Purpose:
For a player who uses an assistive mobility device, Modified Rule 3 provides recommendations on how the player may use an assistive mobility device, such as a wheelchair or other wheeled mobility device or a cane or a crutch, to help in taking a stance, making a stroke and otherwise in his or her play.
The Committee may adopt one or more of these modifications for players who use assistive mobility devices, such as wheelchairs and other wheeled mobility devices and canes or crutches:
Modified Rules 3.1 to 3.10 apply to all assistive mobility devices, including wheelchairs and other wheeled mobility devices.
Modified Rule 3.11 applies only to wheeled mobility devices.
A player who uses an assistive mobility device may get help from an aide or any other person, including another player, in these ways:
Lifting Ball on Putting Green: When the player’s ball lies on the putting green, Rule 14.1b is modified so that the player’s aide, in addition to his or her caddie, may lift the ball without the player’s authorization.
Dropping, Placing and Replacing Ball: Because physical limitations may make it difficult or impossible for a player using an assistive mobility device to drop, place or replace his or her own ball, all Rules that require the player to drop, place or replace a ball are modified so that the player is also allowed, without limitation, to give a general authorization to any other person to drop, place and replace the player’s ball.
Positioning Player or Device: Although there is no modification to Rule 10.2b(5), before making a stroke, the player may get physical help from any person to help position the player or position or remove the assistive mobility device.
A player who uses an assistive mobility device may ask for and get advice from his or her aide in the same way that a player asks for and gets advice from a caddie under Rule 10.2a.
An aide has the same status under the Rules as a caddie (see Rule 10.3), but with the exceptions described in Modified Rule 3.9.
For purposes of Rule 10.2a, a player may ask for and get advice from both an aide and a caddie at the same time.
A player who uses an assistive mobility device may have only one aide at a time.
If the player has more than one aide at a time, the player gets the general penalty for each hole where that breach happened, in the same way as provided in Rule 10.3a(1).
A player’s use of an assistive mobility device may affect his or her stance for purposes of various Rules, such as in determining the area of intended stance under Rule 8.1a and deciding if there is interference by an abnormal course condition under Rule 16.1.
To address this, the definition of stance is modified to mean “the position of a player’s feet and body, and the position of an assistive mobility device if one is used, in preparing for or making a stroke ”.
Rule 4.3 applies to the use of assistive mobility devices:
Under Rule 8.1b(5), there is no penalty if a player improves the conditions affecting the stroke by firmly placing his or her feet in taking a stance, “including a reasonable amount of digging in with the feet in sand”.
For a player who uses an assistive mobility device, Rule 8.1b(5) is modified so that a “reasonable amount of digging in with the feet” includes:
A reasonable amount of digging in with an assistive mobility device, or
Taking reasonable actions to position an assistive mobility device in taking a stance and to try to avoid slipping.
But this modification does not allow the player to go beyond that by building a stance so that the assistive mobility device will not slip during the swing, such as by creating a raised mound of soil or sand against which to brace the device.
If the player does so, he or she gets the general penalty for altering the surface of the ground to build a stance in breach of Rule 8.1a(3).
When a Committee finds that a player is unable to hold and swing clubs without anchoring because of the use of an assistive mobility device, the player may make a stroke while anchoring the club, without penalty under Rule 10.1b.
To cover a player’s use of an assistive mobility device in taking a stance to play a ball, Rule 10.1c is modified to read:
“c. Making Stroke while Standing Across or on Line of Play
The player must not make a stroke from a stance with a foot or any part of an assistive mobility device deliberately placed on each side of, or with either foot or any part of an assistive mobility device deliberately touching, the line of play or an extension of that line behind the ball.
For this Rule only, the line of play does not include a reasonable distance on either side.
Exception – If Stance is Taken Accidentally or to Avoid Another Player’s Line of Play: There is no penalty.”
The aide of a player using an assistive mobility device may also serve as the player’s caddie, but is not required to do so.
The player may have both an aide and a caddie at the same time, in which case:
That aide must not carry or handle the player’s clubs except in helping the player in taking a stance or lining up before making the stroke, or in helping the player as a courtesy as provided in the definition of caddie. But this does not modify Rule 10.2b(3) (Prohibition on Using Object Placed on Course to Help in Taking Stance).
If that aide carries or handles the player’s clubs in breach of this Rule, the player has two caddies at the same time and gets the general penalty for each hole where that breach happened (see Rule 10.3a(1)).
Under Rule 12.2b(1), a player must not “deliberately touch the sand in the bunker with a hand, club, rake or other object to test the condition of the sand to learn information about the next stroke ”.
This applies to using an assistive mobility device to deliberately test the condition of the sand.
But the player may touch the sand with his or her assistive mobility device for any other purpose, without penalty.
When a player with a wheeled mobility device takes lateral relief for a ball in a red penalty area or for an unplayable ball, Rules 17.1d(3) and 19.2c are modified to expand the size of the allowed relief area from using two club-lengths for measurement to using four club-lengths for measurement.