Weekly Rules Questions

Published on 3rd August 2018 in Golf News, Local News

Question:

In a match between A and B, on the 14th green A putts and his ball apparently comes to rest , but is overhanging the hole. Within 5 seconds, B concedes A’s next stroke and knocks his ball away. Was B entitled to knock A’s ball away?

Answer :

No. Under Rule 16-2, A is allowed a reasonable time to reach the hole and an additional ten seconds to determine whether his ball is at rest. Since B infringed on A’s rights, in equity (Rule 1-4), B lost the hole assuming that A’s putt was not for a half, in which case Rule 2-2 (Halved Hole) would apply.


Question:

Playing from the Black tee on the 6th hole a player teed his ball on the left side of the tee where a protruding ti-tree branch was going to interfere with his back swing. The player broke off the branch, maintaining that such action was not a breach of rule 13-2 because his ball was not yet in play. Was the player correct?

Answer :

No. The player was in breach of Rule 13-2 for improving the area of his intended swing. Although Rule 13-2 allows a player to eliminate irregularities of surface on the teeing ground, it does not allow him to break a branch interfering with his swing. The penalty would apply even if the player, before playing the next stroke, re-teed elsewhere on the teeing ground.


Question:

A player whose ball lies in a bunker completely covered by casual water drops his ball under Rule 25-1b(ii) at a spot where there is ¼ inch of casual water. This spot is the nearest spot providing maximum available relief. The ball rolls into a spot where there is about ½ inch of casual water. What is the ruling?

Answer :

In equity (Rule 1-4), and under the principle of Rule 20-2c(v), the player may re-drop and, if the ball so rolls again, place the ball where it first struck a part of the course when re-dropped.


Question:

In a foursomes stroke play event, player A played a wrong ball. Who plays the next shot, player A or his partner, B?      

Answer :

Player A must play the next stroke. In foursomes competition, penalty strokes do not affect the order of play – see Rule 29-1. The side A-B incurs a penalty of two strokes – Rule 15-3b.        


Question:

A player plays his tee shot on the par 3 14th hole and his ball appears to land in the front greenside bunker. On approaching the bunker he finds his ball has plugged in the face of the bunker underneath the lip. He deems his ball unplayable, but being a poor bunker player, he wishes to drop the ball outside the bunker. Is he permitted to do this?

Answer :

Yes, but if he wishes to drop the ball outside the bunker his only option would be to proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing the ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played, which in this case would be from the tee.

Otherwise he must drop the ball in the bunker by:

  • Dropping the ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or;
  • dropping the ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

All of these options incur a one stroke penalty.


Question:

If a player’s ball is in casual water in a bunker and he wishes take relief by dropping the ball outside the bunker rather than dropping the ball in the bunker under Rule25-1b(ii)(a), where must he drop his ball?

Answer :

Under penalty of one stroke,  he must drop the ball outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped. [Rule25-1b(ii)(b)]


Question:

In Diagram X, a player’s ball lies at point 1 in casual water on the putting green. In Diagram Y, a player’s ball lies at point 1 on the putting green with casual water intervening on his line of putt.

Under Rule 25-1b(iii), the player is not entitled to place the ball at point 4, which is on the green, because point 4 is farther from point 1 than either point 2 or point 3, both of which are off the green. It would seem that point 2 may be the correct point because there is no relief if the ball lies off the green and casual water on the green intervenes on the line of play. In taking relief must the player place the ball at point 2 or point 3?

Answer :

Since, in both diagrams, the ball lies on the putting green, the player is entitled to relief with respect to the lie of the ball and intervention on his line. Accordingly, in either case the player must place the ball at point 3, the nearest point which affords  complete relief with respect to both situations.        


Question:

Playing the 14th hole, Player A , who is playing in a Stroke Play competition off the Black tees, mistakenly tees off from the Blue tee. He plays out the hole, and then before he tees off on the next hole realises his error. Is Player A disqualified?

Answer :

No, provided he returns to the 14th tee and plays the hole from the correct tee (Black tee), he is not disqualified, but incurs a two stroke penalty.

Rule 11-4(b) states:

 If a competitor, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, he incurs a penalty of two strokes and must then play a ball from within the teeing ground.            

If the competitor makes a stroke from the next teeing ground without first correcting his mistake or, in the case of the last hole of the round, leaves the putting green without first declaring his intention to correct his mistake, he is disqualified.         

The stroke from outside the teeing ground and any subsequent strokes by the competitor on the hole prior to his correction of the mistake do not count in his score.


Question:

Playing the 2nd hole, Players’ A and B both play their approach shot into the right hand greenside bunker. When they arrive at the bunker they discover one ball is plugged, and the other ball is covered by a small branch and neither ball is able to be identified.

How should they proceed?

