Linda, if you hit your tee shot and your ball goes into a lateral (red-staked) hazard, do you always have the option to re-tee, or are you limited to either dropping the ball on the line of sight to the hole or dropping it within two club-lengths of the hazard boundary? Thanks, Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
When you are taking relief for a ball in a water hazard, you always have the option to hit a ball from where you played your previous shot [Rule 26-1a]. If the previous shot was your first shot on the hole, you may return to the teeing ground and re-tee a ball. This is true for all water hazards, whether regular (yellow-staked) or lateral (red-staked). Don’t forget to include the one-stroke penalty in your score for the hole.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Ask Linda #250-Provisional ball, how many strokes?
Hi Linda,
I know you've answered this type of question before but for the life of me I cannot remember which posting it was under so here goes:
At any time do you count a provisional ball as a penalty/penalty stroke? Example: a player's tee shot might be OB/lost outside a hazard. The provisional ball ends up in the same area and it too might be OB/lost outside a hazard. So, he hits a second provisional and it is playable. Upon investigation, the tee shot and first provisional are BOTH OB/lost outside a hazard, so what is the second provisional lying? Lying five hitting six or lying three hitting four? The player says even though the first provisional was OB/lost outside a hazard it was a provisional for the tee shot so there is no penalty, therefore he is lying three hitting four. This happened within our group last month and none of us knew how to score the hole for the player.
As always thank you for your time and a great golf blog!
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
The second provisional ball is the player’s fifth stroke. Here is how to do the addition:
1. Original stroke = 1
2. Penalty for lost original ball = 1
3. First provisional ball = 1
3. Penalty for lost provisional = 1
4. Second provisional = 1
Total: 5
The Note to Rule 27-2 explains that when a player hits multiple provisional balls, each one “bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ball bears to the original ball.” I will now try to translate this into layman’s terms.
When a player hits a provisional ball, that ball becomes the ball in play if the original ball turns out to be out of bounds or lost outside a water hazard. The player in your question lost his original ball. His first provisional ball became the ball in play. Unfortunately, that ball was also lost. At this point, the second provisional ball became the ball in play.
Here is a scenario where the player’s provisional ball would be lying three:
If the player’s original ball is lost, his first provisional is found, and his second provisional is lost or found, then he would be lying three: the original shot + the penalty for a lost ball + the provisional = 3. The second provisional would not count; this ball was hit as a precaution in case the original and the first provisional were not found.
If the player finds his original ball within five minutes, he must continue play with the original and abandon any provisionals. In this case, any strokes made with the provisional balls do not count in his score.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
I know you've answered this type of question before but for the life of me I cannot remember which posting it was under so here goes:
At any time do you count a provisional ball as a penalty/penalty stroke? Example: a player's tee shot might be OB/lost outside a hazard. The provisional ball ends up in the same area and it too might be OB/lost outside a hazard. So, he hits a second provisional and it is playable. Upon investigation, the tee shot and first provisional are BOTH OB/lost outside a hazard, so what is the second provisional lying? Lying five hitting six or lying three hitting four? The player says even though the first provisional was OB/lost outside a hazard it was a provisional for the tee shot so there is no penalty, therefore he is lying three hitting four. This happened within our group last month and none of us knew how to score the hole for the player.
As always thank you for your time and a great golf blog!
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
The second provisional ball is the player’s fifth stroke. Here is how to do the addition:
1. Original stroke = 1
2. Penalty for lost original ball = 1
3. First provisional ball = 1
3. Penalty for lost provisional = 1
4. Second provisional = 1
Total: 5
The Note to Rule 27-2 explains that when a player hits multiple provisional balls, each one “bears the same relationship to the previous provisional ball as the first provisional ball bears to the original ball.” I will now try to translate this into layman’s terms.
When a player hits a provisional ball, that ball becomes the ball in play if the original ball turns out to be out of bounds or lost outside a water hazard. The player in your question lost his original ball. His first provisional ball became the ball in play. Unfortunately, that ball was also lost. At this point, the second provisional ball became the ball in play.
