Regular readers of this blog will know that I often extol the virtues of our delightful lady caddies in Thailand. One exception is that, sometimes, Thailand golf caddies let you get away with transgressions of the rules of golf.

Normally, this is not because the Thai caddie does not know the rules – most caddies are well trained in this respect. Rather it is a case of their preference not to upset golfers by pointing out that they are in error in their interpretation of the rules.

Over the next 2 days I will discuss 5 common examples of golfers in Thailand not following the rules properly. These golf rule violations apply to both foreigners and Thai’s alike, no one is exempted!.

1.  Lost ball: Note, I am not talking here of a ball lost in a hazard. This is where a golfer loses his ball in the rough or the trees, despite the best efforts of his eagle-eyed caddie, and needs to know what his options are. 

Many players think it’s all right to drop a ball where they think the lost ball is and go ahead and play. This is okay in a friendly game if you want to save time and if your fellow players agree. But, in tournaments, you have just one option. You must return to the place where you hit the shot that resulted in the lost ball and play another.

The penalty is stroke and distance.  If you hit one in the rough off the tee and lose it, you must go back to the tee and hit your next shot, which in addition to being very embarrassing, will also be your third shot.

2.  Out of bounds: This is the same as a lost ball. You must go back and hit your next shot from the same place that you hit the ball that went out of bounds. You add a one stroke penalty and also lose the distance. No exceptions!

This is a golf rule in particular that Americans like to ignore. They often drop their balls in the fairway “somewhere near”  to, or in a line with, where they think their balls crossed the out-of-bounds markers. I guess this is one reason why my American golfing buddies record such good scores, when in fact they are rather poor golfers.

Tomorrow, I will finish up this post with 3 other common Thailand golf rule violations. In the meantime, let me know your opinions on whether it is best to follow the rules of golf or make up your own as you go along. You can post a comment here or you can contact me at my Thailand golf vacation company.

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