Dear Linda,
If while driving a cart, a player runs over his own ball, is there a penalty?
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
In this case, Lou, the assumption is that you moved your ball when you ran over it with your cart. You would have to be able to prove that the ball did not move to avoid penalty. This is a situation where any doubt about whether the ball moved would be resolved against the player.
You would incur a one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2a for moving your ball. It is a violation when your equipment causes your ball to move. When you are driving a cart, it is considered to be your equipment.
If the lie was altered (I'm thinking here that the weight of the cart might push the ball further into the ground), you would then have to place it in the nearest most similar lie within one club-length [Rule 20-3b].
Note that if you or your equipment accidentally move another player’s ball while you are helping him search for it, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. It would not be in the best interest of the game or of sportsmanship to discourage you from assisting your fellow golfers!
Linda
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