PUBLIC GREEN FEES

(as of  1^st December 2022)

9 Holes:     $15

18 Holes:    $20

Children:   $5 for 9 or 18 holes

How to Pay

1)      Fill in a voucher from the box and place the voucher & money in an envelope & put it in the slot to the left.

or

2)      Pay direct via EFT to the Serpentine Golf Club bank account (BSB: 633-000, Account: 129790879).

The Club is unattended most of the time there are no facilities for change.  

There are no buggies or clubs for hire at the course.

An honesty box is located on the veranda in front of the Club House where Green Fee envelopes and cards are located. 

Please fill out a Green Fees Receipt. One portion stays in the book, keep the middle one on your person and place one in the envelope with your payment.  Place the envelope in the slot in the wall to the left of the fees box.

Players are reminded to pay their Green Fees before they play and to keep their receipt with them at all times.

Local Rules for Sand Greens

Definitions

Putting Green 
The putting green is the sanded portion specially prepared for putting. The Committee shall define the perimeter of  the putting green. The term “sand” in these rules shall mean all material used by the Committee.

Smoother 
The smoother is the implement provided or approved by the Committee for use by players smoothing the putting green preparatory to putting. The blade of the smoother must not be less than 60cm in length.

Hole 
For the purpose of Section II, Definition of the Rules of Golf, a lining having an inner diameter of 108mm may be used provided that, when sunk, it’s upper edge is not more than 6mm below the putting green surface.

Loose Sand Sand and loose soil on a sand green is not a loose impediment.  

Rules

1. Smoothing
   When the ball lies on the putting green, or within one club length of the putting green, the line from the player’s ball to the hole may be smoothed subject to the following considerations:
                  1.1 The smoother shall be DRAWN and not pushed.
   
                  1.2 The player is allowed a maximum of two smoothes per stroke in any direction.
                        Where a rake and smoother are provided, the rake shall only be used for the first smooth, provided the final 
                        smooth is made with the smoother.
                        1.2.1 Ball on the Putting Green 
                                The putting green shall be smoothed in one consistently weighted and continuous action once from a point beyond the spot where the player’s ball was lifted to the hole, and in the same line at least one metre
                                beyond the hole, or in the reverse order at the option of the player.
                        1.2.2 Ball within One Club Length of the Putting Green
                                If a ball is within one club length of the putting green, the player may smooth in one consistently weighted
                                and continuous action once from the defined perimeter of the putting green on a line from the ball to the
                                hole, to at least one metre beyond the hole, or in the reverse order at the option of the player.
   
                   1.3 The smoother shall be used in such a manner that there shall not be any ridge or heaping of sand which could
                        operate to a player’s advantage. The player may be required by his fellow competitor or opponent, without penalty
                         to the player, to remove any ridge or heap of sand. If the player’s ball is deflected by a ridge of sand at the edge
                         of the smoothed portion, there is no penalty and the stroke may not be replayed.
   
                   1.4 The smoother may be used by the player, or any person authorised by him, but the player shall at all times be
                        responsible for any breach of the Rules or Local Rules.
   
                   1.5 During the play of the hole, the player is permitted to remove weeds growing on the putting green.
   
                   1.6 In the smoothing of sand where a loose impediment causes a mark to be made on the surface of the sand,
                         which:
                         1.6.1 in the opinion of the opponent or the marker or a fellow competitor, will be of  assistance to the player, the
                                 loose impediment may be removed and the surface shall be smoothed once only;
                         1.6.2 in the opinion of the player, will be detrimental to him, the loose impediment may be removed and the
                                 surface may be re-smoothed once only.
   
                    1.7 Damage to the putting green caused by the impact of a ball shall not be repaired other than in the normal course
                         of smoothing as per Rule 1.2.
2. Lifting, Marking and Replacing the Ball
   
                    2.1 The position of the ball shall be marked and lifted preparatory to smoothing by the player, his partner or any
                          person authorised by the player. It shall be replaced only by the player, his partner or the person who lifted it
                          and it must be replaced at the spot from which it was lifted. The player shall at all times be responsible for any
                          breach of the Rules or Local Rules.
   
                    2.2 If the player does not wish to smooth the putting surface prior to playing a ball at rest on the green after any
                         stroke, the ball may be lifted and placed within 5cm of where it last came to rest but not nearer the hole.
   
