Ask Linda #159-Slam club in bunker

Linda–
What if your bunker shot stays in the bunker and you slam your club in anger in the bunker. Is that a penalty?
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

It certainly is. You are not permitted to touch the ground in a hazard with your club [Rule 13-4b]. The penalty is loss of hole in match play, two strokes in stroke play.

This is different from the question another reader had asked about throwing a club in a hazard in anger after trying to hit a ball out of a bunker and failing. The thrown club is equivalent to placing a club in the bunker (albeit violently), and is not penalized.

I have a question for my readers to ponder. Why is everyone so angry in the bunkers, slamming and throwing clubs? What happened to simply being disappointed, regrouping, and hitting the next shot?

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #158-How many balls in the hole?

Linda
I must admit I am too lazy to look this one up but here is a situation that arose during golf today.
Someone had putted out and left their ball in the cup. The next golfer putted and barely missed her putt but saw the ball in the cup and lifted it out before she putted out.
Another golfer said that had she putted out while the ball was in the cup it would have been a penalty.
Yes or no???
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

No, it is not a penalty. As long as a ball is at rest in the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip, it is considered “holed” [Definition of “Holed”].

Some players will not putt if there is a ball in the hole, whether for fear that it might cause their ball to bounce out (highly unlikely), or for an irrational belief (golfers are known to be prone to superstition).

While it is customary to remove a ball from the hole prior to another player putting, it is not required, and the practice can speed up play (always an honorable goal).

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #157-More hazard questions

Dear Linda,
Yesterday a player was in a sand bunker and did not get out on her first try. She then leaned on her club while standing in the bunker. Isn’t that a no-no?
Also, I believe that you can swipe the very top of any grass, etc., when taking a practice swing in a hazard, but that you can't ground your club. And if you do not get out of the hazard and ground your club while standing in that hazard, is that a penalty?
I also have a question about Ask Linda #154-Throwing club in bunker. I don’t understand why there is no penalty for throwing the club into the sand. I thought nothing should touch the sand until you hit your shot.
Thanks,
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

You are correct, Lulu, in thinking that it is a “no-no” to lean on your club or ground your club in a bunker or water hazard. Either action is a violation of Rule 13-4b. Under that rule you are not permitted to touch the ground in a hazard with your club prior to making a stroke [Decision 13-4/2]. The penalty is loss of hole in match play, two strokes in stroke play.

You are also correct in thinking that you will not incur a penalty for a practice swing in a water hazard that touches the top of the grass, since you have not grounded your club [Decision 13-4/4]. However, you will be penalized if such a swing improves your lie, area of intended stance or swing, or your line of play. Such practice swings should be taken with great care at a respectable distance from your ball.

In Ask Linda #154 I explained that there is no penalty for throwing your club in anger in a bunker even though your ball is still in the bunker. Throwing a club, while not an encouraged behavior, is equivalent to placing a club in a bunker. You are permitted to enter a bunker with several clubs (or even your whole bag!), put them all down, and select one to use [Rule 13-4, Exception 1b]. Bringing several clubs with you into a bunker can be a significant time-saver.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #156-Raking while still in bunker

Hi Linda,
How about if a player hits a long bunker shot in a very large bunker and the ball lands in another section of the large bunker. Is the player permitted to rake the section of the bunker where the original shot was played before playing the next shot from the bunker?
Thank you,
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

Yes. Exception 2 to rule 13-4 allows you to rake the sand where you played your first shot even if your ball is still in the bunker. However, your raking must not improve the position or lie of your ball, the area of your intended stance or swing, or your line of play.

If your opponent were to claim that you are testing the consistency of the sand by raking while your ball still lies in the bunker, such a claim would be invalid [Decision 14-3/36].

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #155-Disagreement with #154

Dear Linda:
With regard to Ask Linda #154-Throwing club in bunker, I disagree with your perception that is maybe based on decision 13-4/21 where throwing a rake casually is the equivalent of placing it. However, in this situation, I believe decision 13-4/35 applies and the player is in breach of rule 13-4.
Lulu in PR

Dear Lulu,

You make an excellent point, and I’m very pleased to learn that my readers are so diligent about the rules.

Decision 13-4/21 talks about a rake that is casually thrown into a bunker and does not move the ball or improve the lie. The ruling is that the player does not incur a penalty.

Decision 14-4/35 discusses a player who makes a stroke at his ball in a bunker, fails to get it out, and then swings his club into the sand. This action violates the prohibitions in 13-4 against testing the condition of the hazard and touching the ground in the hazard, and the player is penalized two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play.

When I received the question about whether a player is penalized for angrily throwing his club in a bunker before he has hit his ball out, I was not entirely certain of the answer, so I consulted the USGA. The answer I received from the USGA rules specialist was the one I printed in Ask Linda #154, namely that there is no penalty for angrily throwing a club in a bunker as long as the lie of the ball is not improved.

