NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS

Dear readers,

Please change my e-mail address in your records. My new address is:

llmillergolf@gmail.com

If you send a question to my old address, it will not reach me and will be forever lost in cyberspace.

Linda

Ask Linda #199-Moving loose impediment while ball in motion

Hi Linda,

I'm watching the golf tournament on TV. During a commercial a "rules" spot was shown. Here's the scenario, in case you were not watching:

A person putts his ball (long putt), a breeze blows some tumbleweed in the path of the ball, he runs up & sweeps it out of the way & the ball goes in the hole. The rules official said the player would be assessed a 2-stroke penalty because you can't do anything after the ball is putted. What if someone else were standing on the green, saw the tumbleweed blow in the path & swept it away?

Regards, Lulu

Dear Lulu,

Once a ball is in motion, any loose impediment that might affect the movement of the ball must not be removed [Rule 23-1]. The penalty for doing so is two strokes (loss of hole in match play).

In the case of your unwelcome tumbleweed (or any loose impediment), if the player himself runs forward and moves it out of the way of his rolling ball, the penalty is the player’s. If a fellow golfer decides on his own to “help out” by moving it, the penalty is the fellow golfer’s. If the player asks another golfer to move the loose impediment, and the other golfer does so, both players are penalized two strokes.

Once a ball has been struck, it is best to stay out of its way and let nature take its course.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #198-Cart path relief

Hi Linda,

I have a question regarding relief from cart paths. Twisted Dune Golf Club's scorecard says that cart paths are an integral part of the course and there's no relief. Do cart paths have to be paved surfaces in order for relief to be granted? Our tour is playing McCullough's Emerald Golf Links this week and even though there's nothing on their scorecard about cart paths, I think this issue may arise.

Thank you.

Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

Artificially-surfaced cart paths are obstructions from which free relief is always an option under the Rules of Golf. Adding any foreign material to a path, such as concrete, tar, gravel, wood chips, etc., makes it “artificially surfaced.”

There is no relief from natural paths (dirt, sand, etc.) under the Rules of Golf. Golfers are obligated to play the ball “down” on cart paths made of natural materials.

The wise Tournament Director will remind golfers prior to starting a round on a course with natural cart paths that the ball must be played as it lies on the path. Why risk confusion?

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #197-Reason for ESC

Hi Linda,

What is the point of the ESC score? Why can I only post an 8 even if I have a 10? What good does it do? Actually, this is my husband’s question & I don't know the answer.

Dear Lulu,

The brief, official USGA explanation for applying Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) to all scores is that reducing high scores “makes handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability” [Section 4-3, USGA Handicap System].

In order to begin to understand the reason for applying ESC, a golfer must first understand that his handicap index does not represent his average score. It is meant to represent his best potential score. A player who “shoots his handicap” (e.g., a player with an 18 handicap scores 90 on a course rated 72) has had one of his best days, not one of his average days. He might expect to score at or near his handicap two or three rounds out of ten, at the most.

If players were allowed to include all of their “blow up” holes (those 8’s, 9’s and 10’s) in their posted scores, their handicaps would be unfairly high, and would not represent their true potential. Also, if players were allowed to post scores that include disaster holes, the system would be giving carte blanche to any cheaters looking to increase or “pad” their handicaps. This is how it works: an unscrupulous golfer involved in, say, a match or a better ball competition, starts missing shots on holes he knows he will lose or he knows his partner will win without his help. These misses and high scores are, of course, for the purpose of posting artificially high rounds to raise his handicap and provide him a better and unfair chance to win more competitions. It is cheating.

Even an honest golfer will seriously throw his handicap out of whack by posting a 13 on a hole on which he would generally score par or bogey. A handicap as little as one or two shots higher than it should be will give a golfer an undeserved advantage in any competition.

Again, keep in mind that your handicap represents your best potential score, not your average score. If every golfer follows the rules and posts the proper ESC score, then we are all competing fairly against one another. The player who scores closer to his potential ability will be the winner. The ESC system is one of the USGA’s efforts to make the game fair and equitable for players of differing abilities. It is one of the unique pleasures of golf that you can have an even competition despite disparate skill levels. Posting your ESC score helps to keep the playing field level.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #196-Changing relief option

Hi Linda,

Warm greetings from Australia. It is warm too...middle of Autumn and 27°C today.