               The recommended method of marking the ball is illustrated in the diagrams below:
   
   
    
   Before lifting the ball, two straight lines AB and AC are scratched in the sand as shown in Fig. 1. These lines should extend sideways from the ball. “A” is the marked position of the ball. When the smooth is completed, those portions of the lines represented by AD and AE in Fig. 2 will be obliterated. “A” can readily be located by projecting the lines BD and CE until they meet. The point of intersection will be “A” and the ball must be replaced on that spot.
3. Ball Holed
   A ball shall be deemed to be holed within the meaning of Section 2 of the Rules of Golf when it lies wholly within the circumference of the hole even if by reason of sand left within the hole all of the ball is not below the level of the lip of the hole.
4. Excess Sand in Cup
   Players are permitted to empty the hole of excess sand at any time subject to Sand Green Rule 1.3 above.

Sand Green Etiquette

1. The last player to hole his ball on the putting green should empty the hole of sand and ensure that the flagstick is centred in the hole.
2. All players in the group should ensure that the green is left scraped smooth of footprints and any other marks that may inconvenience following players.
3. The intent of the local rule variation permitting two scrapes in the same direction is to encourage players to scrape TOWARDS the hole and thereby limit the removal of sand away from the centre of the green to the perimeter.

Local Rules

(To be read in conjunction with the Rules of Golf)

1.      Out of Bounds

1.1       Beyond any fence bounding the golf course.  

1.2       The 15^th fairway (including the green) up to the red discs whilst playing the 18^th hole. 

1.3       The dam on the right-hand side of the 9^th fairway as defined by white posts with black tops.

1.4       The 8th Fairway (including Grass Mounds & Green) whilst playing N^o 7

2.      No Play Zones

       Free relief must be taken from interference by the no play zone under Rule 16.1f.

              2.1       The area defined by white stakes or lines is a no play zone that is to be treated as an abnormal course condition.   

Note: Stakes defining no play zones are Immovable Obstructions. 

2.2       Vehicle tyre marks (except those in a hazard) are to be treated as GUR. 

2.3       Bull Ant Nests are deemed to be GUR. 

2.4       Staked trees and staked shrubs are no play zones the zone includes the stake and any wrapping. 

            2.5       Immovable Obstructions – Clubhouse / Carpark
When ball comes to rest in the carpark or clubhouse beyond -  

a)         The white line and copper logs on the right-hand side of the 9^th green. 

b)         The copper logs and inner edge of the paved area in front of the clubhouse 

3.      Penalty Areas (Rule 17)

3.1       Yellow Penalty areas are defined by yellow stakes. Relief procedure Rule 17-1d or 17-2.  

3.2       Red Penalty areas are defined by red stakes. Relief procedure Rule 17-1d or 17-2. The  Red Penalty area on the right-hand side of the 1^st fairway is defined by both red stakes and red fence posts.  

As an additional option on the 1^st, 5^th, 15^th, 16^th and 18^th holes a player may drop a ball in the dropping zone nearest to where the original ball  crossed the penalty zone boundary.

Notes:      1. The dropping zone may be nearer to the hole than where the original ball lay. 

2. When the player is using a dropping zone, the ball must be dropped in the dropping zone and it must come to rest in the dropping zone 

4.    Preferred Lies
When a player's ball lies in a part of the fairway being played, as defined by playing surface cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball within one scorecard length of the spot of the original ball (but with these limits: must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and must be in the general area).  For a ball that does not come to rest on the spot it is originally placed, see Rule 14.2e.

          Note – The grass mounds in the 2nd and 8th Fairways are NOT part of the fairway and the ball must be played as it lies. 

5.    Immovable obstructions (eg sprinkler heads) close to putting greens – line of play interference

Rule 16.1b applies to immovable obstructions close to putting greens.  In addition to the types of interference described in Rule 16.1a, interference also exists if an immovable obstruction is: on the player’s line of play and is within two club-lengths of the putting green, and is within two club-lengths of the ball.  (Exception – There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.) 

7.    Kangaroo Paws
If a kangaroo paw interferes with a player’s stance or area of his intended swing, the ball must be lifted without penalty and dropped in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 24-2b (Immovable Obstruction). The ball may be cleaned when so lifted. 

8.    Temporary Local Rules

In addition to the above permanent local rules, temporary local rules may be in effect at any time. They will be displayed on a notice board as and when they are deemed appropriate by the Match Committee. Examples of temporary rules may be such things as fire-breaks, fairway renovations, and embedded balls in other than closely-mown areas during winter. Please check the notice board for temporary local rules. 

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

The Yellow, Blue and Red posts on the edge of the fairways indicate that the distance from that post to the centre of the green is 200 metres (Yellow), 150 metres (Blue) and 100 metres (Red).