Here is a scenario where the player’s provisional ball would be lying three:
If the player’s original ball is lost, his first provisional is found, and his second provisional is lost or found, then he would be lying three: the original shot + the penalty for a lost ball + the provisional = 3. The second provisional would not count; this ball was hit as a precaution in case the original and the first provisional were not found.
If the player finds his original ball within five minutes, he must continue play with the original and abandon any provisionals. In this case, any strokes made with the provisional balls do not count in his score.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Ask Linda #249b-Cart path in hazard
Linda, how would your answer to 249 be different if the ball lay in a hazard below a raised cart path?
Dear Lou Lou,
The answer would be the same, except that when taking relief from an immovable obstruction in a hazard you must drop the ball in the hazard to get free relief. The player has the option to take the ball out of the hazard and drop it behind the hazard on a line straight back from the hole, but this option would add a penalty stroke to his score [Rule 24-2b, ii].
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Dear Lou Lou,
The answer would be the same, except that when taking relief from an immovable obstruction in a hazard you must drop the ball in the hazard to get free relief. The player has the option to take the ball out of the hazard and drop it behind the hazard on a line straight back from the hole, but this option would add a penalty stroke to his score [Rule 24-2b, ii].
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Ask Linda #249a-Wrong decisions by the Committee
Thank you for the reply [Ask Linda #249]. I will let the folks who run these events know they indeed ruled incorrectly. The stroke the player was assessed didn't keep him from winning...he still finished a couple of strokes back. However, I would expect folks who run these events to have better insight into the rules and decisions on the rules of golf. I don't know what he looked at to make his decision, but he didn't read the same rules I read...or the rules you've cited here.
Thank you again...Lou Lou.
Lou, interpreting the rules correctly requires an inordinate amount of study and a certain amount of intellectual modesty. While every person running a tournament may not have the time or interest to devote himself to a thorough understanding of the Rules and the Decisions on the Rules, such people need to admit that their knowledge is limited, toss their ego aside, and consult a rules official at the USGA when a difficult or unusual situation arises. That requires a degree of humility and honesty that not everyone has.
On a number of occasions through the years I have encountered golf professionals who are adamant about the correctness of a ruling that I knew for certain was entirely mistaken. I would resolve the problem immediately by calling a USGA official and letting the golf pro hear the answer straight from the horse’s mouth.
When I receive a question from a reader that has a clear answer in the Rules of Golf or in the Decisions book, I cite them as my references and answer the question myself. However, when some questions are not so easily verified, I form an opinion and check directly with the USGA to make sure I am not giving out wrong advice.
Golf professionals and Committee members should do the same. If there are differing or uncertain opinions on how to resolve a rules matter, and no pertinent rule or Decision can be found, then the highest authority –the USGA– should be consulted. The goal should always be to get things right.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Thank you again...Lou Lou.
Lou, interpreting the rules correctly requires an inordinate amount of study and a certain amount of intellectual modesty. While every person running a tournament may not have the time or interest to devote himself to a thorough understanding of the Rules and the Decisions on the Rules, such people need to admit that their knowledge is limited, toss their ego aside, and consult a rules official at the USGA when a difficult or unusual situation arises. That requires a degree of humility and honesty that not everyone has.
On a number of occasions through the years I have encountered golf professionals who are adamant about the correctness of a ruling that I knew for certain was entirely mistaken. I would resolve the problem immediately by calling a USGA official and letting the golf pro hear the answer straight from the horse’s mouth.
When I receive a question from a reader that has a clear answer in the Rules of Golf or in the Decisions book, I cite them as my references and answer the question myself. However, when some questions are not so easily verified, I form an opinion and check directly with the USGA to make sure I am not giving out wrong advice.
