Effective March 9, 2025

1. Out of bounds
(a) Beyond any line of white stakes bordering the course, including any part of the Eagle Course;
(b) To the right-hand side of the fourth fairway beyond the white stakes;
(c) Beyond the ditch behind the fourth green (the ditch itself is a red penalty area);
(d) In or beyond the River Trent;
(e) On or beyond the clubhouse patio to the rear of the 18th green;
(f) Beyond the path to the right of the 18th green between the clubhouse patio and the bridge.
NOTE: The wooden boards forming a facing to the patio are deemed to be part of the patio and therefore mark the boundary of the course, meaning relief without penalty should they interfere with a player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing is NOT available.

2. Obstructions
(a) Staked trees (a free drop at the nearest point of complete relief MUST be taken in order to avoid damage to saplings);
(b) The white stakes defining out of bounds to the right of the fourth hole that are placed on the third and fifth holes are to be regarded as boundary objects on those holes only.
NOTE: All red and yellow stakes marking penalty areas are movable obstructions and players are entitled to relief from them under Rule 15.2;

3. No play areas
The greenkeepers’ waste areas: (a) to the left of the 10th hole; and (b) between the third and fifth holes, both of which are marked by blue stakes, are no play zones and are defined as abnormal course conditions. Players MUST take free relief from then under Rule 16.1.

4. Integral objects
No constructions on the course are deemed to be integral objects. (Rule 16.1)
NOTE: Any paths or other areas that are formed by stone and/or gravel are deemed to be constructions and as such are covered by Local Rule 4. Should a player’s ball come to rest touching a path formed by stone and/or gravel or should such path interfere with a player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing then the player will be entitled to relief without penalty within one club’s length of the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole. Any paths or other areas formed by organic material such as wood or bark chippings, including but not limited to the walkway on the Trent side of the 11th green, are not deemed to be a construction and so a ball coming to rest on them must be played as it lies.

5. Lost balls
All balls lost or abandoned within the general area of the course become the property of Branston Golf and Country Club.

6. Electricity pylons and overhead lines
If a player’s ball strikes any overhead power line or any pylon, tower, support wire or pole supporting a power line, the stroke does not count and the player MUST replay the stroke.

7. Ninth and 18th holes
If, when playing the 9th and 18th holes, a player’s ball is known or is virtually certain to be in either the penalty area surrounding the 9th green or the penalty area in front of the 18th green the player MAY:
(a) proceed under Rule 17.1;
or (b) drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke, in the dropping zone.

8. Third hole
If, when playing the third hole, a ball comes to rest in the lake before the bridge that links the third green to the fourth tee, players MUST:
(a) Proceed under Rule 17.1;
or (b) Drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke, in the dropping zone.
NOTE: When playing the third hole, if a ball comes to rest in the red penalty area beyond the bridge that links the third green to the fourth tee, players MUST proceed under Rule 17.1 and the “dropping zone” option is not open to them.

9. Drains to putting greens
Drains positioned within the area of putting greens are immovable obstructions and relief should be taken under Rule 16.1.
NOTE: If the ball lies on the putting green and a drain impedes the player’s area of intended stance or the drain is on the line of play, the player MAY lift the ball and place it, without penalty, at the nearest point of complete relief that is not nearer the hole and not in a penalty area. The nearest point of relief may be off the putting green. If the ball lies off the putting green and the drain impedes the player’s stance or stroke, the player MAY take relief, without penalty, within one club length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of complete relief. The nearest point of complete relief may be on the putting green.

10. Temporary abnormal course conditions
All impressed tractor or tyre marks, cracks in the ground, fallen trees that are still attached to the ground, tree stumps that have not yet been ground out, areas of ground where tree stumps have been ground out but are not yet covered in grass that is being mowed, and animal waste adhering to a ball are to be treated as temporary abnormal course conditions and relief MAY be taken under Rule 16.1.

11. Exposed tree roots
If a player’s ball is at rest in the general area and there is interference to their area of intended swing (but not area of intended stance) from an exposed tree root, the tree root is to be treated as a temporary abnormal course condition and the player may take free relief under Rule 16.1.

12. Preferred lies (when notified only)
When a player’s ball is at rest on a closely mown area (fairways, approaches to the putting green, and putting green fringes only), the player may prefer the lie within six inches.

Penalty for breach of any Local Rule:
General penalty: Loss of hole in match play; two penalty strokes in stroke play.

Free relief from tree roots
Local Rule 11 covering exposed tree roots was introduced as a safety precaution to stop players injuring their wrists or hands by hitting a tree root with their club while taking a shot, but it’s not:
• It’s not a get out of jail free card just because someone’s hit their ball behind a tree
• It’s not a free pass for a better lie just because someone’s hit their ball vaguely near a tree
• And it’s not an automatic easy route back down the fairway just because someone’s hit their ball right into the trees

For a player to get free relief from an exposed tree root these two things are necessary:
• The ball has to be touching the root or so close to it that if they tried to hit it they could hit the root, AND
• The root has to be exposed, ie coming back up from underneath the ground

Both elements have to be confirmed to get the relief: if only one of them is true then there’s no relief available. 

If you’re playing with someone and they tell you they want to take free relief from a tree root, don’t just take their word for it and then complain about it to other people afterwards: it’s your responsibility to check to make sure you’re 100% happy that the root is exposed AND that their ball is up against it.

If you don’t agree that they should get the free relief but they insist they should then take a picture of the ball in situ and get them to play the remainder of the hole with two balls (one having taken relief and one not having taken relief) and record both scores, then after the round contact the Committee for an official ruling.