Answer :

Player A, believing his ball may be under the branch, under Rule 12-1a, may touch or move the  loose impediment (small branch) for the purpose of identifying his ball. If the ball is identified as his, the player must replace the loose impediment. If the ball is moved during the touching or moving of loose impediments while searching for or identifying the ball, Rule 18-2 applies (the player incurs a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced); if the ball is moved during the replacement of the loose impediment, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced.

Player B, believing his ball is buried in the sand, may, without penalty, touch or move the sand in order to find or identify his ball. If the ball is found, and identified as his, the player must re-create the lie as nearly as possible by replacing the sand. If the ball is moved during the touching or moving of sand while searching for or identifying the ball or during the re-creation of the lie, there is no penalty; the ball must be replaced and the lie re-created. (Rule 12-1b)

 


Question:

Player A was playing player B in a match. On the 5th tee player A drove out of bounds from the wrong teeing ground and player B did not recall the stroke. Where does player A play his next stroke from?

Answer :

As player A played from the wrong teeing ground and player B did not require him to cancel the stroke and play from within the correct teeing ground, player A’s ball has been put into play.
Therefore, under Rule 27-1, player A must drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was played, i.e. on the wrong teeing ground. He could not tee the ball because the original ball was not played from the teeing ground of the hole being played (Rule 20-5), and would be playing 3. 


Question:

After playing their approach shot to the second green, a player’s ball comes to rest on the left hand edge of the green just in front of a GUR area which is on the green. The pin position is on the back left hand edge of the green, which results in the GUR area intervening with the players line of putt. The players actual nearest point of relief is on the fringe of the green. In taking relief, is the player required to place his ball on the fringe of the green, or is he entitled to place his ball at the nearest point of relief which is on the green?

Answer :

The player must place his ball on the fringe of the green.

Rule 25-1b (iii)   : If a ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball, and place it at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard, or, if complete relief is impossible, at the nearest point to where it lay that affords maximum available relief from the condition, but not nearer the hole and not in a hazard. The nearest point of relief or maximum available relief may be off the putting green.


Question:

Player A’s approach shot to the 2nd hole comes to rest on the fringe of the green between the green and the left green side bunker. Player A’s fellow competitor then plays his shot from the bunker and deposits sand on and around Player A’s ball. Is Player A entitled to any relief?

Answer :

Yes. Player A is entitled to the lie and line of play he had when his ball came to rest. Accordingly, in equity (Rule 1-4) he is entitled to remove the sand deposited by his fellow competitors stroke and lift his ball and clean it, without penalty.


Question:

After an approach shot, a player’s ball is overhanging the hole. The player walks up to the hole without unreasonable delay and notices that there is mud on the ball. The player marks the position of the ball and lifts it. He then cleans the ball and replaces it. The ball remains on the lip of the hole for about 5 seconds and then, as the player is preparing to tap it into the hole, the ball falls into the hole. What is the ruling?

Answer :

Under Rule 16-2, if a ball falls into the hole after it is deemed to be at rest, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke and he shall add a penalty stroke to his score for the hole. In this case, when the player marked the position of the ball it must have been at rest. The ball must be considered to be at rest when it was replaced; otherwise, it would have to be replaced again (Rule 20-3d).

 Accordingly, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke and must add a penalty stroke to his score for the hole.


Question:

A ball played from “off” the 9th green was about a foot from the hole and still in motion when it was moved by a dog to a spot about 10 feet from the hole. The ball was either deflected by the dog or the dog picked it up, ran with it and dropped it.

What is the ruling?

Answer :

If the ball was deflected, it would be played as it lay, without penalty, from the spot to which it was moved by the dog (Rule 19-1)

If the dog picked up the ball, the player should have placed the ball, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where the original ball was when the dog picked it up (Rule 19-1a)

If a player’s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is rub of the green, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, except;

  1. If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke other than on a putting green comes to rest in or on any moving or animate outside agency, the ball must through the green or in a hazard be dropped, or on the putting green be placed, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball came to rest in or on the outside agency, but not nearer the hole, and
  2. If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke on the putting green is deflected or stopped by, or comes to rest in or on, any moving or animate outside agency, except a worm, insect or the like, the stroke is cancelled. The ball must be replaced and replayed.

 

If the ball is not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted.


Question:

 After playing his tee shot from the 6th tee, Player A finds that his ball has come to rest in the middle of the artificial path that leads to the fairway. Player A’s playing partner advises Player A that because the ball is in the exact middle of the path, he is entitled to take relief on either side of the path.

 Is this correct?

Answer :

No. Relief from an obstruction must include the players stance. Looking towards the direction of play, Player A’s nearest point of relief (assuming player A is a right hander), would be on the left hand side of the path.

