On the heels of a landmark decision by golf’s governing bodies, the USGA and the R&A, Dr. Robin Farran is blasting-out even more Rules scenarios.
Dr. Farran teaches Advanced Rules at the Golf Academy of America in Phoenix and is one of the USGA’s top Rules Officials. Many of stories you’re about to read actually happened! It’s just that the names have been changed to protect the innocent:
Any Penalties?
Incident 1
Player A has certainty that his ball is in an area marked as a lateral water hazard. Player A sees his ball resting against a loose small branch. Player A intending to play the ball as it lies, moves the small branch causing the ball to move about 6 inches. Player A plays the ball from its new location.
**Player A has breached Rule 13-4c for moving a loose impediment in a hazard and has breached Rule 18-2 for moving his ball in play and failing to replace the moved ball. In match play, Player A incurs a loss of hole penalty. In stroke play, Player A incurs a penalty of two strokes for moving the loose impediment and an additional two-stroke penalty for failure to replace the moved ball, an unrelated act – see Decision 13-4/15.
Incident 2
Player B has certainty that his ball is in an area marked as a lateral water hazard. In searching for the ball, Player B sees a ball under a leaf which could be Player B’s ball in play. Player B lifts the leaf and determines that the ball was not his ball in play.
**Rule 12-1b permits Player B to move loose impediments in a hazard when searching for or identifying a ball. Also, see Decision 13-4/16.
Incident 3
Player C sees his ball in a lateral water hazard among some leaves. Player C removes several leaves near the ball before being told by a fellow-competitor that moving leaves in a hazard is a penalty. Player C then decides to take relief from the lateral water hazard and proceeds under Rule 26-1c.
**Player C incurs a loss of hole penalty in match play or a penalty of two strokes in stroke play for moving loose impediments in the hazard. See Rule 13-4c and Decision 13-4/17.
Incident 4
Player D plays his ball from a fairway bunker and the ball lands out of bounds. Player D rakes the bunker, takes a few practice swings and moves a few pine cones from the bunker before dropping a substituted ball in accordance with Rule 27-1a and Rule 20-5.
**No penalties were incurred by Player D. The actions taken by Player D are prohibited by Rule 13-4 when the ball lies in the bunker or has been lifted from the bunker and will be dropped in the bunker. See Rule 13-4 and Decision 13-4/37.
OK or Not-OK?
1. Player C, who has an 8:00AM starting time, arrives at the tee at 7:55AM, picks up the paperwork and is on the nearby practice putting green at 8:00AM. Player C arrives at the tee at 8:04AM just before it was Player C’s turn to start the round.
**Loss of hole or two-stroke penalty – see Rule 6-3a.
2. Player B, who has an 8:00AM starting time, arrives at the tee at 7:55AM without any clubs or balls. Player B’s caddie arrives at the teeing ground with the clubs and bag at 8:01AM, well before it was Player’s B turn to start the round.
**Loss of hole or two-stroke penalty – see Rule 6-3a and Decision 6-3a/2.
3. Player C, who has a 9:20AM starting time, arrives at the tee at 9:18AM with a putter and a ball. Player C’s golf bag arrives on the shared cart at 9:22AM, before it was Player C’s turn to start the round.
**Player C met the requirements of Rule 6-3a and Decision 6-3a/2. Player C may start the hole with any club in the bag.
4. On the 3rd hole of the round, Player D in the 9:00AM group switches groups with Player B in the 9:10AM group so he can play the round with his friends.
**Player D and Player B are disqualified – see Rule 6-3b and penalty statement.
5. In single match play, Player E vs Player F, the 10:00AM match, and Player G vs Player H, the 10:10AM match, after waiting together on several par-3 tees for the group ahead, joined up on the 8th hole and played together until their matches were complete.
**The Committee may ratify the change – see Rule 6-3b. A reasonable ruling.
6. The players in the 8:10AM group arrived at the Scoring Area just after the 8:20AM group arrived at the Scoring Area.
**See Rule 6-6b. Penalty for breach is disqualification. Rule 33-7 could possibly apply and no DQ.
Score for the Hole? (in Stroke Play)
Incident 1
Player A’s ball played from the teeing ground, Ball A-1, is on a gravel cart path. Player A informs a fellow-competitor that he or she does not know if the cart path is an obstruction and will play two balls. Player A does not announce which ball is selected to count.
