Ask Linda #128-Wrong information

Linda, with regard to Ask Linda #127, can you explain exactly what is meant by giving wrong information and how a player can correct it and not get a penalty?
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

I’ll be happy to, Lou. Bear in mind that giving wrong information is an issue peculiar to match play.

A player has given wrong information to his opponent if he (1) fails to notify him that he has incurred a penalty, (2) tells him the wrong number of strokes he has taken during play of a hole, or (3) tells him the wrong number of strokes he took to complete the hole. It is important to remember that the rules do not penalize players for giving wrong information if they correct it in time.

Let’s take a look at each of these situations and see at what point a player would be penalized and what he needs to do to avoid that harsh loss-of-hole penalty.

Situation 1: Notifying an opponent when you have incurred a penalty
When a player has incurred a penalty, he must inform his opponent before the opponent makes his next stroke, unless the penalty was clearly observed by the opponent. For example, if your opponent watches you wade into a stream to retrieve your ball and drop it behind the water hazard, there is no need for you to shout across the fairway to tell him that you will be adding a penalty stroke to your score. However, if you’re deep in the woods where he can’t see you, and you take a drop for an unplayable ball, you must let him know about that as soon as possible. (In this case, that would be as soon as you emerge from the woods and see him. He may have already hit his next shot, but you will not be penalized for not telling him about your penalty stroke before he hit his next shot as long as you tell him what happened as soon as it is practical to do so. You are not expected to come racing out of the woods shouting at the top of your lungs that you incurred a penalty to make sure your opponent is aware of your penalty before he hits his next shot. This is an instance where the rules make a special provision in order to be reasonable.)

Situation 2: Giving wrong information about the number of strokes taken during play of a hole
In order to avoid a loss-of-hole penalty, a player must correct the mistake before his opponent makes his next stroke. Should you inform your opponent that you are lying 4, for example, when you are only lying 3, you must correct that information before your opponent either hits his next shot, picks up his ball (or ball marker), or concedes your next stroke (any of these actions are equivalent to making your next stroke); if you do not correct yourself in time, you lose the hole.

The exception to this is the unusual situation discussed in Ask Linda #127.

Situation 3: Both players have completed the hole and a player has given an incorrect score that will affect his opponent’s understanding of the result of the hole
In order to avoid a loss-of-hole penalty, this mistake must be corrected before any player tees off on the next hole. For example, if your opponent tells you he scored a 5, and you scored a 6, your understanding of the result of the hole is that you lost it. If your opponent actually scored a 6 on the hole, he will avoid penalty by correcting himself prior to either of you teeing off on the next hole. Once one of you tees off, it is too late to avoid the penalty, and your opponent will lose the hole.

However, if your opponent tells you he scored a 4 and you scored a 6, but he really scored a 5, he can correct that mistake at any time since he won the hole either way (both his mistaken 4 and his actual 5 beat your 6). In this case the wrong information did not affect your understanding of the result of the hole.

Please note that there is no penalty for giving wrong information about the rules of golf. However, if a player were to intentionally mislead his opponent about a rule, the Committee would be within its rights to disqualify that player for unethical golf behavior (referred to in the rules as “a serious breach of etiquette”).

Linda

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