Playing match play today, after her tee shot, my opponent declared her ball unplayable (under a large bush). She measured out two club lengths, lifted her ball and without dropping her ball decided that her next shot was still going to be hampered by the bush. She then wanted to go back to the tee for her next shot. What would the penalty be? As she was not completely sure that she could do this without loss of hole and I was almost sure that having chosen the two club length option she couldn't change the option without further penalty (keep in mind that she had not dropped her ball), she chose to drop her ball and play her next shot for 3. After asking around, we had different opinions offered. We want to know if she had gone back to the tee would she have been hitting off for 3 or 4?

Cheers, Lulu

Dear Lulu,

If the player had returned to the tee for her next shot, she would be hitting her third shot.

Just because the player stated she was choosing the relief option of dropping a ball within two club-lengths [Rule 28c] does not mean she was required to do so. Since she did not drop the ball, it was not in play and she could return to the tee for her third shot.

There is no need to establish a reference point for a drop when you are returning to the spot where the original ball was last played (in this case, the tee). Therefore, the penalty is one stroke for proceeding under this relief option (option “a”) in Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable).

However, if the player had decided, after lifting the ball, that she wanted to proceed under option “b” in Rule 28 (dropping a ball behind where her ball lay, on the line-of-sight to the hole), she would incur a two-stroke penalty – one stroke for lifting her ball in play [Rule 18-2a] and one stroke for taking relief for an unplayable ball.

And if the player had decided, after lifting her ball, that her best chance to hit it would be to put it back, then she would be assessed a one-stroke penalty for lifting her ball in play under Rule 18-2a.

When you decide to declare your ball “unplayable,” the best advice I can offer you is to not touch the ball until you have carefully assessed all your options.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #195-Drop area across hazard

Hi Linda,

I play out of a golf course in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Hole #4 is a 350 yard par 4. A tee shot of 275 yards will put you in a ravine. For balls hit in the ravine a drop area exists next to the green. Normally, a player's poor second shot hit into the ravine allows for a drop in the drop area next to the green with a one stroke penalty. My question is, does a player's tee ball hit into the ravine entitle him to the drop area next to the green, or must he play his third shot (one stroke penalty) over the ravine? The ravine is not a lateral hazard, your ball must cross it to get to the green. The drop area is next to the green. The ravine starts about 75 yards in front of the green.

From,

Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

I’m afraid I have nothing but bad news for you, Lou. Establishing a drop area on the green side of a water hazard is not permitted under the Rules of Golf. Neither the players who dump their second shot into the ravine, nor you, when your drive lands in the ravine, may use a drop area that allows players to cross a hazard without hitting their balls over it [Decision 33-8/2].

The only relief options for a ball hit into a water hazard are to return to where you hit your original ball and hit another, or drop a ball behind the hazard on the line-of-sight to the hole [Rule 26-1a, b]. Both relief options require that you add a one-stroke penalty to your score. A player is never allowed a free lift over a hazard.

I am well aware that a number of golf courses establish “illegal” dropping zones to assist with pace of play. If you and your friends opt to use the drop zone, then you need to be aware that you are not playing under the Rules of Golf. In the case of your playing this “fun” round, the procedure would be the same for any ball hit into the hazard, whether on the first, second, or even fifth stroke. You would have the same opportunity to drop your ball in the drop area after reaching the ravine with your drive as your friends would when they plunk their second shot into the goo.

However, all of this dropping on the other side of the hazard is illegal. If you’re serious about your golf, you and friends should ignore the illegal drop area and drop your ball behind the hazard according to rule.

You might want to mention to a course official that this drop area does not conform to the Rules of Golf. There are situations where dropping zones need to be established, but there is no valid reason to place them on the wrong (green) side of the hazard and thereby encourage golfers to break the rules.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #194-Ball “lost” in casual water?

Hi Linda,

A couple of questions came up during our tournament today at a course in South Jersey that probably should not have been open due to due to all the rain we have had recently.

Both questions involve casual water.

1- A ball is hit and the player is unsure where it has landed. His playing partner indicates that it went into a bunker. When the group reaches the bunker it is partially flooded. The player takes relief from the water in the bunker and drops a ball in the bunker. He plays his next shot onto the green. Then it is discovered that the player's ball is actually in another bunker that is dry. Has the player played from the wrong place? What is the ruling?

2- A player is playing a dogleg left, downhill par 4. The player hits his second shot to the left of the green. Fearing the ball may be lost, he hits a provisional. When he arrives at the area to the left of the green, he thinks that the ball may be in a flooded area. Can he assume that the ball is in the flooded area, even though no one in the group saw the ball enter the flooded area? Does he get relief from this flooded area as casual water, or is the ball lost because no one saw it enter the flooded area?