Player A played Ball A-1 from the gravel path. Including the stroke played with Ball-1 from the tee, Player A played the hole with Ball A-1 in 6 strokes. Player A dropped Ball A-2 in accordance with Rule 24-2 and completed the hole with Ball A-2 in 3 additional strokes.
At scoring, Player A learns that gravel paths are listed on the Notice as an immovable obstruction. What is Player A’s score for the hole?
**Player A’s score for the hole is 6. Since Player A did not announce which ball was selected to count, Rule 3-3b(ii) provides that the original ball, Ball A-1, counts as it was played in accordance with the Rules.
Incident 2
Player B’s ball played from the teeing ground, Ball B-1, is on a concrete cart path. Player B informs a fellow-competitor that he or she will play two balls due to uncertainty as to which side of the cart path to drop. Player B announces that he or she intends that the ball dropped on the left side of the cart path is to count.
Player B dropped Ball B-1 on the left side of the cart path (later determined to be in a wrong place) and completed the hole with Ball B-1 in 5 additional strokes after the drop.
Player B dropped Ball B-2 on the right side of the cart path (later determined to be in accordance with Rule 24-2) and completed the hole with Ball B-2 in 2 additional strokes. What is Player B’s score for the hole?
**Player B’s score for the hole is 3. Ball B-1 was not played in accordance with the Rules. Since Ball B-2 was played in accordance with the Rules, Ball B-2 counts. See Rule 3-3b (i) for clarification when the selected ball is not played in accordance with the Rules.
Ball Properly in Play?
In each of the following cases, the player has played the dropped ball. In which case has the player proceeded correctly? **Only Player D proceeded correctly, but read on. The blue text identifies facts resulting in the dropped ball not being properly in play.
a) Player A, in taking relief from a paved cart path, dropped the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole. The dropped ball rolled nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief but not nearer the hole than the original position of the ball.
**Player A has not proceeded correctly. Rule 20-2c(vii)(b) requires the ball to be lifted and re-dropped.
b) Player B’s ball is in a lateral water hazard. In taking relief, Player B dropped a substituted ball nearer the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and the ball rolls into the prescribed area.
**Player B has not proceeded correctly. Player B dropped the substituted ball in a wrong place. Rule 26-1 requires the ball to be lifted and dropped in accordance with one of the options available under Rule 26-1.
c) In taking relief from a paved cart path, Player C’s first drop strikes the club used to mark the one club-length from the nearest point of relief. The second drop lands within the one club-length area and rolls onto the cart path. Player C placed the ball as near as possible to the spot where the ball struck the course on the second drop.
**Player C has not proceeded correctly. Player C’s first drop is a “no-drop” – see Rule 20-2a. The second drop is the first drop that counts. After the ball rolled onto the cart path, Rule 20-2c(v) requires a re-drop, not a place.
d) In taking relief from a paved cart path, Player D’s first drop strikes the club used to mark the one club-length from the nearest point of relief. The second drop lands within the one club-length area and rolls onto the cart path. The third drop lands within the one club-length area and rolls nearer the hole than the original position of the ball. Player D placed the ball as near as possible to the spot where the ball struck the course on the third drop.
**Player D met all the requirements of Rule 24-2 and Rule 20-2.
Multiple Mistakes (in Stroke Play)
1. Player A’s tee shot is on a paved cart path. Player A lifts his ball without marking its position and, in taking relief, tosses a substituted ball on the wrong side of the cart path.
After playing the substituted ball onto the putting green, how many strokes have been taken so far during the hole by Player A, including penalty strokes.
**Player A lies 4 on the putting green. Rule 24-2 does not require a ball to be marked prior to lifting.
Player A dropped the ball incorrectly and played from a wrong place, incurring he general penalty of two strokes for a breach of Rule 24-2, no additional penalty for the improper substitution or the improper drop. See Note 3 to Rule 20-7.
2. Player B’s tee shot is in an area marked as a lateral water hazard. During search to determine if his ball is playable, Player B steps on and moves his ball lying just outside the water.
Player B decides to proceed under Rule 26-1b and tosses a substituted ball into the prescribed area. The tossed ball rolls nearer the hole than the reference point for relief.
After playing the substituted ball onto the putting green, how many strokes have been taken so far during the hole by Player B, including penalty strokes.
**Player B lies 6 on the putting green. Player B incurred a one-stroke penalty for moving his ball in play, a breach of Rule 18-2, in addition to the one-stroke penalty for relief from the lateral water hazard.
