Play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies. Play by the Rules and in the Spirit of the game.” — Source: Rules of Golf
Unlike many other sports, golf players are expected to recognise when they have breached a Rule and honestly apply their own penalties. However, there may be occasions where players require clarification of the Rules when faced with a particular situation encountered during general play or tournament play. This is where a deep understanding of the Rules of Golf becomes invaluable, especially when navigating these situations. Referees are often called upon to assist players in resolving such rulings, drawing on the specific facts of each situation to ensure fair and accurate application of the rules.
Dennis Mah
For those of you who have participated in the Annual Club Championship, SportsExcel Junior Invitational Golf Championship, Ladies Amateur Open and certain other competitions in RSGC, you would have noticed Referees roaming around the course. Some of you may have sought the assistance of these Referees in resolving rules issues during competition or personally consulted them on rules scenarios during general play.
Regardless of your experience level, this article aims to give Members a clearer understanding of the Referees’ responsibilities and their role in officiating golf tournaments.
Khor Yew Teik
There are currently five Malaysian Golf Association Referees (Lee Tuck Chew, Chew Seng Poh, Khor Yew Teik, Dennis Mah and Michael Chin Fook Tow) and by year end, we hope to add another two more to the pool of referees at RSGC. Each referee has successfully completed the Level 2 rules examinations and 2 apprenticeships under the Tournament Director/Chief Referee/ Senior Referees. To remain on the MGA Referee List, they would need to fulfill the golf events officiating requirements. In addition, MGA has established Standard Operating Procedures to provide good guidance to the appointed Referees in ensuring a successfully managed competition.
Michael Chin Fook Tow
At RSGC, eight referees—four from RSGC and four external, including the Tournament Director and Chief Referee—are appointed to officiate elite competitions. Course preparation begins at least a month before the competition, where the RSGC Tournament Director and Referees inspect the condition of the competition course and share their observations with the Course Superintendent. This allows him to focus on specific areas that need attention. The course is inspected another two to three times prior to the commencement of the competition to ensure that the competition course meets the Tournament Director’s and Chief Referee’s requirements, and areas of concern maybe marked accordingly.
Lee Tuck Chew
Chew Seng Poh
In addition to inspecting the course conditions, as the competition day approaches, the Tournament Director, Chief Referee (external), and both external and RSGC Referees will conduct an inspection of the course markings (line and stakes). This ensures that out-of-bounds areas, penalty areas, grounds under repair, etc are clearly identifiable, minimising the risk of ambiguity. They will also determine the hole locations and ensure the locations chosen do not exceed specific slope gradient requirements for each competition day. Following these inspections, the local rules will be reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure they remain relevant for the competition.
The day before the competition, the TD, CR, Referees and Competition Officials meet to discuss the terms of competition, local rules, pace of play policy, evacuation and resumption plan in the event of play suspension, etc. The TD and CR will also announce the ROTA for the referees and competition officials.
On each competition day, prior to the first tee time, there is a brief meeting before the Setup Referees carry out an inspection of their assigned course. This inspection involves ensuring that the tee markers locations are placed correctly, the hole locations are accurate for that day, and reporting any other observations that may affect play to the TD and CR.
Additionally, the Ground Staff will inform the TD and CR of the daily green speed, which is then communicated to the players by the Starter. At the end of each competition day, TD, CR, Referees and Competition Officials attend a debriefing session to discuss rulings given and any other observations shared by participants. These sessions are invaluable, as they provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and also allow others to learn from them.
Whilst the competition ends on the last day with the final results announced, prizes handed out and disagreement/disputes, if any, resolved, the Chief Referee needs to prepare and provide his report to the Tournament Director. In turn, the Tournament Director will prepare his report and submit his report together with the Chief Referee’s report to the Malaysian Golf Association.
So, if you are uncertain about a particular ruling situation, do seek the assistance of a referee to ensure proper application of the rules and avoid unintended breaches of the rules resulting in incurring penalties.
Happy Golfing.
