Golf hole WHS rules: This banned accessory has got a reprieve! - National Club Golfer

Whs

BySteve Carroll

It seems the game’s governing bodies have had a change of heart about plastic hole stabilising rings

They help stop debris falling into the hole and can keep it intact during the worst of the weather.

But they had been ‘banned’ under the Rules of Golf, with scores submitted while they were in place deemed not acceptable for handicapping.

Maybe having gone through one of the wettest periods for the best part of 200 years in England and Wales has led the game’s governing bodies to have a re-think.

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That’s because the guidance on using Plastic Hole Stabilising Rings has now changed.

Revisions to England Golf’s Winter Checklist have revealed that, as of May 3, “any scores returned for handicap purposes when the stabilising rings are in place would be acceptable for handicap purposes”.

Last October, NCG reported how the rings, which are placed above the top-hole liner and cover the top inch of soil, were deemed by the R&A not to comply with the Rules of Golf.

That led to criticisms from clubs and greenkeeping teams, who consider the rings allowed holes to look more aesthetically pleasing and were also useful when teams carried out maintenance work on putting surfaces.

In the Rules of Golf, the definition of hole says if a lining is used it “must be sunk at least 1 inch (25.4mm) below the putting green surface, unless the nature of the soil requires that it be closer to the surface”.

Mike Greener, England Golf’s national handicap co-ordinator, had contacted the R&A for guidance and revealed at WHS update seminars last year that: “The R&A would only allow an exemption on the use of these stabilising rings if the soil type was a really dry, crumbly, type – probably a really dry, desert type, climate. In this part of the world, we don’t get those types of soil types.”

But in their checklist revision, England Golf said the R&A had talked internally and “revised their position”. They said the governing body recommended the “one-inch stipulation be followed as far as possible”, saying a higher liner can increase the risk of the ball bouncing out of the hole, the liner or stabiliser protruding above the ground, or the earthen wall moving away from the liner/stabiliser.

The checklist tells clubs: “The R&A appreciates that our current climate can result in considerable challenges for green keepers and course managers.

“Consequently, if there are times of the year when the nature of the soil is such that having a hole liner closer to the surface will help to protect the integrity of the hole, there is flexibility within the Rules to allow for that.

“It is also important to note that as soon as the ground conditions are such that hole liners are no longer required, they must be removed.”

What do you think of these golf hole WHS rules? Are you pleased these plastic hole stabilising rings rules have been altered? Was it all a lot of fuss about nothing? Let me know by leaving a comment on X.

A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.

Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.

A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.

Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.

Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NCTJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.

What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.