Can You Show Another Golfer What Club You've Just Hit (If You Don't Say Anything)?

You’re standing on the tee of a par-3 while playing in the monthly Medal and there’s a challenging wind. It’s swirling in all directions, and it’s making club selection difficult. You take the plunge, select a stick and hit to the middle of the green. Phew!

But your playing partner is still swithering over what to do – they can’t make up their mind. You know you can’t tell them what you’ve just played, as that is definitely against the Rules, but can you surreptitiously show them as you walk back to your bag? Can you raise your clubhead to reveal the number on it and give them a clue?

The answer is no. You can’t show a playing partner what club you’ve just hit, even if you don’t say anything. That would be breaking Rule 10.2a and if you did so you would receive a General Penalty of two shots in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.

Rule 10.2a says that you must not give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course.

According to Definitions in The Rules, advice is any verbal comment or action that is intended to influence a player in choosing a club, making a stroke or deciding how to play during a hole or round.

Advice is not public information. I.e. information that is available to anyone, like, the location of things on the course (the hole, a penalty area, a bunker for instance), the distance from one point to another, or The Rules.

So, if you show someone what club you used, that would be viewed as advice under the Rules because you’re influencing a player in choosing a club.

Interestingly – It’s not breaking Rule 10.2a to have a look at a playing partner’s bag to see what club they’ve used. But it would be breaking the Rule if you were to touch their bag, to move a towel for instance to see what club was missing.

It’s worth remembering that one. Have a glance at someone’s bag and there’s no penalty. But have a rummage to see what club has been used, it’s a General Penalty.

The answer then to the question, can you show another golfer what club you’ve hit? – You can choose to, of course, but if you do so while playing in competition or for handicap, you would be breaking Rule 10.2 and you would receive a General Penalty – That’s two shots in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.