The “nearest point of relief” must be strictly interpreted. A player is not permitted to choose on which side  of an obstruction he will drop the ball, unless there are two equidistant “nearest points of relief”. Even if one side of the obstruction is fairway and the other bushes, if the “nearest point of relief” is in the bushes then the player, if taking relief, must drop the ball within one club length of that point, even if he may have to drop the ball in a virtually unplayable lie.


Question:

The Note to Rule 20-1 provides that “the position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball.” Is a player penalized if he uses an object that is not similar to a ball-marker or small coin to mark the position of his ball?

Answer :

No. The provision in the Note to Rule 20-1 is a recommendation of best practice, but there is no penalty for failing to act in accordance with the Note.

Examples of methods of marking the position of a ball that are not recommended, but are permissible, are as follows:

  • placing the toe of a club at the side of, or behind, the ball
  • using a tee
  • using a loose impediment
  • scratching a line, provided the putting green is not tested (Rule 16-1d) and a line of putt is not indicated (Rule 8-2b). As this practice may cause damage to the putting green, it is discouraged.

However, under Rule 20-1 it is necessary to physically mark the position of the ball. Reference to an existing mark on the ground does not constitute marking the position of a ball. For example, it is not permissible to mark the position with reference to a blemish on the putting green.


Question:

A player hits their tee shot on the par 3 14th hole and the ball appears to finish extremely close to the hole. Walking onto the green, the player sees that a small twig lying across the hole is preventing the ball from dropping into the hole.

What is the ruling?

Answer :

On the putting green, if the players removal of a loose impediment causes the ball to move, the ball is replaced without penalty (Rule 23-1). As replacement of the ball would be impossible in this case, in equity (Rule 1-4), the ball is considered to be holed with the previous stroke, which was his tee shot.


Question:

B lifts his ball on the putting green and sets it aside elsewhere on the green. A then putts and his ball is deflected or stopped by B’s ball. What is the ruling?

Answer :

Since A’s ball was deflected by B’s equipment (see note below), Rules 19-3 and 19-4 apply.

                In stroke play, A incurs no penalty and must play his ball as it lies.

                In match play, A incurs no penalty and has the option of playing his ball as it lies or cancelling and replaying the stroke.

Note 1, Definition of Equipment:

                A ball played at the hole being played is equipment when it has been lifted and not put back into play.    


Question:

In foursomes stroke play, player A played a wrong ball. Who plays the next shot, player A or his partner, B?

Answer :

Player A must play the next stroke. In a foursomes competition, penalty strokes do not affect the order of play. The side A-B incurs a penalty of two strokes for playing a wrong ball (Rule 15-3b)


Question:

Playing the fifth hole in a match play event, a player plays his second shot, which comes off the heal of his 3 wood and hits his opponent who was standing out of bounds. What is the ruling?

Answer :

There is no penalty and the player is entitled to replay the stroke.
Rule 19-3 states : “If a player’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by an opponent, his caddie or his equipment, there is no penalty. The player may, before another stroke is made by either side, cancel the stroke and play a ball, without penalty, as nearly as possible from where the original ball was last played, or he may play the ball as it lies”


Question:

In which of the following scenarios would a player be in breach of Rule 7-2? ( A player must not make a practice stroke during the play of a hole):

a) During play of a hole, a player saw some balls from the adjoining practice range lying on the course and flicked one back to the range with his club.
b) As player A was playing the 7th hole, player X, who was playing the adjoining 8th hole was searching for his ball on the 7th fairway. X could not find his ball and walked off down the 8th . A then found X’s ball plugged in the 7th fairway and called to him. X requested that the ball be returned to him. As X was out of throwing range, A hit the ball to him with a short iron.
c) A is nearly struck by a ball played by a player in the following group. In anger, A hits the ball back to the group.

Answer :

None

However in c), in equity (Rule 1-4), A should incur the general penalty of 2 strokes in stroke play, or loss of hole in match play.

a). In some circumstances the hitting of a practice range ball back towards the range during the play of a hole would be a breach of Rule 7-2, but the casual flicking of a range ball, apparently only for the purpose of tidying up the course, is not a breach.
b). Since A was acting out of courtesy, there is no penalty.


Question:

A player playing the par 3 17th hole hits his tee shot to just short of the green and in the rough close to the edge of the fairway. While waiting for one of his playing partners to play their 2nd shot he takes his bag to the back of the green towards the 18th tee. He then takes a putter and sand iron from his bag returns to his ball to play his second shot, and discovers his ball is in a rabbit scrape, to which he is entitled to relief. Only having the sand iron and putter with him to measure the club length from his nearest point of relief, he borrows his playing partner’s driver to measure the club length as this would allow him to drop his ball on the fairway.
Does the player incur a penalty for not using his own clubs for measuring?

