List No. 020

WARTIME GOLF RULES

Richmond Golf Club

1940

As the Battle of Britain tightened its grip in 1940, a bomb fell on an outbuilding belonging to Richmond Golf Club in Surrey, England, which luckily caused no deaths. As a result, the club’s owners – rather than halt future rounds of golf – stiffened their upper lips and issued a rather unique list of temporary golf rules to all members that took into account the potentially life-threatening conditions on the course.

1. Players are asked to collect Bomb and Shrapnel splinters to save these causing damage to the Mowing Machines.

2. In Competitions, during gunfire or while bombs are falling, players may take cover without penalty for ceasing play.

3. The positions of known delayed action bombs are marked by red flags placed at a reasonably, but not guaranteed, safe distance therefrom.

4. Shrapnel and/or bomb splinters on the Fairways, or in Bunkers within a club’s length of a ball, may be moved without penalty, and no penalty shall be incurred if a ball is thereby caused to move accidentally.

5. A ball moved by enemy action may be replaced, or if lost or destroyed, a ball may be dropped not nearer the hole without penalty.

6. A ball lying in a crater may be lifted and dropped not nearer the hole, preserving the line to the hole, without penalty.

7. A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb may play another ball from the same place. Penalty one stroke.