Thank you.

Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

In order for a ball to be treated as lost in casual water, it must be “known or virtually certain” that the ball is there. A player may not decide his ball is lost in casual water simply because it might possibly be there. Unless there is almost no doubt that the ball is there, the player must assume his ball is lost and proceed under “stroke and distance” for a lost ball [Rule 27-1]. (For a full explanation of the meaning of “known or virtually certain,” please read Decision 26-1/1.)

From your explanation, Lou, it does not seem to me that it was known or virtually certain that the player’s ball was lost in casual water in either situation.

Situation #1

The player was uncertain where his ball was, and it sounds like his partner was making what you might call a “wishful guess.” The player was entitled to search for his ball for five minutes. If he did not find it within that time period, he was required to play another ball from the spot where his original ball was last played, and assess himself a penalty stroke [Rule 27-1: Stroke and Distance].

When the player dropped another ball in the bunker, it became the ball “in play” and the original was lost. However, he was not allowed to take relief for a ball lost in casual water [Rule 25-1c] because it was not known or virtually certain that the ball was there. Therefore, when he played the ball that he dropped in the bunker, he was playing from a wrong place.

If this were a match play competition, he would lose the hole.

In stroke play, he incurred the stroke and distance penalty for a lost ball, and an additional two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place [Rule 20-7c]. He might be subject to disqualification for a serious breach of the rule, since it would seem that he gained a significant distance advantage by playing from a wrong place [Decision 25-1c/2].

When a player in a stroke play competition believes he may have played from a wrong place, he may play a second ball in accordance with the rules, provided he has not yet hit his tee shot on the next hole. He must report the facts of the situation to the Committee before he turns in his score card. The Committee will then decide which ball was played correctly under the rules and assess any appropriate penalties.

Since you make no mention of the player in question playing a second ball, I suspect he would be disqualified from the tournament.

Situation #2

I think you already know the answer to this one. In a nutshell, since it is not known or virtually certain that the ball is in a flooded area, the player is not entitled to relief. He must play another ball under stroke and distance.

When tournaments are played under extremely wet conditions, the tournament director should take the responsibility of reviewing the pertinent rules for abnormal ground conditions such as pervasive casual water. Just between you and me, Lou, it sounds like this is a tournament that should have been rescheduled.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #193-Flagstick attended for ball off green

Dear Linda,

In a recent tournament I offered to tend the flagstick for a fellow competitor who was off the green. He told me that it was against the rules and we made a “glass of wine” bet. I checked with our head pro after the round and he agreed with the other guy that you could only have the flagstick attended when on the green. They both claim that this was a rule that they’ve known about for years and years. When I read 17-1, I still don’t see why this is illegal.

“17-1. Flagstick Attended, Removed or Held Up


Before making a stroke from anywhere on the course, the player may have the flagstick attended, removed or held up to indicate the position of the hole.”

Can you weigh in on this question please?

Regards, Lulu

Dear Lulu,

The rule is perfectly clear on this one, Lulu. Regardless of where your ball may lie, you are entitled to have the flagstick attended, removed, or held up.

There are many instances where a player may want the flagstick attended when he is putting or chipping near the green. Under the rules, he is entitled to that courtesy.

Here’s a related situation you might find interesting. There is a hole at my home course where the drop-off behind the green is so severe that a player is unable to see the position of the hole for a chip back onto the green. Not only may that player ask that the flagstick be attended for his ensuing chip, but he may ask that the player attending the flagstick hold it high up in the air so that he can see where to aim it.

It’s always disappointing to be misinformed about the rules by your own club pro. Your fellow competitor and your club professional both owe you a glass of wine and an apology!

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #192-Relief from fence and tree

Hi Linda,

My question is along the same subject as you have recently been discussing. We have a tee area with a protective fence running down the left-hand side of the tee area, then it diverges away slightly, leaving space between the fence and the tee area. There is a tree between the fence and the tee area. The ball is hit from the tee, hits the fence and drops, still on the tee side of the fence. Normally we take swing relief from the fence. But, in this case, a swing to hit the ball forwards toward the green is interfered with by the tree. The ball is only 2 feet form the fence. If the tree weren’t there, then relief would definitely be given. Does the fact that the tree is preventing a “normal” swing mean that no relief can be taken from the fence?

Regards Lulu.