Answer :

No. For the purpose of measuring, the player may use any club he has selected for the round (Rule 4-4). He may also borrow a club from anyone, including his partner. If he borrows a club and drops the ball and plays it, he incurs no penalty provided that the same outcome could have been achieved with one of the player’s own clubs selected for the round. If he could not have achieved the same outcome by measuring with one of his own clubs, he incurs the penalty under the applicable Rule for playing from the wrong place (Rule 20-7).


Question:

 A player hits his tee shot on the 16th hole into the ti-tree on the right short of where the fairway starts, then plays a provisional ball towards the trees between the fairway and practice fairway. After searching briefly for his original ball he goes forward to play his provisional ball, which is under a tree. He deems his provisional ball unplayable and drops it within two club-lengths of where it lay under Rule 28c. Before playing the provisional ball, the players original ball is found by one of his fellow competitors within 5 minutes of the player having begun to search for it. What is the ruling?

Answer :

The original ball remained the ball in play since it was found within 5 minutes after search for it had begun and the player had not played a stroke with the provisional ball (see Rule27-2b). The fact that the player lifted and dropped the provisional ball under Rule 28c is irrelevant

Player A played his tee shot on the 5th hole towards the road on the left, and no one in the group could see where the ball finished. Player A then played a provisional ball down the middle of the fairway. After a quick search for Player A’s original ball, it was assumed the ball must have gone out of bounds. Player A then went forward and played his provisional ball. Shortly after, one of player A’s playing partners found Player A’s original ball in bounds on the mounds beside the road further forward from where Player A’s provisional ball was played from. The original ball must have bounced down the road and then come back in bounds because it was found much farther from the tee than anticipated.


Question:

Was the original ball still in play?

Answer :

No. Player A played a stroke with the provisional ball from a point nearer the hole than the place where the original ball was likely to be. When he did so, the provisional ball became the ball in play and the
original ball was lost (Rule 27-2b)

The place where the original ball in fact lay was irrelevant.


A player playing the second hole, played their shot into the front of the left side greenside bunker. Before playing the ball from the bunker, the player retrieved the rake from the far end of the bunker and at the same time raked over some foot prints that were in that part of the bunker. The player then “sculls” the shot from the bunker into the bank of the bunker and the ball ricochets across to the far end of the bunker where they had just raked it.

Question :

Does the player now incur a penalty for improving the area of their lie.

Answer :

There is no penalty. The player was permitted to rake the bunker when their ball lied in the bunker, provided the reason for doing so is to care for the course and the raking does not improve their lie, the area of their intended stance or swing, or their line of play. (Rule 13-4, Exception 2)
When the player raked the bunker, their intentions were honourable (and their actions legal). They could not anticipate that their next stoke would ricochet back into the area they had raked.


Question:

Playing the first hole both Player A and fellow competitor Player B hit both their tee shots into the first fairway bunker. When they arrived at the bunker they realised they were both playing the same brand ball with the same number, and with no distinguishing marks on either of the balls. Player A suggested that as both balls were in the same place, in equity, they would make a guess as to whose ball was who’s and continue to play without penalty.

Was this the correct procedure?

Answer:

No. Since neither player could identify a ball as his, both balls were lost – See Definition of “lost ball”. Therefore both players should have returned to the tee to play their next shots under penalty of stroke and distance. Failing to do this would result in disqualification.

This incident underlines the advisability of the player putting an identification mark on his/her ball.


Question:

George and Mildred were playing the 2nd hole at Flinders. Mildred hit her tee shot into a large clump of ti tree to the right. After deeming her ball unplayable, she claimed she was able to drop a ball within 2 club lengths of where the ball entered the ti tree. George argued that she was not permitted to do this, but would be able to drop a ball back in line with the tee from where she played her last shot.

Who was right?

Answer:

Neither. Both George and Mildred were wrong.

The following options were available, under penalty of one stroke:

  1. 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. (in the above case that would be the Tee)
  2. 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
  3. Drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

 

Note : If an unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under clause, a, b, or c. If he selects to proceed under Clause b or c, and ball must be dropped in the bunker.


Playing the 6th hole, Player A’s ball was about 2 metres behind the irrigation control box, with the control box being directly in his line of play. Player A’s fellow competitor denied him “line of sight” relief, quoting Rule 24-2 a, which in part reads

“Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing…….Intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this rule”

Feeling this to be unfair, Player A suggested to the Committee that a Local Rule should be in force to obtain relief from the above situation.

Question :

Would it be appropriate for a Committee to adopt a Local Rule under which relief would be provided from such boxes when they intervene on the line of play, i.e. line of sight relief.

Answer:

No. Providing line-of-sight relief from permanent immovable obstructions is not authorised, except in very unusual circumstances. It is not unusual for irrigation control boxes to be located near fairways.

In regards to temporary immovable obstructions, the committee may invoke a local rule providing line of sight relief. Examples would be scoreboards, camera towers, etc, that have been erected for a particular tournament and so are not otherwise normally on the course.


