Comments on: Top 10 Golf Rules Myths

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:49:28 +0000

OK… I guess the case I am remembering was like you said… he didn’t take complete relief.
Thanx.

By: jack

jack — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:14:23 +0000

Regarding the cart path incidents: as you noted such paths are obstructions and a player may take relief if he or she wants but that relief is not mandatory. However, if the player elects to take relief he must take complete relief. So if a player elected to take relief and the ball, when dropped, rolled into a position where there was still interference from the path then the player would be obligated under Rule 20-2c(v) to redrop the ball. If he did not redrop it he’d be liable for a 2 stroke penalty. If the facts of the situation only came to the officials’ attention after the player had returned his card then he’d be subject to DQ.

By: jack

jack — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:13:12 +0000

WRT Norman at the Honda in 2004, I believe that he hit a second ball from the tee thinking that his first ball was in a lateral hazard. If he had ‘reasonable evidence’ (the operative phrase in 2004) that his ball was in the hazard then playing another ball from the tee is an acceptable method of relief.

However, he apparently had no ‘reasonable evidence’; therefore his second ball became the ball in play regardless of whether he called it a ‘provisional’ or not. When he went forward he found his original ball in a bunker and played it. Since it was not the ball in play it was a wrong ball. According to the reports I read he was given a chance to correct his error before he played from the next tee but he declined and was subsequently disqualified.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:09:26 +0000

Jack… I think we’ve beat this horse to death. I am hoping you can help me with a different ruling that I was searching for when I stumbled onto this web page.
Many years ago I watched a tournament on TV and remember a PGA player hit his drive & it came to rest on a concrete cart path. The player opted not to take his free drop and hit an amazing shot to the green while standing on the cart path… which I guess was permitted under the rules.
That same year in another tournament, another player hit his drive & it came to rest very near a concrete cart path, but not on it.
The player opted not to take relief from the cart path and chose to stand on the cart path and play the ball.
The next day it was announced that the player was disqualified for signing a wrong score card due to a penalty that was not assessed as a result of the shot taken while standing on the path.
I may be remembering this incident wrong or there may have been a different infraction… but if I am right, do you know what the ruling or infraction was??
All I can find about cart paths is that you can take free relief… it doesn’t seem to be mandatory.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:51:57 +0000

I just finished checking the USGA website and the decisions you cited regarding rule 27.
I direct your attention to decision #27-2/1.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:22:38 +0000

I agree in principle to what you’re saying… my point is you can not play a provisional if you think the ball is in a water hazard… a provisional is only allowed if you think it is lost outside of a water hazard or out-of-bounds.
As you stated above, ” He must know or be virtually certain the ball is in the hazard.”
I just researched this and unless I’m mistaken, Greg Norman ended up disqualifing himself when he decided not to take a 2 stroke penalty for exactly this situation at the Honda Classic in 2004.
I have run into this situation myself at my club where a hidden water hazard lies behind an area of thick grass and trees well right of the landing area of a par 4.
It is difficult to determine if your slice carried far enough to reach the water hazard or if it is lost in the weeds… it makes a huge difference in the ruling.

By: jack

jack — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:08:10 +0000

Mike, if you’re not sure whether your ball is in a water hazard or may be lost outside the hazard you are entitled to play a provisional. See the Note to Rule 27-2a and Decisions 27-2a/2, 27-2a/2.2 and 27-2a/2.5.

I agree with you that a player may not proceed under 26 simply because he can’t find his ball outside a hazard. He must know or be virtually certain the ball is in the hazard. See Decision 26-1/1.

However, one has not ‘decided’ that one’s ball is lost merely by playing a provisional. A provisional is simply a time saver in case one’s ball is lost or OB.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:34:26 +0000

I think your statement & conclusion on #7 (provisional ball) is misleading.
As you can always hit a provisional ball if you think it is lost or out-of-bounds, that option does not exist if you think it is simply in a water hazard.
It should be a matter of fact whether the original ball was traveling toward a water hazard or not… if you go to the spot where it last crossed the hazard line & find it, then it is in play or you can proceed under rule 26. If you hit a provisional ball, then you’ve decided it might be lost and rule 26 does not apply.
The provisional ball defined the penalty (stroke & distance) if you do not find the ball. You do not have the luxury of looking for the ball and, not finding it, declare that it is in the water hazard… you’ve already decided it is lost by virtue of the provisional.

By: jack

jack — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:53:37 +0000

Can the player replace a new ball after it’s been marked on the green? Does it have to be the same ball in the continuing tee box on next hole?

During the play of a hole, Rule 15-2 says that the player may only substitute a ball if he’s proceeding under a Rule which permits him to play, drop or place a ball. In general, then, you can’t substitute a ball on the green unless the ball is unfit for play.

Rule 5-3 says that you can substitute a ball for a ball that’s become unfit for play as defined in that rule. So if the ball is cracked, out of round or cut it may be taken out of play and a different ball substituted. (Scrapes alone however, such as from hitting a cart path, don’t make a ball unfit for play.) There’s a procedure in 5-3 that tells you how to go about informing your opponent or fellow competitor before you make the substitution.

There is no restriction on substituting a ball between play of holes, so putting a different ball in play on the next tee is perfectly fine. Check your local rules or conditions of the competition to make sure that the mis-named ‘one ball rule’ isn’t in effect, though. That might limit you to only using one brand and model ball during a given round. It’s rare to have that rule in effect for casual rounds.

By: Henry L

Henry L — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:26:42 +0000

Have a question for you on the rule to replace a ball.
Can the player replace a new ball after it’s been marked on the green? Does it have to be the same ball in the continuing tee box on next hole?

Me & my golf buddy always fight over this, need to get a official ruling on this.