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2026 AZ GOLF Hard Card (rev 1.1)

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2026 LOCAL RULES AND TERMS OF COMPETITION

The Rules of Golf as approved by the USGA and R&A Rules Ltd. govern play. These Local Rules, Terms of Competition, and Clarifications are in effect and supplement the competitions’ Notice to Players and the Entry Application. The complete text of the Rules may be found in the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf and are available at USGA.org/rules. References to MLRs are Model Local Rules in the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf Committee Procedures Section 8. All terms are in effect unless otherwise stated in the Notice to Players.

Unless otherwise noted, the penalty for a breach of a Local Rule or Condition is the General Penalty (Match Play – Loss of Hole; Stroke Play – Two Strokes)

LOCAL RULES AND TERMS OF COMPETITION

OUT OF BOUNDS – OB is defined by the course-side edges at ground level of boundary walls, perimeter fence posts, public roads, and white stakes and lines connecting other boundary markings. A ball that comes to rest beyond the boundary of the hole being played is OB even though it may lie on another part of the course.

PENALTY AREAS – When a penalty area is defined on only one side, it extends to infinity. When a penalty area is connected to the OB edge, the penalty area extends to and coincides with OB. Note: Desert areas and washes are not penalty areas unless so marked/defined.

OPPOSITE EDGE RELIEF WHEN CROSSING RED PENALTY AREA FROM OUT OF BOUNDS – MLR B-2.2 is in effect.

ABNORMAL COURSE CONDITIONS AND INTEGRAL OBJECTS:

ANIMAL HOLES – MLR F-6 is in effect for animal holes in non-turfed areas and modifies R16.1 as follows: Relief is not allowed for animal holes in non-turfed areas in the General Area when interference only exists with the player’s stance. Note also that areas of flattened or worn-down dirt that no longer contain loose material are deemed NOT to be animal holes and no relief is available under R16.1.

IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS AND GROUND UNDER REPAIR CLOSE TO PUTTING GREENS – MLR F-5.1 is in effect.

IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS WITHIN PENALTY AREA – MLR F-24 is

in effect for interference from sprinkler heads within one club-length of the edge of the penalty area, but only for lie of the ball and area of intended swing and NOT for stance.

GROUND UNDER REPAIR – GUR includes areas enclosed by white lines, not including Drop Zones or Out of Bounds.

WHITE LINED AREAS TIED INTO OBSTRUCTIONS – These areas share

the same status as the obstruction.

SEAMS OF CUT TURF – MLR F-7 is in effect for a ball in the General Area. Relief is not allowed for the seams if the only interference is for stance.

PREPARED ROCK – These areas of rock closely arranged for a functional purpose (e.g. drainage or erosion control) is an obstruction. In all cases, obstructions adjacent to another obstruction are treated as the same obstruction.

TEMPORARY IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS – MLR F-23 is in effect.

EROSION AREAS – Erosion areas in the desert are common occurrences in Arizona and are NOT deemed to be an abnormal course condition.

INTEGRAL OBJECTS – These include the portions of cables, wires, rods, wrappings, poles or antennas when closely attached to trees, artificial walls and pilings when located in penalty areas. Bunker Liners: A bunker liner is an integral object. However, an exposed

Version 1.1


liner is treated as ground under repair but interference does NOT

exist if the liner only interferes with the player’s stance.

TURF AERATION HOLES – MLR E-4 is in effect for lie of the ball in the General Area (R16.1b relief) or on the Putting Green (R16.1d relief), but NOT for area of intended swing or stance or for line of play.

POWER LINES – MLR E-11 is in effect and is modified as follows: If it is known or virtually certain that a player's ball hit a power line in bounds, the player must replay the stroke (see R14.6).

STOPPING PLAY; RESUMING PLAY – MLR J-1 is in effect.

A suspension of play for a dangerous situation will be signaled by one prolonged airhorn note. All other types of suspension will be signaled by three consecutive airhorn notes. Resumption of play will be signaled by two short airhorn notes.

All practice areas are closed during a suspension for a dangerous situation until the Committee has declared them open. Players who practice in closed practice areas will be asked to stop practicing; failure to immediately stop practicing may result in disqualification.

PACE OF PLAY – The AZRC Pace of Play Policy outlined on Azgolf.org is in effect.

CODE OF CONDUCT – The Code of Conduct outlined on Azgolf.org is in effect.

MODIFICATION OF PENALTY - MISSING PLAYER OR MARKER

CERTIFICATION – MLR L-1 is in effect.

BROKEN OR SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED CLUB REPLACED WITH

SIMILAR CLUB – MLR G-9 is in effect.

RETURNING OF SCORECARD – For the purposes of applying Rule 3.3b(2), a player’s scorecard is treated as returned 15 minutes after the scorecard has been accepted by the Committee and the player has left the scoring area.

Exception: A player’s scorecard is returned if any of the following three events occur, even if it occurs before the 15-minute time limit has expired:

  • Starting times have been released after a cut has been The player begins their next round.
  • Any player has made a stroke to begin a
  • The competition has

CLOSE OF COMPETITION – The competition is final when all scores have been posted, when the trophy has been awarded, and/or when the Committee has approved all scores. The result of a match is final when it has been reported and approved by the Committee.