Question:

A player playing the second hole hits his tee shot towards the 16th tee, and his ball comes to rest beside a staked tree which interferes with his stance. When measuring for his nearest point of relief, he uses his driver, which would not be the club he would use to play his next stroke if the staked tree was not there, drops the ball within one club length of this point, and plays his next shot.
Should he be penalised?

Answer:

No

Explanation
To better understand the rules and words used in the rules and what they indicate :
• May = optional
• Should = recommendation
• Must = instruction (and penalty if not carried out)
• A ball = you may substitute another ball, e.g. unplayable ball
• The ball = you must not substitute another ball, e.g. relief from an immovable obstruction.

In reference to the above rules question, the note relating to “nearest point of relief” is:

In order to determine the nearest point of relief accurately, the player should use the club with which he would have made his next stroke if the conditions were not there to simulate the address position, direction of play and swing for such a stroke.

So therefore, as the word “should” is used, the player is not penalised.
However, as golf is a game of integrity, honesty and respect, the player would be expected to use the club he would have normally used to play the stroke, to measure his nearest point of relief.
This would be in the “spirit of the game”


Question:

A player plays an errant second shot on the 13th hole and his ball finishes up amongst the trees short of the 14th tee. After briefly looking for his ball without success, he goes back and drops another ball under Rule 27-1. Before he plays the dropped ball, and within the 5 minute search period, the original ball is found.

Which ball must he play?

Answer:

The dropped ball was in play and the original ball was lost.
Under definitions of a lost ball, (c) a ball is deemed lost when the player has put another ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance under Rule 26-1a, 27-1 or 28a


Question:

A player playing the 5th hole hits his tee shot towards the right hand rough where the winter grass is quite thick. While looking for his ball he finds a ball which he believes may be his. Having announced his intention in advance to his marker, the player, for the purpose of identifying his ball, touches the ball and rotates it. By doing so he identifies the ball as his. What is the ruling?

Answer:

The player incurs a one stroke penalty

Under Rules 12-2 and 20-1, a ball may be lifted (or touched and rotated) for indentification purposes after it’s position has been marked. If the player had marked the position of the ball before rotating it, there would have been no penalty, assuming the rotating did not result in the ball being cleaned beyond the extent necessary to identify it.


Question:

A player plays their tee shot on the 2nd hole left towards the trees beside the road side protective trench near the start of the fairway. They eventually find the ball immediately behind a thick bush that is close to the trench. The trench would interfere with the players stance if he were to play a stroke towards the green, but not if he were to play out sideways, which is the only reasonable stroke he could play. If the player says he intends to play towards the green into the bush, may he take relief without penalty under Rule 24-2b?

Answer:

Under the exception to Rule 24-2b a player may not obtain relief from an obstruction if interference from the obstruction would only occur through the player using an unnecessarily abnormal direction of play. Therefore in the circumstances described above, the player is not entitled to relief.


Question:

In a stroke play round a player a player plays his tee shot from the 14th tee, and their ball comes to rest just short of the front right hand side greenside bunker. In attempting a “flop shot”, the player skulls the ball into the face of the bunker where it becomes embedded.
The player declares his ball unplayable, and not being a very good bunker player, wishes to drop the ball outside the bunker under a penalty of one stroke.

Would this be permissible?

Answer:

Yes

If a player deems his ball unplayable in a bunker, he has the following 3 options under penalty of one stroke :

(i) 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.
(ii) Drop the ball in the bunker behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped
(iii) Drop a ball in the bunker within 2 club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

So in this instance, the player would have to choose option (i), and drop the ball from where his previous shot was played from, under penalty of one stroke.
If he was to choose option (ii) or (iii), he would have to drop the ball in the bunker under penalty of one stroke.


Question:

Playing the 5th hole, a player hits their tee shot towards the road. Not sure whether their ball is out of bounds, the player plays a provisional ball from the tee.

The player then finds that their original ball is lying on the inside edge of the out of bounds line on the road. Is the ball out of bounds?

Answer:

No

  1. When both stakes and lines are used to indicate out of bounds, the stakes identify out of bounds and the lines define out of bounds.
  2. When out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line itself is out of bounds.
  3. A ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds. In the above situation, as part of the  ball was lying in bounds, the ball was in play.

The rules for defining Water Hazards and Ground Under Repair are the same as (a) and (b) above, but in regards to (c), the ball is in the hazard or GUR when any part of it touches the  Water Hazard or GUR (which includes the line or stake indicating the margin).


Question:

On another windy day at Flinders a player playing the 6th hole was preparing to putt his ball. He replaced the ball on the green and left the marker behind the ball while he checked his line. A sudden gust of wind then caused his ball to move and eventually roll off the front of the green.

What is the ruling?