While the rules of etiquette discourage displays of anger, the golf rules themselves tend to be more tolerant of emotional responses. For example, if a player intentionally moves a tee marker before playing his first stroke because it interferes with his stance, he is penalized two strokes/loss of hole. On the other hand, if he intentionally kicks and moves the marker, there is no penalty and the marker is replaced [Decision 11-2/2].

Lulu, I truly appreciate that you took the time to research the decisions and share your opinion. Please continue to do so. I certainly do not want to publish any incorrect information. I am always willing to do further research on any question to insure that my readers are correctly informed about the rules.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #154-Throwing club in bunker

Dear Linda,
A player is in the bunker, hits the shot poorly and the ball stays in the trap. He then throws the club down into the trap in anger. Since the ball is still in the bunker, is this a penalty for grounding his club?
Lulu

Dear Lulu,

This is not a penalty as long as the lie of the ball is not improved. It falls under the exception that allows a player to place his clubs in a hazard [Rule 13-4. Exception 1b].

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #153-Partner breaks a rule

Hi Linda,
In four-ball match play, if a player removes a pine cone from a bunker, does his side lose the hole or is that player out of the hole and his partner is permitted to continue?
Thank you.
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

In four-ball match play, if a player breaks a rule that will assist his partner, then both the player and his partner will be penalized. If the infraction by the player does not assist his partner, then his partner does not incur a penalty.

In the situation you mention, I’m going to assume that the player who removed the pine cone from the bunker was in the bunker, and that his partner was elsewhere. The player will be disqualified from the hole for removing a loose impediment from a hazard [Rule 13-4c], but his partner will be permitted to continue play [Rule 30-3f].

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #152-Ball lost in fairway

Hello Linda,

I have always thought that a Lost Ball was just that...lost... with Stroke and Distance penalty.This year I've been told that if fellow golfers see your ball hit down the fairway but can't be found that it is deemed not lost.

Please help.

Thank you,

Lulu

Dear Lulu,

You are correct. Lulu. Lost is lost – no exceptions. If a player does not find his ball within five minutes, he must play another under penalty of stroke and distance.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #151-Tournament fomat idea

Linda,
My wife is the coordinator for our city's women's Interclub Golf Association this year. There are eight clubs and each club sends its best four players for monthly tournaments. My wife checks handicaps, sets the pairings, keeps the cumulative scoring (scratch and handicap), coordinates with the various clubs, and arranges for trophies. As you might expect, some clubs are much stronger than others. The job of coordinator rotates each year to a different (host) club.

But here's the question. The last event of the season, coming up in November, is called a "field day" and all the women who have competed are invited to play at the host club one last time for fun. My wife is trying to come up with some format of play that would be interesting and enjoyable to the women. It doesn't count toward the final standings.

I was wondering if you were in her shoes, what types of formats would you be considering as a final field day event? We're thinking you've probably seen lots of events and might have some fresh ideas.

Thanks so much!!

Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

A few years ago I designed a tournament for my local golf association that has become popular over the years because it is exciting, fun, and challenging. I called it the “Ryder Cup,” and here is how it works.

Two competitors play as partners, and the format changes every six holes. There are six holes of better ball, six of scramble, and six of selected drive-alternate shot. This is a gross tournament, played in flights.

The better ball is your standard, four-ball competition. Each player plays his own ball, and only the better score needs to be recorded.

During the scramble, each player hits a tee shot, and then for each successive shot they decide which was the better shot and play both balls from that spot. For scrambles, I generally allow players to place the ball within one foot of where the ball landed, no closer to the hole. Players must keep the ball in the same condition – if the ball is in the rough, for example, then they must play their next shot from the rough.

For the selected drive-alternate shot, both players tee off. They select the best drive and then alternate that ball to the hole. They may not change balls to use their preferred brand. Player A tees off with a Precept and Player B hits his tee shot with a Titleist. The players decide to use Player A’s drive. Player B will hit the next shot, and both players will continue alternating shots, using Player A’s Precept, all the way into the hole.

For the better ball and selected drive-alternate shot formats, I would recommend playing the ball down, unless conditions dictate otherwise.

Whether you run this tournament with tee times or as a shotgun, you should place a highly visible sign on the tee where the format changes, e.g., BEGIN SCRAMBLE HERE. It is also helpful to draw two thick lines on the scorecard after each set of six holes (between 6 and 7, and 12 and 13), and print the title of the format under each grouping. This would be essential to avoid confusion if you are running your tournament as a shotgun.

I always ran this as a gross tournament in flights. For each pair, I would combine 60% of the lower handicap with 40% of the higher handicap, and then use that number to place each team in a flight. The competition is then straight gross in each flight. Try to group your flights with a relatively small spread of handicaps – it is always more important to keep the spread small than the number of teams in each flight even. This is a fair competition, is easy to score, and yields lots of winners.