Dear Lulu,

You have to ask yourself how you would hit the ball if the obstruction (the fence) weren’t there. From what you wrote, it would seem that you would want to hit the ball forward, toward the green, and you are unable to do so because there is a tree in your way.

You are not entitled to relief from the fence in this case. You may play the ball as it lies (perhaps a left-handed punch may be your best bet), or you may declare the ball unplayable, assess yourself a penalty stroke, and choose one of the three relief options in Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable).

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #191-More about fenced pond

Linda,

I do not want to drag this on [please see Ask Linda #190], but when I talked to my guys they want to be very clear on this ruling. I have attached a drawing to show how we have it figured out. There are two circumstances that we would like confirmation on.

(1) First is if you enter into the "lateral water hazard" you have the option of dropping on the other side of the hazard "equidistant" from the hole. Because of the odd shape of the fenced area this would entitle you to go almost to the bottom of the bell depending where the pin was and where it entered. You would then be allowed to drop between that point and back as far as you want. This is an option that we never consider on this hole and will allow us the possibility of saving par. This is regardless of the fact that we will then have to hit over the parking lot which could then be a hazard to be discussed in another thread.

(2)There is one other situation that we would like to have confirmed. That is, when your ball stops before the hazard and you have a swing without hitting the fence. Since the fence is pretty high and you are not entitled to "line of sight' and you must use the same club that you would be hitting, in this case say an 8 iron would be necessary to reach the green. However, if you decide to hit to the fairway and you turn your back to the fence (for a right handed golfer) you now hit the fence with your 5 iron which you need to keep the ball below the trees. You are then entitled to relief. Relief would be stance plus one club-length. You would then be far enough from the fence to hit over it. We would like to confirm that this is allowed and is just a matter of applying the rules and is not bending or breaking them in any way.

Thank you for all your help.

Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

I’m not certain that I understand your question correctly, Lou, but I will try to answer you based on what I suspect you are asking. If my answer does not address the question you meant to pose, then let me know if I can call you so that we can straighten this out.

One of the relief options for a ball in a water hazard (whether regular or lateral) is to drop a ball behind the hazard on a line that starts at the hole, passes through the spot where your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, and extends back to infinity. This is commonly known as dropping a ball on the line-of-sight to the hole. Looking at your diagram (a bell-shaped pond on the left side of the fairway), the line-of-sight for a ball that enters the hazard where it would properly be marked as a lateral hazard will be a line that passes through the water and exits on the other side. You may walk around to the other side of the hazard, line up the flagstick with the spot where your ball entered the hazard, and go back as far as you wish to drop a ball (assessing yourself a one-stroke penalty, of course).

If your ball enters the hazard where it is marked as a lateral, and you choose the option to drop on the other side of the hazard at a point equidistant from the hole, you must drop a ball within two club-lengths of that point and not closer to the hole. You may not proceed to move back as far as you wish along the line-of-sight to the hole from that equidistant point on the opposite bank. The only point from which you are permitted to drop back along the line-of-sight is from the point where your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard.

There are two excellent diagrams with accompanying explanations on how to find all the correct relief options for a ball in a lateral water hazard in the Decisions book. Please spend some time studying Decisions 26-1/14 and 26-1/15–I think you will find their information invaluable. For those of my readers who are uncertain how to access the USGA Decisions, here is a quick review:

1. Visit the USGA website: http://www.usga.org/

2. On the top bar, put your cursor on “Rules,” and click on “Rules and Decisions.”

3. For the particular Decisions I referenced above, scroll down the left side to “Rule 26” and click on “Water Hazards…”

4. Look for “Decisions” on the right side, scroll down to “26-1/14,” and click on it.

5. Scroll down the Decisions in the center section until you reach 26-1/14. Don’t forget to read 26-1/15, too.

In order to answer your second question, Lou, I consulted a rules official at the USGA. Here is your answer:

You are entitled to free relief if the fence interferes with your normal stance or swing for a normal direction of play. Ask yourself the following: How would the player play his next shot if the fence weren’t there? Would he elect to hit sideways? It is reasonable to assume that without the fence the player would choose to hit an 8-iron towards the green. Since he has enough room to swing an 8-iron without contacting the fence, there is no free relief for the ball lying near the fence. A sideways shot with a 5-iron would be ruled as “an unnecessarily abnormal…direction of play” [24-2b, Exception]. The player’s only recourse under the rules would be to take a one-stroke penalty and proceed under one of the options in Rule 28, Ball Unplayable.

The best solution to all your problems, of course, would be to tear down the fence that surrounds the pond.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.