Answer:

Under Rule 20-4, a ball is in play when it is replaced, whether or not the object used to mark it’s position has been removed. Consequently the ball must be played from it’s new position. Failure to do so would incur a 2 stroke penalty.


Question:

A player’s tee shot from the 1st tee comes to rest amongst the trees/bushes to the right of the fairway. He deemed his ball unplayable and, under Rule 28c, dropped it within two club-lengths of the spot where it lay for a one stroke penalty. The ball came to rest in the original position (or another position at which the ball was unplayable). The player maintained that he was entitled to drop the ball again without further penalty. Was this correct?

Answer:

The ball was in play when it was dropped – Rule 20-4. Thus, if the ball came to rest in the original position, the player must again invoke the unplayable ball Rule, incurring an additional penalty stroke, unless he decides to play the ball as it lies. The same applies if the ball came to rest in another position at which it was unplayable, assuming that the ball did not roll into a position covered by Rule 20-2c, in which case re-dropping without penalty would be required.


Question:

In stroke play, a player’s tee shot from the 12th tee came to rest on the cart path to the left of the green. He dropped his ball onto the grass, within a club-length of where it had come to rest and no nearer to the hole. In playing his chip shot onto the green he had one foot on the cart path. It was a good chip shot and he holed out with one putt. What was the player’s score for the hole?

Answer:

Five. When taking “free” relief as provided under Rule 24-2, from an Immovable Obstruction or under Rule 25-1, from an Abnormal Ground Condition or under Rule 25-3, from a Wrong Putting Green, the player MUST take complete relief by dropping the ball within one club-length of the Nearest Point of Relief (see definition). This means that if the ball comes to rest in a position from which there is still interference from the same condition, it MUST be re-dropped. If it again comes to rest in a position from which interference as described exists, then it MUST be placed at the spot where it struck the ground the second time. Playing a ball that has been dropped or placed otherwise than in accordance with this procedure results in a two stroke penalty for playing from a Wrong Place. Provided no significant advantage has been gained, the player MUST play out the hole with the ball played from the Wrong Place but, if he has gained significant advantage by playing a ball from a Wrong Place, he must correct his error by dropping and playing the ball within the Rules or he MUST be disqualified (from the competition in a stroke round or from the hole in Stableford or Par). See Rule 20-2c for a complete list of situations in which a ball must re-dropped or placed.


Question:

During the 3rd round of the Captain’s Trophy, Player A and his opponent, Player B, are teeing off on the 2nd hole, having left their buggies next to the path about 60m ahead of the Black plates. Player A hits a poor tee shot and the ball hits Player B’s buggy, then ricochets onto Player A’s own buggy and ends up in the middle of the fairway/rough 80m forward of the Black plates.
What are Player A’s options?

Answer:

As Player A’s ball had deflected off his opponent’s buggy, he was entitled to cancel the stroke and replay it without penalty. Alternatively, he was entitled to play the ball as it lay. However, as his ball had also hit his own buggy, albeit after hitting Player B’s buggy, he would have incurred a one stroke penalty if he had chosen the second option – Rule 19-3. (Note: in stroke play, the player’s only option would have been to play the ball as it lay with a one stroke penalty – Rule 19-2.)


Question:

From the 15th tee, a player hit her tee shot towards a large area of casual water. The players in her group were not able to see the ball finish but two players playing the 17th said they saw the ball enter the casual water and were certain that it was in there. A ball was visible in the casual water but not retrievable or identifiable without undue effort. Was the player entitled to take free relief under Rule 25 and, if so, what was she required to use as the reference point for the nearest point of relief?

Answer:

Yes. A player is not obliged to use unreasonable effort to retrieve a ball in casual water, for identification purposes and the testimony of the players playing the 17th was sufficient to provide virtual certainty as to its being in there. However, as she had been unable to identify the ball, she was obliged to treat it as lost in casual water and, therefore, to use the estimated point of entry as the point of reference for the nearest point of relief (Rule 25-1c). Had she been able to retrieve and identify the ball without undue effort, she would have been obliged to use its position at rest as the reference point (Rule 25-1b).


Question:

During a Monthly Medal round, a player hooks his tee shot off the 6th tee and he thinks it may have gone out of bounds. He plays a provisional ball and, again, it is a hook but this time he believes the ball has finished in the roadside trench. On arriving in the search area, he finds both balls have crossed the white line and are out of bounds. When he goes back to the tee, will be playing his 3rd shot or his 5th shot?

Answer:

He will be playing his 5th shot. Each ball bears a relationship to the previous ball played. The original tee shot is his 1st stroke. The provisional is the player’s 2nd stroke, and his 3rd shot on the hole (the provisional becomes the ball in play when the original is found out of bounds). When the provisional is found out of bounds, the player still does not have a ball in play. He must return to the tee to hit a ball under penalty of stroke and distance. It will be his 5th shot on the hole.


