HOW TO PLAY SMOKY HILL COUNTRY CLUB
GOLF COURSE

 
With the resent changes in the rules of golf and the Smoky Hill Golf Course rating by the Kansas City Golf Association/Kansas Golf Association, we wanted to update our Members and their Guests on how to play our golf course.  Here is a detailed update on the holes with changes and how those changes affect the play of the course:

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LOCAL RULES IN EFFECT:

ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL
Under the 2019 rules changes, Smoky Hill Country Club has adopted the new USGA out of bounds/lost ball rule where; If your ball is known and virtually certain to be out of bounds or is lost, you have these options:

1. You have the OPTION to take stroke and distance (existing rule)
2. You have the OPTION to play a provisional ball (existing rule)
3. NEW: The new option under the LOCAL RULE, if is known and virtually certain that your ball is out of bounds or lost:
   1. You may estimate where it went out of bounds or was lost, measure two clubs lengths in bounds from that point OR if it was lost, two club lengths from where you estimate it was lost, mark that point.  THEN you can go on a line, no near the hole, over to the fairway of the hole you are playing and mark two club lengths from the end of the fairway into the fairway.  You may drop the ball (under rule 14.1 procedures in taking relief) ANYWHERE on the line from your first mark by the out of bounds/lost ball estimate and drop according to rule 14.1.  This includes the area in the fairway as well as the ruff.

This LOCAL RULE will be in effect for normal daily play, HOWEVER, TOURNAMENTS MAY ADOPT TO SUSPEND THIS LOCAL RULE FOR A TOURNAMENT!  PLEASE SEE YOUR TOURNAMENT STATEMENT OF THE RULES FOR CLARIFICATION.  
For balls that are out of bounds over the green such as on Holes #3,#4,#6,#8,#9, #12, #13, #14,#17, the following diagram shows relief procedure.

DROP ZONES

There are four drop zones on our course.  The drop zones are optional and not mandatory.

1. Hole #3
2. Hole #13
3. Hole #15
4. Hole #18

You retain all your options for stoke and distance and penalty area relief PLUS the option of using the drop zone.

ALL PENALTY AREAS ARE MARKED RED

Any water hazards (now called PENALTY AREAS) are considered RED.  This provides you the following options:

1. Take Stroke and Distance from your prior shot.
2. OR: Play the ball as it lies.  The new rules allow you to ground your club, remove loose impediments and take practice swings.
3. Or: For a one stroke penalty, you can:
   1. Take relief from the point of where the ball entered the hazard:
      1.  Use the “Back-on-the-line” relief keeping the point of entry on a straight line to the pin.  You may go back as far as you wish keeping the straight line.
      2. OR: take two (2) club lengths from the point where the ball entered the penalty area AND no near the hole.

You do NOT get free relief from abnormal ground conditions or an embedded ball as this area is now a PENALTY AREA

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PLAYING THE COURSE

HOLE #1

A change to our starting hole will be that the area just off the main tee box (drainage run off area) will now be a PENALTY AREA.  It will be marked red and will provide all the relief options listed for PENALTY AREAS.  With the new rules, you can:

1. Take Stroke and Distance from your prior shot.
2. OR: Play the ball as it lies.  The new rules allow you to ground your club, remove loose impediments and take practice swings.
3. Or: For a one stroke penalty, you can:
   1. Take relief from the point of where the ball entered the hazard:
   2. Use the “Back-on-the-line” relief keeping the point of entry on a straight line to the pin.  You may go back as far as you wish keeping the straight line.
   3. OR: take two (2) club lengths from the point where the ball entered the penalty area AND no near the hole.

You do NOT get free relief from abnormal ground conditions or an embedded ball as this area is now a PENALTY AREA

HOLE #3

DROP ZONE is located on tee side of water, close to the water on the left side near the bridge.
The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.
Out of bounds behind the green, when applying the local rule for ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL, has relief shown in the following diagram:

HOLE #4

This hole, with the water, is now marked RED for the PENALTY AREA. See options listed under “ALL PENALTY AREAS ARE MARKED RED”. Lateral relief can be taken on either side of the water, depending on entry point into the PENALTY AREA AND NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE.

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.

HOLE #5

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION

HOLE #6

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.

The water drainage run off area near the green is to be played as a “GENERAL AREA” part of the course and to be played AS IS. HOWEVER, if this particular area is flooded with water or remnants of a recent water run off, then the ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITION rules and relief procedure can be applied.

HOLE #7

The water drainage run off area on the first part of the fairway is to be played as a “GENERAL AREA” part of the course and to be played AS IS. HOWEVER, if this particular area is flooded with water or remnants of a recent water run off, then the ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITION rules and relief procedure can be applied.

HOLE #8

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.

The water drainage run off area on the first part of the fairway is to be played as a “GENERAL AREA”  part of the course and to be played AS IS. HOWEVER, if this particular area is flooded with water or remnants of a recent water run off, then the ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITION rules and relief procedure can be applied.

HOLE #9

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.
This hole, with the water, is now marked RED for the PENALTY AREA. See options listed under “ALL PENALTY AREAS ARE MARKED RED”.