Golf professionals and Committee members should do the same. If there are differing or uncertain opinions on how to resolve a rules matter, and no pertinent rule or Decision can be found, then the highest authority –the USGA– should be consulted. The goal should always be to get things right.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Ask Linda #249-Relief from raised cart path
Hi Linda,
I was caddying for my son at a tournament recently and one of his playing competitors hit his drive and it finished under a raised wooden part of the cart path. The cart path was paved until it came to a low area of pine straw and rougher, lower terrain...thus the raised wooden section of the cart path which probably ran for no more than 40 or 50 feet. It was not over a water hazard, lateral or regular, so neither his ball nor the cart path were in or above a water hazard. I had never actually encountered this situation, and no one in the group of four players had encountered this. There was confusion about how to proceed and the player eventually took an unplayable at the insistence of another player's caddy father who unfortunately just stated his strong opinion and left the scene, unwilling to discuss that this might be something other than an unplayable lie. My view was that this was an immovable obstruction to which free relief should have been granted. The raised cart path prevented the player from attempting any sort of swing at his ball, and he could have reasonably taken such a swing and advanced his ball toward the hole were if not for the cart path. I suggested he mention this to the committee rep. for the tournament before signing his card. He did; the rep didn't know how this should be ruled and agreed to look into it before issuing his decision. The next morning, I ran into the player in the parking lot and he said they had ruled it was indeed to be considered unplayable and the penalty shot applied.
Based on what I've read in the rulebook, this doesn't seem right. So my question is, should he have been penalized a stroke and proceeded as though the ball was unplayable? Or, was he actually entitled to relief from the "raised wooden cart path" under which his ball came to rest? I haven't been able to find anything on-line that describes this situation and discusses how one should proceed. What is the proper ruling in this case?
Thank you...Lou Lou.
Dear Lou Lou,
From your narrative, it would seem that the player was unfairly penalized. The cart path, by definition, is an immovable obstruction. When an immovable obstruction interferes with a player’s swing, he is entitled to free relief [Rule 24-2a]. The player is permitted to lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of the nearest point of relief that is no closer to the hole.
It appears to me that the situation was confusing because the ball was under a cart path, which is not a common occurrence. However, that does not negate the fact that the cart path is still an immovable obstruction, and that it is interfering with the player’s swing. If the player’s ball had settled under a bench, would there have been any question as to whether he was entitled to free relief?
Let’s look briefly at the rule that addresses this problem, Rule 24-2a. This rule tells us that “interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing.” The player’s ball in your question was not in the obstruction, nor was it on the obstruction. However, the obstruction interfered with his swing. As such, he was entitled to free relief from an immovable obstruction.
In the future, should you ask for a ruling and the Committee does not know the answer, consider asking the Committee to discuss the situation with the Rules of Golf Committee of the USGA before making a ruling. Rule 34-3 allows a player to make such a request.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
I was caddying for my son at a tournament recently and one of his playing competitors hit his drive and it finished under a raised wooden part of the cart path. The cart path was paved until it came to a low area of pine straw and rougher, lower terrain...thus the raised wooden section of the cart path which probably ran for no more than 40 or 50 feet. It was not over a water hazard, lateral or regular, so neither his ball nor the cart path were in or above a water hazard. I had never actually encountered this situation, and no one in the group of four players had encountered this. There was confusion about how to proceed and the player eventually took an unplayable at the insistence of another player's caddy father who unfortunately just stated his strong opinion and left the scene, unwilling to discuss that this might be something other than an unplayable lie. My view was that this was an immovable obstruction to which free relief should have been granted. The raised cart path prevented the player from attempting any sort of swing at his ball, and he could have reasonably taken such a swing and advanced his ball toward the hole were if not for the cart path. I suggested he mention this to the committee rep. for the tournament before signing his card. He did; the rep didn't know how this should be ruled and agreed to look into it before issuing his decision. The next morning, I ran into the player in the parking lot and he said they had ruled it was indeed to be considered unplayable and the penalty shot applied.
Based on what I've read in the rulebook, this doesn't seem right. So my question is, should he have been penalized a stroke and proceeded as though the ball was unplayable? Or, was he actually entitled to relief from the "raised wooden cart path" under which his ball came to rest? I haven't been able to find anything on-line that describes this situation and discusses how one should proceed. What is the proper ruling in this case?
Thank you...Lou Lou.
Dear Lou Lou,
From your narrative, it would seem that the player was unfairly penalized. The cart path, by definition, is an immovable obstruction. When an immovable obstruction interferes with a player’s swing, he is entitled to free relief [Rule 24-2a]. The player is permitted to lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of the nearest point of relief that is no closer to the hole.
