Linda, I was playing in a better ball tournament on a very windy day. I addressed my ball on the putting green, and then backed off (something blew into my eye). Before I got back to my ball, the wind blew it about a foot further from the hole. There was some animated discussion about what I should do. My group finally agreed that I should putt it from the spot the wind blew it to. Was this the right thing to do?
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
Before I answer your question, I am going to give you an important piece of golf advice. It is clear to me, from your description of the incident, that you were unsure how to proceed, and that there was disagreement among your group as to the proper procedure. The rules provide a solution when you don’t know what to do. Rule 3-3 (Doubt as to Procedure) allows you to play a second ball and then straighten the mess out with the Committee prior to signing your scorecard. Please remember to do that the next time you find yourself in a confusing predicament.
Now let’s look at your question. According to the rules, wind is not an outside agency. What that means is that if the wind blows your ball, you do not put it back; you must hit it from its new position. So it would appear, at first glance, that you did the right thing. But appearances can be deceiving, and in your case you did not proceed correctly. Here’s why.
Once you address the ball, you are responsible for what happens to it. You cannot “un-address” the ball. So even though it was moved by a gust of wind, you are deemed responsible for moving that ball, since it had already been addressed. You should have replaced the ball and added a one-stroke penalty to your score (Rule 18-2b). Since you did not replace it, and you did not gain a significant advantage (the ball was blown further from the hole), you would be penalized two strokes for playing from a wrong place.
Since this was a better ball tournament, if your partner had the better score on that hole, then your mistake has no bearing on your team score and you can breathe a sigh of relief. However, if it was your score that counted for that hole, then your team would be disqualified; since your procedure was incorrect and you did not replace the ball and add a penalty stroke to your score (or add a two-stroke penalty for playing from the wrong place), you signed an incorrect scorecard. Your total score was lower than what you actually shot, which is an automatic disqualification under Rule 6-6d.
The rules understand that you will not always know what to do. Don’t be embarrassed to admit your ignorance, Lou. With 34 rules and over 1200 rulings about them in the Decisions book, who could possibly be expected to always know the right course of action? Tell the other guys that you are going to play two balls, tell them which ball you would like to count if the rules permit, and then report all the facts to the Committee before you sign your scorecard. That will keep you out of trouble and in the competition.
Linda
Copyright © 2008 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
