You will often hear from me in the next week until the beginning of the next golf season. The national golf Associations (Golf Canada, Golf Quebec) all have a set of local rules for their tournaments, some local rules are also for a specific tournament or golf course.
The rules of golf are in effect in all the tournaments, but certain changes are allowed.
In the world. I have knowledge of only one tournament where the Committee may decide whatever it wants it is the Augusta (The Masters). I will give more details in a few weeks.
Here are some examples of local rules:
Caddies: In the rules we are allowed to use a caddie but at Golf Quebec we don’t allow the use of caddies in junior tournaments. In other organization they may forbid using a parent as a caddie.
Dress Code: We don’t see anything in the Rules book on clothing but on the PGA tour, a player may not wear shorts. We have the same rule at Circuit Canada Pro Tour (CCPT) with the exception when the temperature is over 38 c (with humidity index)
Motorized cart: On the PGA Tour, they are not allowed to use carts, at CCPT, we may use a cart in two days tournaments. At Golf Quebec we can use a cart in Senior tournaments but not more than two carts per group.
EXAMPLE OF LOCAL RULES THAT ARE NOT PERMITTED
Caddies: If caddies are allowed, we can’t forbid them to step on the greens
Flag in the hole: A Committee may not ask the players to keep the flag in the hole all the time. The Committee may not forbid players to keep the flag in the hole
Match Play: A Committee can’t ask the players to putt all their putts in the hole
Starting time: It is not possible in a local rule to permit a player that is late at his starting time to play at a later tee time.