West Point Golf Club

RULES OF GOLF

R&A Rules Limited and the United States Golf Association Rules of Golf can be found here

In addition to the above Rules, the following West Point Rules of Golf have been extracted from the 2025 Handbook:

We play by the Rules of Golf including our own Local Rules:

1. Preferred Lie: Through the green (except bunkers and penalty areas) the ball may be lifted, cleaned, and placed not more than 6 inches from its original lie and no nearer the hole. The ball may not be moved without a One Stroke Penalty, when it lies within 1 club length of out of bounds, or a non-staked tree or a stump.

2. Ball lost or out of bounds: If a player does not hit a provisional ball and subsequently discovers that his ball is out of bounds or lost, the player may create a drop area by making an arc that extends from where the ball is thought to be lost to a point two club lengths onto the fairway no closer to the hole. This can be a rather large drop area. This will require a two-stroke penalty. For a better explanation go to the USGA or Pace of Play section below.

Go to the bottom of this web page to see specific rules for the 3 Vancouver golf courses.

3. Looking for a Lost Ball

The RCGA’s time limit is 3 minutes. Three players look, the fourth player hits his shot.

4. Maximum Score if You Wish to Pick Up and Not Finish a Hole

You may pick up and not finish a hole without being disqualified. To do so you will enter a score equal to double par plus 1:

Par 3Par 4Par 5
7911

5. McCleery 11th hole

If a member’s first drive from the white tee does not clear the pond, he is entitled to take a 1 stroke penalty and hit his 3rd shot from the Tee Box #3 area (not teeing up).

6. Cart Path Only

When the golf course has declared play to be cart path only, players using motorized carts are strongly encouraged to drop and play a ball from the cart path side of the fairway or rough in a similar position to where their ball has landed, not closer to the hole, without penalty.

7. All Putts Must Be Holed

This applies to all our fixtures except when we play match play. Then a putt may be conceded by your opponent.

8. Autumn Leaves – Lost balls – Local Rule

This is for when leaves are on the ground, or the ground is so soft that balls plug completely. This rule allows you to drop a ball one club length onto the fairway without penalty. The drop is where your group agrees the ball crossed into the rough, not where you think it ended up.

9. Bunker Local Rule

Premise: Bunkers are to be maintained by the golf course and raked after use by the players hitting out of them. If this does not happen…

Dry fair-weather conditions: If your ball lands in a bunker that hasn’t been properly maintained or raked, you are entitled to lift your ball, rake the area, then replace your ball on the same spot. You should ask a member of your foursome to confirm that the conditions warrant using this rule.

Wet weather-rainy conditions: If your ball is in standing water, you may move your ball to another position in the bunker, if possible, no closer to the hole. If the bunker is full of water, drop outside the bunker, no closer to the hole, no penalty. If the sand is packed or muddy, you may lift your ball, rake the area where it lay, then replace your ball. You should ask a member of your foursome to confirm that the conditions warrant using this rule.

Hole in One

If a member has a hole in one during a Thursday round or a sanctioned Away Game, he will be reimbursed for his expenses. Under this rule, each member who is present on the day may receive one beer or one soft drink.

To explore the club’s proud history of this remarkable achievement, visit the Holes in One section.

Requirements for the Captain’s Table

1. Every foursome must appoint a Captain/Score Keeper for the day.

2. Players last names must be on the card.

3. Each player should have the tee box he used indicated by the tee # in front of his name. Example:

4. The Captain/Score Keeper will record all players’ GROSS scores for each hole – the computer will calculate net scores.

5. The score card must show totals for the front 9, back 9 and grand total.

6. The scorecards must be punched in the time clock after all players have completed the 18th hole – this is required to record Pace of Play.

7. The Captain/Score Keeper must confirm with each player in his foursome, at the end of play, that his score is correctly shown on the card. The Captain’s Table will only accept one card per foursome.