Ideally, you want to schedule the better ball for the easiest stretch of six holes and the scramble for the toughest. However, if you are playing the tournament with tee times, you do not want to play alternate shot on the first six holes. So if your first six holes are of medium difficulty, then start with the better ball, play the scramble on the hardest six, and the alternate shot on the easiest. If your tournament is a shotgun, you don’t have the luxury of all this fine-tuning. Some players will have to start with the alternate shot format. It’s not ideal, but they will survive and still have a good time.

This format encourages players to bond as a team, and is consistently well-received. If you do try it, please send my some feedback.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #150-Match play, ball leaning against flagstick

Dear Linda,
In your last column, you said there is no penalty in stroke play if you move someone else’s ball when you remove the flagstick. Is the rule the same for match play?
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

This is one of those situations where the rules for match play and stroke play differ.

In stroke play, there is no penalty for touching or moving another player’s ball. If you move it, it must be replaced [Rule 18-4].

In match play, there are two scenarios to consider. (1) If you move your opponent’s ball during the process of searching for it, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced [Rule 18-3a]. (2) If you move your opponent’s ball at any other time, you are penalized one stroke and the ball must be replaced [Rule 18-3b].

In the case of the flagstick incident in Ask Linda #149, in match play the opponent who pulled it out and moved the player’s ball would be penalized one stroke, and the ball would have to be replaced leaning against the flagstick [Decision 17-4/3]. The player would then be permitted to move or remove the flagstick to see if the ball drops into the hole. If it does, then the player officially holed out with his last stroke.

Players should be aware that it is never a good idea to contact another player’s ball without expressed permission. Such care will help keep you out of trouble.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #149-Ball leaning against flagstick

Hi Linda—
I was playing in a tournament, and all four of us chipped onto the green. One player’s ball was leaning against the flagstick for a birdie. Mine was the closest to the hole of the other three. I removed the flagstick, and the ball that was leaning against it moved away from the hole. I picked the ball up and tossed it to the player, thinking the ball was technically in the hole. He got really angry and had a few choice words for me. Did I do something wrong? Was this fixable?
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

The only unfortunate part of your tale is the “few choice words.” There is rarely a justifiable reason to harshly criticize a fellow golfer. It is my feeling that anyone who is knowledgeable about the rules should view misunderstandings about the rules as an opportunity to instruct, not to insult.

In your scenario, both you and your fellow competitor showed some ignorance of the rules. Your misunderstanding has to do with the definition of “holed.” A ball is not considered holed until it is “at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole” (Definition of Holed). If the ball was leaning against the flagstick, then part of it was most likely above the level of the lip, and so the ball was not holed.

Your fellow competitor’s misunderstanding was in thinking that your action in removing the flagstick and knocking the ball away from the hole resulted in his losing his birdie. His error was compounded when he displayed poor etiquette.

Here is what should happen. After you remove the flagstick and consequently knock the ball away from the hole, the ball must be replaced leaning against the flagstick. The other player is then entitled to try to move or remove the flagstick in such a way that the ball might fall into the hole. If the ball falls into the hole, it is considered holed with his last stroke and he preserves his birdie. If it does not fall into the hole, he has to place it on the lip of the hole and putt it in for a par [Rule 17-4; Decision 17-4/3]. Since this was a stroke play tournament, there is no penalty to either player [Rule 18-4].

When another player’s ball is leaning against a flagstick, you should leave the flagstick removal chore to him. You always want to avoid any action that will cause another player’s ball to move. However, we all make mistakes, and since this one was easy to correct and resulted in no penalty to anyone, there should have been no cause for harsh words. Ignorance is excusable, rude behavior is not.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #148-Dropped ball rolls forward

Dear Linda,
If, when taking a drop behind a water hazard or when taking an unplayable, the ball moves forward does it have to be re-dropped? I know you can drop a ball twice and if it rolls closer to the hole it can be placed where the ball struck the ground on the second drop. But does it have to be re-dropped if when the ball moves forward it is still behind the point of the original relief?
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

This is an excellent question, and it was addressed in a USGA rules seminar I attended. The rules state that a ball must be re-dropped when it rolls and comes to rest closer to the hole, “unless otherwise permitted by the Rules” (Rule 20-2/c/vii/a). I asked the instructor for an example of a dropped ball rolling closer to the hole that does not have to be re-dropped, and the answer he gave was the exact situation you describe.

One of the relief options for a ball in a water hazard or a ball that is unplayable allows you to drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke, anywhere behind where your ball lays on a line that begins at the hole, passes through your ball, and extends back to infinity. If you choose this relief option, do not re-drop the ball if it should roll forward, closer to the hole. As long as it does not roll closer to the hole than where your ball originally lay, it is a legal drop.

Linda

Copyright © 2009 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.