair
3.1 All areas circled by white broken/unbroken lines or stakes or blocks inserted in the grass.
3.2 The garden area behind the 2nd green, marked by white stakes, is a no-play zone and
COMPULSORY GUR. Relief MUST be taken by dropping within the drop zone to the north of the
green.
3.3 Formed Garden beds within the course are classed COMPULSORY GUR and a ball laying in any
of these gardens must be dropped at the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole.
3.4 If taking relief from the GUR area adjacent to the Works Shed on the eastern side of the 18th
green, the ball must be dropped in the marked Drop Zone.
3.5 If taking relief from the marked GUR or garden behind the 9th green the ball must be played from the drop zone north of the green.
Immovable Obstructions
4.1 Close to Putting Green – Sprinkler Heads. Relief may be taken if the obstruction is within two club
lengths of the green, your ball is within two club lengths of the obstruction and the obstruction is on
your line of play.
4.2 The works compound is an immovable obstruction.
4.3 All course indicator signs, stakes or staked trees, distance markers, penalty area pegs, footgolf
holes, roadways, and paths around the course are immovable obstructions.
Footgolf flags are movable obstructions.
4.4 Safety screens on the course are immovable obstructions. No line of site relief is allowed.
Integral Parts of the Course
All roads and paths which do not have boundaries or an artificial surface.
Penalty Areas
6.1 Penalty Areas – Provisional Ball
If there is doubt whether a ball is in or lost in the penalty areas which cross Hyam’s Creek on the 1st,
4th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 18th fairways or the penalty area in front of the 16th green and 17th tee, the
player may play another ball provisionally (rule 18.3) under any of the applicable options in Rule
16.1d.
If the original ball is found outside the penalty area, the player must continue to play with it.
If the original ball is found in the penalty area, the player may either play the original ball as it lies or
continue with the ball played provisionally under Rule 17.1d
If the original ball is not found or identified within the 3-minute search period, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally.
6.2 The penalty area on the 16th hole short of the green is a Red Penalty area. The player may take:
‘Stroke and distance’ relief, ‘back on line’ relief, each for one penalty stroke. The greenside boundary
is defined by the top of the brick work. The protective fence is not in the penalty area and players are entitled to free relief not nearer the hole if their swing or stance is affected by the fence which is an immovable obstruction.
The Red penalty area for the pond in front of the 8th green has its penalty area defined by the cleared top edge of the penalty area.
Abnormal Ground Conditions – Rule 16
7.1 Grated drains and adjacent depressions may be treated as “Abnormal Ground Conditions” and
relief may be taken.
7.2 Bare patches on fairways are to be treated as abnormal course conditions and free relief may be taken after first identifying the nearest point of relief not nearer the hole.
Use of Distance Measuring Devices: Under rule 4.3 a player may obtain distance information by
using a device that measures distance only.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: General Penalty – Match play – Loss of hole
Hi Dave
When playing the 9th and your tee ball ends up in the works sheds what is the ruling there.
Cheers Craig
Thanks Craig for the question. The works compound is an immovable obstruction. As such you get full free relief at the nearest point not nearer the hole outside the obstruction. This point is taken from the final position of the ball inside the compound. You don’t get line of sight relief nor relief from any trees and shrubs in the vicinity.
The same applies on the 18th. If your ball enters the compound you get relief from the obstruction in the same way as described before.
The drop zone is for balls that end in the white marked GUR on the green side of the 18th green.
Hi Dave. Was hoping for clarification over the local provisional ball rule. I suspect my ball is in the (creek) hazard, play a provisional ball where I would normally take a drop. If I then find my ball inside the hazard, but can’t or don’t want to play it as it lies, can I take another drop to replace the provisional ball (counting the drop as a penalty stroke) OR does the original provisional ball always stand in this case? Cheers, Jake.
If the original ball is found outside the penalty area, the player must continue to play with it.
If the original ball is found in the penalty area, the player may either play the original ball as it lies or
continue with the ball played provisionally under Rule 17.1d
If the original ball is not found or identified within the 3-minute search period, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally.
Thanks for the prompt reply. I fear I have been applying this rule incorrectly (dropping the provisional at the hazard, 2 club lengths or along the line etc) because I note that 18.3 states “Playing the Provisional: If the original shot was from the tee, the provisional must be played from the tee. If from elsewhere, it should be dropped as near as possible to the spot of the previous stroke.” Unless the local rule supersedes 18.3? Thanks again Dave
The local rule at Jamberoo was approved by the head of GA handicapping and rules, Andrew Robb and is designed to speed up play.
Rule 18.3a of the rules of golf defines what to do if a ball is lost outside of a penalty area or be out of bounds, and when a provisional ball can be played. All penalty areas at Jamberoo are Red areas so it is always possible to drop back on line.
Thanks David. I’m not critical of the rule, just trying to understand its application. Should the provisional ball be played from the same position as the previous shot, or by the hazard, relational to where it entered/crossed? Cheers
Not a problem Jake. I reckon that as it is a red penalty area then you should drop it at the point it crossed keeping that point and the hole in line (ie back in line). However it is equally correct to play from where the last shot was played from or indeed within two club lengths of where it entered the penalty area not nearer the hole. If you find it then that local rule can come into play and the you get the option to play the original or to count the provisional with the penalty added.
Of course I would be interested in what others think about the situation you describe Jake. I think I have it correct but am not infallible. Please comment any body else.
Cheers David!