Question:

If a player finds a ball, deems it unplayable, drops it within two club-lengths, plays it and then discovers that the ball is not his, there is a penalty for playing a wrong ball.
True or False

Answer:

False. When a player chooses to take relief under the Ball Unplayable Rule (Rule 28) he may only exercise either of the two club-length or back in line options with reference to the position of his ball in play, and this must first be found and identified. So before proceeding under either of these two options of Rule 28, the player should ensure he is doing so with reference to his ball in play. In this case, the ball dropped and played by the player was not his original ball; it was a substituted ball. Since the location of the original ball was not known at the time the substituted ball was dropped, he was required to return to where the previous shot was played from and proceed under stroke and distance (Rule 27-1). As the substituted ball was not dropped at the spot required by Rule 27-1, he played from a wrong place.

In match play, he incurred a penalty of loss of hole (Rule 20-7b).
In stroke play, he incurred a penalty of one stroke under Rule 27-1 and an additional penalty of two strokes under Rule 20-7c for playing from a wrong place. Furthermore, if a player gains a significant advantage as a result of playing from a wrong place, in stroke play, he is deemed to have committed a serious breach of Rule 20-7 and is subject to disqualification unless he corrects his error as provided for in that Rule.


Question:

A player, believing his tee shot might be lost or out of bounds, plays a provisional ball. His provisional ball is struck in the same direction as the original ball and, without any announcement, he plays another ball from the tee. This ball comes to rest on the fairway. What is the ruling?

Answer:

If the original ball is not lost or out of bounds, the player must continue play with that ball without penalty.
If the original ball is lost or out of bounds, the player must continue play with the third ball played from the tee as, when this ball was played without any announcement, it rendered the provisional ball lost, regardless of the provisional ball’s location. The player would lie 5 with the third ball played from the tee.
In both situations, the third ball bears a relationship only to the previous ball played, i.e., the provisional ball.


Question:

In preparing to take a stance for a shot through the green, which of the following actions is permitted without incurring a two stroke penalty?

a. Bending a branch by hand so that you can see the ball.
b. Using a hand to hook a branch behind your legs to get it out of the way of your backswing or stroke.
c. Removing an out of bounds stake.
d. Brushing away loose earth or sand from the area around your ball.
e. None of the above.

Answer:

None of the above. All of the actions a. to d. would constitute a breach of Rule 13-2 and incur a two stroke penalty. A player is permitted certain actions which may improve the lie of his/her ball or the area of his/her intended stance/swing when the actions are the direct consequence of fairly taking a stance. Guidance on this is available in Decision 13-2/1 which is, partly, reproduced here:

“Examples of actions which do constitute fairly taking a stance are:
• backing into a branch or young sapling if that is the only way to take a stance for the selected stroke, even if this causes the branch to move out of the way or the sapling to bend or break.
• bending a branch of a tree with the hands in order to get under the tree to play a ball.
Examples of actions which do not constitute fairly taking a stance are:
• deliberately moving, bending or breaking branches with the hands, a leg or the body to get them out of the way of the backswing or stroke.
• standing on a branch to prevent it interfering with the backswing or stroke.
• hooking one branch on another or braiding two weeds for the same purpose.
• bending with a hand a branch obscuring the ball after the stance has been taken.
• bending an interfering branch with the hands, a leg or the body in taking a stance when the stance could have been taken without bending the branch.”


Question:

A player’s ball is lying in a greenside bunker adjacent to the 14th green. He plays the ball which leaves the bunker but only as far as the top of the grass bank. It then rolls back but is stopped by a bunker rake which he had placed on the grass bank above the bunker. Does the player incur a penalty? What if the ball moves when he moves the rake?

Answer:

Assuming the player had not placed the rake with the intent of influencing the movement of his ball (Rule 1-2), there would be no penalty (Rule 19-1). He could remove the rake and the ball would be played as it lies. If the ball moves it must be replaced and there would be no penalty provided the movement of the ball was directly attributable to the movement of the rake (Rule 24-1). Note: Had the player, or any player, removed the rake while the ball was still in motion, a penalty would have been applicable.


Question:

In stroke play, a competitor in replacing his ball on the putting green inadvertently put the ball in a wrong place nearby and holed out. The error was then discovered and the competitor put his ball in the right place and holed out. The player is not considered to have committed a serious breach. What is the ruling?

i – The score with the ball played from the wrong place counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to that score.
ii – The score with the ball played from the correct place counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to that score.
iii – The score with the ball played from the correct place counts and the competitor must add one penalty stroke to that score.

Answer:

i – The score with the ball played from the wrong place counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to that score.