HOLE #10

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.
The area between #10 and #17 (drainage run off area) will now be a PENALTY AREA.  It will be marked red and will provide all the relief options listed for PENALTY AREAS.  With the new rules, you can:

1. Take Stroke and Distance from your prior shot.
2. OR: Play the ball as it lies.  The new rules allow you to ground your club, remove loose impediments and take practice swings.
3. Or: For a one stroke penalty, you can:
   1. Take relief from the point of where the ball entered the hazard:
   2. Use the “Back-on-the-line” relief keeping the point of entry on a straight line to the pin.  You may go back as far as you wish keeping the straight line.
   3. OR: take two (2) club lengths from the point where the ball entered the penalty area AND no near the hole.

You do NOT get free relief from abnormal ground conditions or an embedded ball as this area is now a PENALTY AREA

HOLE #11

The area between #11 and #16 (drainage run off area) will now be a PENALTY AREA.  It will be marked red and will provide all the relief options listed for PENALTY AREAS.  With the new rules, you can:

1. Take Stroke and Distance from your prior shot.
2. OR: Play the ball as it lies.  The new rules allow you to ground your club, remove loose impediments and take practice swings.
3. Or: For a one stroke penalty, you can:
   1. Take relief from the point of where the ball entered the hazard:
   2. Use the “Back-on-the-line” relief keeping the point of entry on a straight line to the pin.  You may go back as far as you wish keeping the straight line.
   3. OR: take two (2) club lengths from the point where the ball entered the penalty area AND no near the hole.

You do NOT get free relief from abnormal ground conditions or an embedded ball as this area is now a PENALTY AREA

HOLE #12

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.

HOLE #13

This hole, with the water, is now marked RED for the PENALTY AREA. See options listed under “ALL PENALTY AREAS ARE MARKED RED”. Lateral relief can be taken on either side of the water, depending on entry point into the PENALTY AREA AND NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE. Lateral relief can be taken on either side of the water, depending on entry point into the PENALTY AREA AND NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE. DROP ZONE is located on the tee side of the water, near the water, between the trees.
The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.

HOLE #14

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.
The water drainage run off area between #14 and #15 is to be played as a “GENERAL AREA”  part of the course and to be played AS IS. HOWEVER, if this particular area is flooded with water, remnants of a recent water run off or in an area full of tree ruts, then the ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITION rules and relief procedure can be applied.

HOLE #15

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.
The water drainage run off area between #15 and #14 is to be played as a “GENERAL AREA”  part of the course and to be played AS IS. HOWEVER, if this particular area is flooded with water, remnants of a recent water run off or in an area full of tree ruts, then the ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITION rules and relief procedure can be applied.
This hole, with the water, is now marked RED for the PENALTY AREA. See options listed under “ALL PENALTY AREAS ARE MARKED RED”. Lateral relief can be taken on either side of the water, depending on entry point into the PENALTY AREA AND NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE. Lateral relief can be taken on either side of the water, depending on entry point into the PENALTY AREA AND NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE. DROP ZONE is located on the left side front, near the green, in front of the big tree near the water.

HOLE #16

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.

The area between #16 and #11 (drainage run off area) will now be a PENALTY AREA.  It will be marked red and will provide all the relief options listed for PENALTY AREAS.  With the new rules, you can:

1. Take Stroke and Distance from your prior shot.
2. OR: Play the ball as it lies.  The new rules allow you to ground your club, remove loose impediments and take practice swings.
3. Or: For a one stroke penalty, you can:
   1. Take relief from the point of where the ball entered the hazard:
   2. Use the “Back-on-the-line” relief keeping the point of entry on a straight line to the pin.  You may go back as far as you wish keeping the straight line.
   3. OR: take two (2) club lengths from the point where the ball entered the penalty area AND no near the hole.

You do NOT get free relief from abnormal ground conditions or an embedded ball as this area is now a PENALTY AREA

HOLE #17

The new local rule for out of bounds applies on this hole.  Please see the ALTERNATIVE TO STROKE AND DISTANCE FOR LOST BALL OR OUT OF BOUNDS BALL under the LOCAL RULES SECTION. This includes the area of out of bounds behind the green with the relief shown in the second diagram under the LOCAL RULES SECTION.
The area between #17 and #10 (drainage run off area) will now be a PENALTY AREA.  It will be marked red and will provide all the relief options listed for PENALTY AREAS.  With the new rules, you can:

1. Take Stroke and Distance from your prior shot.
2. OR: Play the ball as it lies.  The new rules allow you to ground your club, remove loose impediments and take practice swings.
3. Or: For a one stroke penalty, you can:
   1. Take relief from the point of where the ball entered the hazard:
   2. Use the “Back-on-the-line” relief keeping the point of entry on a straight line to the pin.  You may go back as far as you wish keeping the straight line.
   3. OR: take two (2) club lengths from the point where the ball entered the penalty area AND no near the hole.

You do NOT get free relief from abnormal ground conditions or an embedded ball as this area is now a PENALTY AREA

HOLE #18