RULES CORNER: 

A situation came up about marking your ball on the green.

Players are not marking their ball, whether it is a coin or another recognizable object, directly behind the ball.  Often marking the ball someplace other than behind the ball. 

Under Rule 20-1. Lifting and Marking

There is a note that explains how a ball should be marked.

Note: placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball should mark the position of a ball to be lifted. If the ball-marker interferes with the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be placed

In response to the question whether the old wood chip areas between the fairways at Victoria is deemed as “through the green”:

The areas that used to be covered with wood chips, is designated “through the green” and is not “ground under repair”.  A ball in this area must be played as it lies, or the player may deem his ball to be unplayable.

It is suggested that if players are unsure of their options in deeming their ball unplayable, they should review USGA Rule 28, Ball Unplayable and Rule 20, Lifting, Dropping and Placing. 

Rule 28 allows three options:

a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

Rule 16-1 

Reaching Across Hole to Tap in Short Putt 

Q.  A player reaches across the hole to tap in a short putt (the hole is between the player and the ball). Is this a breach of Rule 16-1e, Standing Astride or on the Line of Putt? 

A.  No. The line of putt does not extend beyond the hole. There is no penalty for making a stroke in this manner, provided the ball is fairly struck at and not raked into the hole. (Definition of "Line of Putt" and Rule 16-1e). 

THE LINKS AT VICTORIA -  LOCAL RULES:

USGA Rules govern all play.

HOLE 14: Drainage channel plays as a lateral water hazard.  Use the drop area on the opposite side of the channel under penalty of one stroke.

HOLE 18: Drainage channel plays as a lateral water hazard.  Use the drop area on the opposite side of the channel under penalty of one stroke.

Environmental Sensitive Areas:  DO NOT ENTER!  PLAY AS A LATERAL HAZARD.  Drop within 2 club lengths of entry point, or under lateral hazard rules, penalty of one stroke.

Driving Range fence:  Free drop within one club length of your closest point of relief no closer to the hole.

USGA RULES:

14 CLUB LIMIT FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY!  No Exceptions!

GROUND UNDER REPAIR:

OUR CLUB RULES SAY WE CAN DROP THE BALL FROM BARE LIES IN THE FAIRWAY. BASICALLY THE BARE LIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE UNMARKED, ARE CONSIDERED ‘GROUND UNDER REPAIR’. 

ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITIONS:

An "abnormal ground condition" is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.

OUR CLUB RULES SAY WE CAN DROP THE BALL FROM DIRT MADE BY A BURROWING ANIMAL, REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE IN THE FAIRWAY OR NOT.

BALL LOST.

If a ball is deemed lost. If reasonable evidence does not exist that a ball is lost in an abnormal ground condition, an immovable obstruction, or a water hazard. The player is penalized one stroke and must play another ball as nearly as possible to the spot the original ball was last played.  Especially In Tournament play.  

Rules of Golf - RULE 27  Ball Lost.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 27:

If a ball is deemed lost. If reasonable evidence does not exist that a ball is lost in an abnormal ground condition, an immovable obstruction, or a water hazard. The player is penalized one stroke and must play another ball as nearly as possible to the spot the original ball was last played.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington was disqualified before the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship after the Irishman was judged to have illegally moved his ball during Thursday's first round.  

In my opinion: A TICKY-TACK rule!!

20-1. Lifting and Marking

A ball to be lifted under the Rules may be lifted by the player, his partner or another person authorized by the player. In any such case, the player is responsible for any breach of the Rules.

The position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted under a Rule that requires it to be replaced. If it is not marked, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball must be replaced. If it is not replaced, the player incurs the general penalty for breach of this Rule, but there is no additional penalty under Rule 20-1.

If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of lifting the ball under a Rule or marking its position, the ball or ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty provided the movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific act of marking the position of or lifting the ball. Otherwise, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke under this Rule or Rule 18-2a.

Just for fun!  The original rules of golf.

The first known Rules of Golf were drawn up in 1744 in Edinburgh

1. You must Tee your Ball within a Club's length of the Hole.

2. Your Tee must be upon the Ground.

3. You are not to change the Ball, which you strike off the Tee.

4. You are not to remove Stones, Bones or any Break Club, for the sake of playing your Ball, Except upon the fair Green and that only / within a Club's length of your Ball.

5. If your Ball comes among watter, or any wattery filth, you are at liberty to take out your Ball & bringing it behind the hazard and Teeing it, you may play it with any Club and allow your Adversary a Stroke for so getting out your Ball.

6. If your Balls be found any where touching one another, You are to lift the first Ball, till you play the last.

7. At Holling, you are to play your Ball honestly for the Hole, and not to play upon your Adversary’s Ball, not lying in your way to the Hole.

8. If you should lose your Ball, by it's being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the Spot, where you struck last, & drop another Ball, And allow your adversary a Stroke for the misfortune.

9. No man at Holling his Ball, is to be allowed, to mark his way to the Hole with his Club, or anything else.

10. If a Ball be stopp’d by any Person, Horse, Dog or anything else, The Ball so stop’d must be play’d where it lyes.

11. If you draw your Club in Order to Strike, & proceed so far in the Stroke as to be bringing down your Club; If then, your Club shall break, in any way, it is to be Accounted a Stroke.

12. He whose Ball lyes farthest from the Hole is obliged to play first.

13. Neither Trench, Ditch or Dyke, made for the preservation of the Links, nor the Scholar's Holes, or the Soldier's Lines, Shall be accounted a Hazard; But the Ball is to be taken out teed /and play’d with any Iron Club.

The Putting Green

PUTTING GREEN:
Definition-- all the ground of the hole being played which is prepared specifically for putting.

NOTE--the ball is considered on the green when any part of the ball touches it.

Line of Putt---the line the player wishes his ball to take after playing a stroke from putting green is called the line of putt. The line of putt does not extend past the hole, but does include a reasonable distance on either side of the line.

Touching the Line of Putt---results in a penalty of two-strokes in stroke play, and loss of hole in match play. The exceptions in which the player is not penalized for touching the line of putt: (a) to remove loose impediments including sand and loose soil by picking them up or with his hand or a club without pressing down anything down.(b) the club can be placed in front of the ball at address as long as the club is not pressed down.(c) when lifting his ball. (d) when measuring (example--determining order of play). (e) when repairing ball marks or old hole plugs. (f) when pressing down a ball-marker. (g)Holed---a ball is holed when all of it is below the level of the lip and it's at rest within the circumference of the hole. (h) when removing a movable obstruction such as a cigarette butt.