Unless otherwise noted, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule is the general penalty (loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play).

1. Overhead Power Lines and Poles (Rule 14.6)

If a player’s ball hits an overhead cable or support pole, the stroke does not count. The player must replay a ball, without penalty, from where the previous stroke was made in accordance with Rule 14.6

2. Abnormal Course Conditions (Rule 16; free relief)

2a) Ground under Repair (GUR)

• Any area identified as ground under repair (GUR) by being contained within a freshly painted white line.
• Any deep rut made by vehicle tyres.
• All drainage lines/seams in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less.
  Play is prohibited from areas marked GUR.

2b) Immovable Obstructions

• All paths, bridges (including the bridge structure on hole 12), pylons (including supporting poles and cables), distance markers, bird scarers, course furniture, sprinkler heads and work not fully reinstated to ground level, are immovable obstructions and relief may be taken under Rule 16.1
• If a ball comes to rest in an aeration hole, relief may be taken under Rule 16.1b (general area) or Rule 16.1d (putting green).
• The OOB stakes on hole 12 are immovable obstructions when playing hole 3, relief may be taken under Rule 16.1

2c) Staked Trees

If a staked tree interferes with a player’s stance or intended swing, relief must be taken under Rule 16.1f

2d) Fixed Sprinkler Heads – Ball in general area

A player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if a fixed sprinkler head (immovable obstruction) is on the line of play, and
i. Is on or within two-club lengths of the putting green, and
ii. Is within two club-lengths of the ball.

3. Penalty Areas (Rule 17)

All penalty areas are defined by RED stakes.

3a) No Play Zone (Model Local Rule E-8.2)

Hole 12 :-

The entire red penalty area defined by RED stakes with BLUE tops on the bank at Hole 12 is a no play zone that is treated as a penalty area.

If the player’s ball is in the no play zone, the player must take relief under one of these options, each for one penalty stroke:

• The player may take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 17.1d(1), or
• The player may drop a ball in the dropping zone marked “DZ” between the path and pond. The dropping zone is a relief area (for the No Play Zone only) under Rule 14.3.

The player must not take relief under Rule 17.1d(2) (Back-on-the-line relief) nor 17.1d(3) (Lateral relief).
If the player’s ball is outside the no play zone, but the no play zone interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing, the dropping zone is not an option; instead, the player must take relief under Rule 16.1f(2).

For safety reasons the player should not enter the penalty area to search for or retrieve a ball.

4. Out Of Bounds (Rule 18.2)

A player’s ball is out of bounds if it lies:

Beyond any hedge or fence, on or over any line, or over any white strip defining the boundaries of the course.

On the car park, or on the roadway behind the 18th green.

In or over the canal (Holes 4, 5, 12 and 13).

• Hole 4 – beyond the white stakes inside the fenced area to the RHS of the hole.
• Hole 6 – beyond the white stakes to the RHS of the fairway.
• Hole 10 – beyond the white stakes to the LHS of the fairway.

• Hole 12 –
  * on or beyond the white stakes to the left of the path leading to the blue/red tee sets.
  * on or over the path on the RHS of the fairway and between the white stakes.
  * beyond the white stakes on the edge of the paths to the left and back of the green.

• Hole 18 – beyond the white stakes to the LHS of the green.
   

  Temporary Local Rules

1. No Play Zone (Model Local Rule E-8.1)

Hole 6:

The area defined by a rope and no entry signs, on the LHS of the 6th fairway, is a no play zone that is treated as an abnormal course condition. Free relief must be taken from interference by the no play zone under Rule 16.1(f).

2. Winter Rules

From Saturday 1st November 2025 the following local rules will be in place until further notice. Scores submitted on a measured course, and played with these local rules, will be acceptable for handicap.

2a) Cleaning the Ball (Model Local Rule E-2)

When a player’s ball lies in the general area the ball may be lifted, cleaned and replaced without penalty.  The player must mark the spot of the ball before lifting it (see Rule 14.1) and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).
Note:  this is not the same as “Preferred Lies” which is permissible only on grass mowed to fairway height or less.  Therefore, Local Rule E-3 (see below) will also be in place.

2b) Preferred Lies (Model Local Rule E-3)

When any part of a player's ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:

• Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
• Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:
• Limits on Location of Relief Area:
• Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
• Must be in the general area.

2c) Compulsory use of Fairway Mats (Model Local Rule E-12)

When a player’s ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, greenside of the 150 yard marker, and a putter is not being used for the stroke, the player must take free relief by lifting the original ball and placing the original ball or another ball on an artificial mat and play it from there. The mat must be placed on top of the spot where the ball came to rest.

• If a ball when placed rolls off the mat, the player must try to place it a second time. If the ball again does not stay on the mat, the mat must be moved to the nearest spot, not nearer the hole, where the ball will come to rest on the mat when placed.
• If the ball on the mat is accidentally moved before a stroke is made, there is no penalty and the ball must be placed again on the mat.
• If a tee is used to secure the mat into the ground, the ball must not be placed on the tee.

2d) Accumulations of Loose Impediments (Model Local Rule F-14)

During play of the course, any ground with temporary accumulations of leaves in the general area or in a bunker is treated as ground under repair from which free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1.
The purpose of using this local rule is to improve pace of play as balls are often not found when under piles of leaves.  When implementing Local Rule F-14 it must be known, or virtually certain, that the ball lies in the specified area (i.e. hidden under an accumulation of leaves).