8. The Captain/Score Keeper will read the scores to the Captain’s Table.

Pace of Play

  • Ensure your foursome maintains a satisfactory PACE OF PLAY by keeping up with the group IN FRONT of you. Additionally: *Play ready golf.
  • Play a provisional ball if your shot is in doubt or use our Local Rule and take a two-stroke penalty in the area where you lost your ball. Note the relief area extends 2 club lengths onto the fairway. #2 in West Point Local Rules above.
  • Time limit looking for a lost ball is 3 minutes.
  • 3 players should look for a lost ball, the 4th should be hitting his next shot.
  • If possible, putt continuously, don’t mark short putts.
  • Keep your cart/bag on the green side closest to the next hole.
  • When behind, the first 2 players who have putted out go to the next tee and tee off.
  • All players should maintain a courteous and cordial relationship with the Parks Boards staff and on-course marshals especially if they are being reminded of their pace of play. If there is a problem don’t argue. Contact the Captain: bmontpellier@shaw.ca

*Ready Golf

  • Means playing when you are ready, not necessarily when you are the farthest player from the hole.
  • Playing ready golf means being deliberate, moving towards your ball, being considerate of your partners and playing safely. The Rules of Golf states:

“It is recommended that you make the stroke in no more than 40 seconds…and you should be able to play more quickly than that and are encouraged to do so.

Out of Bounds (at Vancouver golf courses)

For pace of play, Fraserview, Langara and McCleery have defined “Out of Bounds” as follows:

McCleery: All course perimeters are red staked penalty areas except the right side of #8 from the ditch to the pond, the left side of #10 including the behind the green and the right side of hole 12 and 13 over the pond..

Langara: All course perimeters as red staked penalty areas.

Fraserview: All course perimeters are red staked penalty areas except the left side of hole #9. The wooden fence to the left of the bunker by the green is out of bounds as well.

Note that everything else is deemed to be red stakes, even if the stakes are not there

Red Stake Options per Rule 17.1d

(As it applies to what used to be Out of Bounds)

#1 You may take a stroke and distance penalty and replay the shot that went into the penalty area.

#2 You may take a one stroke penalty and drop a ball within two club lengths from the point your ball entered the penalty area, not closer to the hole.

Local Rule Option:

If your ball is lost inside the course or has entered one of the few out of bounds areas, you may take a two-stroke penalty and drop a ball with two club lengths on the fairway no closer to the hole.

Special New Rules of Golf for Seniors (pending approval by the WPGC Board of Directors)

The Veterans Golf Association has negotiated with The Royal and Ancient in St Andrews, to modify the Rules of Golf for Seniors.

Rule 1.a.5A ball sliced or hooked into the rough shall be lifted and placed on the fairway at a point equal to the distance it carried or rolled into the rough with no penalty. The senior should not be penalized for tall grass which groundskeepers failed to mow.

Rule 2.d.6 (b)A ball hitting a tree shall be deemed not to have hit the tree. This is simply bad luck and luck has no place in a scientific game. The senior player must estimate the distance the ball would have travelled if it had not hit the tree and play the ball from there.

Rule 3.b.3(g)There shall be no such thing as a lost ball The missing ball is on or near the course and will eventually be found and pocketed by someone else, making it a stolen ball. The player is not to compound the felony by charging himself or herself with a penalty.

Rule 4.c.7(h)If a putt passes over a hole without dropping, it is deemed to have dropped. The law of gravity supersedes the Rules of Golf.

Rule 5.Putts that stop close enough to the cup that they could be blown in, may be blown in. This does not apply to balls more than three inches from the hole. No one wants to make a travesty of the game.

Rule 6.a.9(k)There is no penalty for so-called “out of bounds.” If penny-pinching golf course owners bought sufficient land, this would not occur. The senior golfer deserves an apology, not a penalty.

Rule 7.g.15(z)There is no penalty for a ball in a water hazard, as golf balls should float. Senior golfers should not be penalized for manufacturers’ shortcomings.

Rule 8.k.9(s)Advertisements claim that golf scores can be improved by purchasing new golf equipment. Since this is financially impracticable for many senior golfers, one-half stroke per hole may be subtracted for using old equipment.

Please advise all your senior friends of these pending rule changes.