Player B dropped the ball incorrectly and played from a wrong place, incurring the general penalty of two strokes for a breach of Rule 26-1, no additional penalty for the improper drop. See Note 3 to Rule 20-7.
In taking relief from a lateral water hazard under Rule 26-1, Player B was permitted to substitute a ball.
3. Player C’s tee shot is unplayable in a bush. Proceeding under Rule 28c, Player C drops a substituted ball, Ball-1, within the prescribed area. Ball-1 rolls nearer the hole than the reference point for taking relief into a terrible lie.
Player C picks up Ball-1 and, in frustration, tosses Ball-2 into another part of the prescribed area. Ball-2 rolls forward and again comes to rest closer to the hole than the reference point for taking relief.
After playing Ball-2 onto the putting green, how many strokes have been taken so far during the hole by Player C, including penalty strokes.
**Player C lies 5 on the putting green. When Player C picked up Ball-1 under Rule 20-6, Player C was required by Rule 20-2c to drop Ball-1 to continue with the relief procedure.
When Player C tossed Ball-2 into the prescribed area for relief, Player C breached Rule 20-2a and Rule 20-2c for substituting a ball, a single act that breached two Rules. Following the principles in Decision 1-4/12 and Decision 1-4/15, a single two-stroke penalty would be applied in addition to the one-stroke penalty under Rule 28 for a ball unplayable.
Also, see the penalty statement that covers Rules 20-1 through 20-3.
**In match play, in the above incidents, each player would incur a loss-of-hole penalty for playing from a wrong place.**
On the Putting Green
Decision 18-2/0.5 provides guidance in determining whether the player caused the ball to move. Also relevant is the wording in the Local Rule for 2017 for “Accidental Movement of a Ball on a Putting Green”, on the Notice for the following incidents.
Any penalties? Do the Rules require the moved ball to be replaced?
1. On a calm day on a relatively flat putting green:
a) Player A grounds his putter immediately behind the ball. After lifting the club and standing a distance behind ball to view the line of putt, the ball moves. Player A replaces his ball on its original location and completes the hole.
** We should decide that the action did not cause the ball to move and the ball was properly in play in its new location. When Player A replaced the ball on its original location and played the ball, Player A incurred the general penalty for playing from a wrong place.
b) As soon as Player B grounds his putter immediately behind the ball, the ball moves. Player B plays the ball from where the ball came to rest.
** We should decide that the action by Player B caused the ball to move. (D 18-2/0.5). There is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. When Player B played the ball from its new location, Player B incurred the general penalty for a breach of the Local Rule.
2. On a breezy day on a sloped putting green:
a) Player C grounds his putter immediately behind the ball. After lifting his putter and then standing a distance behind the ball to view line of putt, the ball moves. Player C replaces his ball on its original location and completes the hole.
**We should decide that Player C did not cause his ball to move and the ball was properly in play at its new location. When Player C replaced the ball on its original location and played the ball, Player C incurred the general penalty and Rule 13-1 is the applicable Rule.
b) Player D grounds his putter immediately behind the ball. After lifting his putter and standing still for about 20 seconds, the ball moves. Player D plays the ball from its new location.
** We should decide that the action did not cause the ball to move.
No penalty – play the ball as it lies.
c) As soon as Player E grounds his putter immediately behind the ball, the ball moves. Player E plays his ball from its new location.
**We should decide that the action of Player E caused his ball to move. The ball should be replaced without penalty. When Player E played the ball from its new location, Player E incurred the general penalty for a breach of the Local Rule.
d) As Player F approaches his ball on the putting green, he sees the ball move. He did nothing to cause the ball to move. Player F replaces the ball on its original location and completes the hole.
** Player F was required to play the ball as it lay. Player F played from a wrong place and Rule 13-1 is the applicable Rule. Player F incurs the general penalty.
e) On the final hole, Player G’s ball is about two feet from the hole. He places his putter near the ball and with a practice putt touches the ball with the putter and moves the ball only a short distance, perhaps about 1 inch. Player G then putts and holes the ball.
** Player G moved his ball accidentally and the Local Rule applies; no penalty for having moved the ball. However, Player G was required to replace the ball. When Player G did not replace the ball and then completed the hole with the ball played from a wrong place, Player G incurred the general penalty under the Local Rule.