1. No “Winter Rules” are in play.
2. Smooth and place in sand traps (do not touch if fried egg).
3. Stones in bunkers are movable obstructions (Rule 24-1 applies).
4. Free drop from all designated cart paths and service roads that run parallel to holes number five and eight. Nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole.
5. Safety fences, cable and wood poles that run parallel to course boundary fence on holes numbers five and eight are immovable obstructions.  If members swing path is impeded, drop on the opposite side of the service path no nearer the hole.  Boundary fence is not an immovable obstruction – no relief.
6. Stroke play:  All putts must be holed out!!! No exceptions.
7. Ties: Match play- sudden death / Medal play – U.S.G.A. tiebreaker.  (The method of matching cards is to determine the winner on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If the tying players have the same score for the last nine, the winner is determined on the basis of the last six holes, last three holes and finally the 18th hole.  In a handicap stroke play competition, one-half, one-third, one-sixth, etc. of the handicaps are deducted. Fractions are not disregarded.  In a competition with a multiple tee start, the “last nine holes, last six holes, etc.” is considered to be holes 10-18, 13-18, etc.).
8. Refreshment stand, bridges, sprinkler control boxes, the bushes directly adjacent to and protecting the sprinkler control boxes, and staked trees are immovable obstructions (Rule 24-2 applies – no intended line of play relief).
9. All water hazards are lateral, one stroke penalty.
10. Casual water, lift and drop nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole, no penalty.
11. Embedded / plugged ball:  Through the green – lift and drop no nearer the hole, no penalty.
12. Holes number eight and eleven, drop from behind water, red tee markers are optional ball drop area.  Do not use the drop area marked on far side of hazard from tee.
13. Scorecards / scoring a tournament.  All players are to be scored on the official club cards and must be signed and attested.  Cards are the responsibility of the team captain and must be placed in the red West Sayville Men’s Club box.  Failure to do so will disqualify the entire foursome from the current tournament.  Incorrect scores returned:  Too low – disqualification.  Too high – score stands.
14. Golf ball water retrievers are not permitted in any member’s bag or equipment.  Includes golf carts!
15. The use of electronic distance measuring devices during club play is permitted.
16. A player shall not play a practice stroke either during the play of a hole or between the play of two holes, the player may practice putting or chipping on or near the putting green of the last hole played, any practice putting green or teeing ground of the next hole to be played in around, provided such strokes are not played from a hazard and does not unduly delay play.  Penalty: stroke play = two strokes, match play = loss of hole.

Out of Bounds and Lost Balls

Effective April 20, 2019 we will be playing the following local rule for out of bounds on holes four, five, eight, nine and sixteen and on lost balls on all holes:

When a player’s ball cannot be found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance. For two penalty strokes, the player may take relief by dropping the original ball or a substituted ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3)

Two Estimated Reference Points:

Ball Reference Point

The point where the original ball:

• Is estimated to have come to rest on the course, or
• Last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.

Fairway Reference Point

The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point.

For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any area of grass in the general area that is cut to fairway height or less.

Size of Relief Area Based on Reference Points

Anywhere between:

• A line from the hole through the ball reference point (or within two club-lengths to the outside of that line), and
• A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (or within two club-lengths to the outside of that line).

Limits on Location of Relief Area

• Must be in the general area, and
• Must not be nearer the hole than the ball reference point. But, the player may not use this option when:
• The ball is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a penalty area, or
• The player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.3).”

The above local rules stated supersede USGA 2019 Rules of Golf pertaining to or at its specific rule interest