Special Rules of Play for the 6Gs  Golf League

(Revised Sept 23, 2023)

Why does 6Gs have special rules?

The 6gs golf league was founded to provide a golf league for people who's goal is to enjoy a round of golf with friends.   

The founders determined that some of the strict rules of golf should be amended so that the round would be played at a quicker pace and  with less stress for those golfers who haven't yet achieved a high level of skill in Golf.    Over the years of the 6Gs existence these special rules have been passed along from member to member.   Unfortunately, this method of communication often results in inaccurate or incomplete transfer of the information.    The officers of the 6Gs decided it was time to document the 6Gs league special rules so that new and current members could have an easy way to gain an understanding of the differences between 6Gs and USGA rules.



The Special Rules of Play allowable in 6Gs tournaments

Rule 1:  Have Fun and Allow Others To Have Fun!
Rule 2:  OUT OF BOUNDS rule
Rule 3:  LOST BALL rule
Rule 4:  BUMPING and CLEANING THE BALL rule
Rule 5:  GIMMIE PUTTS rule
Rule 6:  MERCY  rule
Rule 7:  MOVE TO THE FORWARD TEE rule
Rule 8:  MOVE FORWARD BY THE RANGER rule

(Rules 1 through 8 of the “Special Rules Of Play” applies to all 6gs tournaments.)


A description of each of these rules follows below….

Rule 1:  Have Fun and Allow Others To Have Fun!We know that after a "few" bad shots it can be tough to think of Golf as FUN,  but remember a "Bad day of golf should be better than a good day at work!".    Also, your playing partners don't want to see you throw a "tantrum" every time you hit a bad shot.   So be courteous to others throughout your play.

Rule 2:  OUT OF BOUNDS rule   
If you think you hit your ball  OUT OF BOUNDS as determined by the local golf course designation,  you don't have to follow the USGA rules for hitting your ball OUT OF BOUNDS.   

This is what you can do instead….

Condition 1: If after searching you find your ball in the OUT OF BOUNDS area…

First, bring your ball laterally (no closer to the hole), out of the OUT OF BOUNDS area.   
Second, drop your ball in bounds within 2 club lengths of the OUT OF BOUNDS line and resume play.
Third, remember to add one penalty stroke to your score.

Condition 2:  If after searching you don't find your ball in the OUT OF BOUNDS area..

First, go to the spot where you and your partners determine your ball crossed over the OUT OF BOUNDS line.   
Second, drop a ball in bounds within 2 club lengths of the spot where your ball crossed OUT OF BOUNDS line and resume play. Third, remember to add one penalty stroke to your score.

Condition 3:  Relief for a ball  hit into a water hazard marked with yellow stakes.

First, when a ball is hit into a water hazard. You may drop your ball behind the water hazard, at the point that it last crossed land and keeping the water hazard between you and the hole, you may resume play.
Second, remember to add one penalty stroke to your score. i.e.: one stroke into the water, one stroke out.

Condition 4:  Relief for a ball hit into a lateral water hazard marked with red stakes.

First, when a ball is hit into a lateral water hazard. You may drop your ball where it last crossed the land of a lateral water hazard. Drop the ball within 2 club lengths of and not nearer the hole than the point where the ball last crossed the land of the hazard OR a point on the opposite land of the water hazard same distance from the hole and resume play.

Second, remember to add one penalty stroke to your score.

Rule 3:  LOST BALL rule

If you hit your ball but can't find it after searching for no more than 5 minutes you must declare it a LOST BALL,  but you don't have to follow the USGA rules for a LOST BALL.

This is what you can do next ….

First, go to the spot where you and your partners think your ball should have been.
Second, drop a ball at that spot and resume play.
Third, remember to add one penalty stroke to your score

Rule 4:  BUMPING and CLEANING THE BALL rule

The term BUMPING  THE BALL means you can roll the ball  (no more than 1 foot from where it originally came to rest) with your club head in order to establish a better lie from which to hit the ball.

The term CLEANING THE BALL means  you can pick up the ball, clean it off, and then replace it within 1 foot of where it originally came to rest.

6Gs allows BUMPING and/or CLEANING THE BALL anyplace EXCEPT for the following places (or conditions):

A. You cannot bump  or clean  your ball if it lies in a HAZARD,  (examples: Sand Traps, and Red or Yellow Staked water hazard areas.)

B. You cannot bump  your ball to get it out from behind a course obstacle like an unstaked tree or
to get it out of an UNPLAYABLE LIE.

If your ball is in an UNPLAYABLE spot, you need to follow one of the three options allowed by USGA rules, (and take 1 a stroke penalty).

ie: The most common UNPLAYABLE LIE relief is USGA Option 2 :
Drop a ball within 2 club lengths from where the ball lies without getting closer to the hole,
(with a 1 stroke penalty). 

Rule 5:  GIMMIE PUTTS rule

This rule was put in place to speed up play.     6Gs allows players to pick up their ball and add 1 stoke to their score if the ball is on the  GREEN sufficiently close to the HOLE.    This rule goes into effect if  the following condition is met.

Your ball comes to rest on the GREEN close enough to the HOLE that when measured with your putter it is "within the leather".   

Note:  "Within the leather" measurements are performed as follows:

Stick the head of your putter into the hole and lay its shaft flat on the green such that the putter is on the line from the hole to your ball.    If ANY part of your ball is closer to the hole than the bottom edge of your putters grip,  your ball is considered "within the leather".

Rule 6:  MERCY  rule

This rule was put in place to speed up play.   6Gs allows players to pick up their ball if they have taken twice as many strokes as the PAR for the hole and are not in the HOLE yet. Their score on that hole is then twice PAR plus one.

Example 1:   On a PAR 3 hole a player should pick up their ball when they have reached 6  strokes and are not in the HOLE yet. Their score on that HOLE is recorded as an 7,  (Twice PAR plus 1)

Example 2:   On a PAR 4 hole a player should pick up their ball when they have reached 8 strokes and are not in the HOLE yet. Their score on that HOLE is recorded as an 9,  (Twice PAR plus 1)

Example 3:   On a PAR 5 hole a player should pick up their ball when they have reached 10 strokes and are not in the HOLE yet. Their score on that HOLE is recorded as an 11, (Twice PAR plus 1)

Rule 7:  MOVE TO THE FORWARD TEE rule

This rule was put in place to make the game more fun for the Senior players.  6Gs allows players to move to the forward tees if you meet the following conditions.

Condition 1:  You may move to the forward tees when you reach age 75.

OR

Condition 2:  You may move forward when the sum of your age and handicap equals or is greater than 95.

Note:  When moving forward, the handicap will be recalculated the same as if you are a new member.

Rule 8:  MOVE FORWARD BY THE RANGER rule

Condition 1

Any player/s requested by a course ranger to move to the next hole for slow play, shall immediately comply with this request. The penalty for the slow play will be assessed in the scoring for the hole skipped. 

The appropriate score recorded by each player, shall be a mercy for that hole!  

A Mercy is defined as double par for the hole and add 1 stroke. 

This condition also applies to any player/s that for any reason has chosen to skip a hole.

Condition 2

The mercy score for a hole that is skipped by any player/s is enforced for that game but is governed by the HC rules for adjusted gross.

Remember: Rules 1 through 8 of the “Special Rules Of Play” applies to all 6gs tournaments.

* For all other golf rules, click here to see the complete USGA golf rules.