Explanation: As the competitor had not committed a serious breach, the score with the ball played from the wrong place counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to that score (Rule 16-1b or 20-3a and 20-7c). The competitor incurs no penalty for having putted from the right place after holing out from the wrong place. (Decision 20-7c/1)


Question:

A player slices his ball from the 10th fairway onto the 7th green. He doesn’t think he is permitted to play the ball from the green with a wedge but also doesn’t like any of his relief options from the green so decides to putt the ball off the 7th green and then play a shot onto the 10th green. Was this permitted?

Answer:

He was not permitted to play any shot from the 7th green. Any putting green other than that of the hole being played is defined in the Rules as a “wrong putting green”. Under Rule 25-3b, if a player’s ball lies on a wrong putting green, the player MUST not play the ball as it lies but MUST lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. 

Note: interference from a wrong putting green occurs when a ball is on the wrong putting green. Unlike GUR or immovable obstructions, interference with a player’s stance or the area of his intended swing does not constitute interference under this Rule so a player could play the ball whilst standing fully or partially on the green. However, in the interest of caring for the course, the reasonable player would use the one club-length in such a way that standing on the green would be avoided if possible.


Question:

A Player’s tee shot from the 5th tee comes to rest on sand in one off the recently filled drainage lines temporarily declared to be ground under repair. The Player measures two club-lengths, not nearer to the hole from where his ball lies and drops his ball at that point. It does not roll and he plays the ball from that position.

Does the Player incur a penalty?

Answer:

The Player was entitled to take free relief from the sand by dropping the ball within one club-length of the nearest point which gave him complete relief from interference to the lie of the ball, his stance or the area of his intended swing (Rule 25-1). Failing to comply with the conditions of Rule 25-1 would result in the Player being deemed to have played from a Wrong Place thereby incurring a two stroke penalty (Rule 20-7).


Question:

After a tee shot off the 18th tee a player’s ball comes to rest inside the ditch to the left of the fairway, which is designated a lateral water hazard, and lies close to one of the red stakes. The player removes the stake plays his shot from the hazard (without grounding his club) and replaces the stake.

Does he incur a penalty?

Answer:

Yes. This question highlights the importance of checking the Local Rules in force for a course prior to commencing a round. Under the Rules of Golf, stakes defining or identifying water hazards are deemed to be movable obstructions if they may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. (Note: out of bounds stakes are never movable without penalty). However, stakes defining hazards or GUR have been declared immovable obstructions under the Flinders Golf Club Local Rules and by moving the stake the player was in breach of the Local Rule and also of Rule 13-2 for improving his lie. A total penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play was incurred. 

Note also that under Rule 24-2 a player may not take relief from an immovable obstruction (i.e in this case, the stake) when his ball lies in a water hazard so the player’s only options were to play the ball as it lay (without penalty and without grounding his club) or take relief from the lateral water hazard (with a one stroke penalty – Rule 26-1).


Question:

Player A’s approach shot to the 5th green comes to rest 2m. short of the green. Fellow-competitor, Player B’s shot lands directly in front of Player A’s ball on the direct line to the hole. Player A requests Player B to lift and mark his ball but when Player B does so it is evident that it has left a pitch-mark just off the green. Is Player A entitled to repair the pitch-mark?

Answer:

Yes. Under Rule 1-4, in equity, a player is entitled to the lie which his stroke gave him. As the pitch-mark was created after Player A’s ball came to rest, he would be entitled to repair it. 


Question:

In foursome stroke play, PlayerA, whose turn it is to play, strikes a ball from outside the teeing ground. His partner, Player B, plays the next stroke from within the teeing ground. What is the ruling?

Answer:

There is a total penalty of four strokes and Player A must correct the error by playing from within the teeing ground. The side is penalised two strokes under Rule 11-4 for playing from outside the teeing ground and a further two strokes under Rule 29-3 for playing in incorrect order.


Question:

In stroke play, Player A’s ball is in motion after a putt on the 8th green. It is deflected by the ball of Player B who did not see that Player A was putting and played his shot from the left hand bunker. What is the ruling?

Answer:

Player A’s stroke is canceled and the ball must be replaced. Player B must play his next shot from where his ball came to rest. There is no penalty to Player A. There would be a two stroke penalty applicable to Player B only if Player A’s ball was already in motion when he played his shot and it was Player A’s turn to play, otherwise, no penalty. (Rules 19-5b and 16-1f).


Question:

 In stroke play, a player hits his tee shot from the 5th tee into the left fairway bunker. He plays his second shot (from the bunker) and the ball crosses the road and goes OOB. Without going forward to look for his ball he takes a substitute ball from his bag. Before dropping the ball he rakes the sand in the area where he is about to take his stance and drop his ball. Is this permissible?

Answer:

Yes. There is no penalty for raking the sand (although there is, of course, a one stroke penalty under Rule 27-1b so he will be playing his fourth shot).

Comment: this is covered under Rule 13-4, Exception 2 in which it is stated “If a ball played from a hazard is outside the hazard after the stroke, the player may smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction.”

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