Ask Linda #35 - wrong place; impediments in bunker

Linda, a couple of questions for you and also, what would the etiquette be?

On the putting green, Player A asks Player B to mark his ball to the left so that it is not in the way of Player A's putt. When it is Player B’s turn to putt, he forgets to replace the ball in the correct spot. Player B takes two strokes to hole out. Does player B also incur a one-stroke penalty for not replacing in the proper spot? And if this is a Better Ball two-man team event, when is the proper time to tell player B of his mistake? Should he be told right after he putts? If his partner hasn't putted yet, should the proper etiquette be to wait until after his partner putts out?

Also, if a player lands in a fairway bunker and proceeds to remove leaves near his ball before he strikes the ball, when is the proper time to tell that player of this infraction? I was told you cannot remove anything (divots, leaves, etc.) from a bunker before you hit your ball. If this is a penalty, should you tell him right then and there, or after everyone has holed out?
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

To answer your first question, when a player putts from what is known as a “wrong place,” that player incurs a two-stroke penalty (Rule 20-7a, c). The same infraction in match play would result in the player losing the hole. The proper time to inform a player of an infraction is when it happens.

That being said, if you notice a player about to commit an infraction, then in the interest of good sportsmanship you should warn him, thereby saving him the penalty and winning a new friend for yourself. If it is not possible to issue a warning in time, then you have no choice but to advise him of the infraction and the penalty. If neither of you is certain of the penalty, that issue can be resolved at the end of the round by referring the question to the Committee (in this case, that would be the Tournament Director).

With regard to your second question, Rule 13-4c tells us that a player may not touch or move any loose impediments lying in a hazard. If he does so, then the penalty is two strokes (loss of hole in match play). The only exception to this is if a player is searching for his ball in a hazard. In that case, when he finds his ball he must recover his ball with the loose impediments, leaving only a part of his ball visible (Rule 12-1). As with your first question, the player should be told of the infraction when he commits it. If there is any chance to warn that player before he touches the loose impediments, please do so.

Lulu, a word about etiquette. When I say that you should inform the player when he commits his infraction, I am assuming that you understand that if someone else is in the process of making a stroke (or in their routine prior to making a stroke), that you should wait for that second player to hit the ball before informing the first player that he incurred a penalty. Players should never be talking or moving when another player is preparing to hit a ball.

Linda

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