It appears to me that the situation was confusing because the ball was under a cart path, which is not a common occurrence. However, that does not negate the fact that the cart path is still an immovable obstruction, and that it is interfering with the player’s swing. If the player’s ball had settled under a bench, would there have been any question as to whether he was entitled to free relief?
Let’s look briefly at the rule that addresses this problem, Rule 24-2a. This rule tells us that “interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing.” The player’s ball in your question was not in the obstruction, nor was it on the obstruction. However, the obstruction interfered with his swing. As such, he was entitled to free relief from an immovable obstruction.
In the future, should you ask for a ruling and the Committee does not know the answer, consider asking the Committee to discuss the situation with the Rules of Golf Committee of the USGA before making a ruling. Rule 34-3 allows a player to make such a request.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Ask Linda #248-Multiple penalties
Hi Linda,
In a recent tournament a player was penalized for taking two practice swings under a tree and knocking off leaves each time. The pro at the course indicated it was two stroke penalty each time with a maximum penalty of four strokes. I was not able to find the rule in the rule book that covers this situation. Can you help?
Thank you.
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
First of all, if there are more leaves left on the tree that will interfere with the player’s swing, there may not be a penalty at all (please read Ask Linda #246-Hitting branch in hazard). Briefly, if the player must still swing through leaves to make his stroke, the ruling may be that since the area of his intended swing has not been improved, the player will not be penalized.
In most cases, Lou, when a player breaks the same rule more than once prior to hitting the ball, he does not incur multiple penalties. Here are two examples provided in the Decisions book [Decision 1-4/12, #3]:
1. In stroke play, if a competitor takes several practice swings in a bunker, and touches the sand each time, he would get a single two-stroke penalty (Decision 13-4/3). He has broken only one rule (13-4b), so he receives only one penalty.
2. In stroke play, if a player removes sand on his line of play through the green, and also presses down a replaced divot, he has broken only one rule (13-2), and he would get a single two-stroke penalty.
A player would incur multiple penalties if he broke two different rules. For example, if a player takes a practice swing in a bunker and touches the sand, and then he bends a shrub that is in his way, he would be penalized four strokes – two for breaking Rule 13-4, and two for breaking Rule 13-2.
You were unable to find the rule in the rulebook that pertains to this situation because it is not specifically addressed. It comes under Rule 1-4, which tells us that if a situation is not covered by the Rules, then” the decision should be made in accordance with equity.” This means, simply, that the decision must be fair. If a player is unaware that he is not permitted to, for example, move a loose impediment in a hazard, and he moves three pine cones away from his ball, then he has essentially broken only one rule. It is fair and equitable to assess him one penalty; it would be a gross miscarriage of justice to assess him six penalty strokes (two for each pine cone).
In your question, if the player has improved the area of his swing by repeatedly knocking down the leaves, then it will cost him two strokes. The player has broken the same rule more than once; he is penalized only once.
Decision 1-4/12 explains whether a player receives one or multiple penalties when he breaks rules more than once prior to his stroke. I would highly recommend that you take out a few minutes and read it, and perhaps make a copy for the pro at the course where the tournament was played.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
In a recent tournament a player was penalized for taking two practice swings under a tree and knocking off leaves each time. The pro at the course indicated it was two stroke penalty each time with a maximum penalty of four strokes. I was not able to find the rule in the rule book that covers this situation. Can you help?
Thank you.
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
First of all, if there are more leaves left on the tree that will interfere with the player’s swing, there may not be a penalty at all (please read Ask Linda #246-Hitting branch in hazard). Briefly, if the player must still swing through leaves to make his stroke, the ruling may be that since the area of his intended swing has not been improved, the player will not be penalized.
In most cases, Lou, when a player breaks the same rule more than once prior to hitting the ball, he does not incur multiple penalties. Here are two examples provided in the Decisions book [Decision 1-4/12, #3]:
1. In stroke play, if a competitor takes several practice swings in a bunker, and touches the sand each time, he would get a single two-stroke penalty (Decision 13-4/3). He has broken only one rule (13-4b), so he receives only one penalty.
2. In stroke play, if a player removes sand on his line of play through the green, and also presses down a replaced divot, he has broken only one rule (13-2), and he would get a single two-stroke penalty.
A player would incur multiple penalties if he broke two different rules. For example, if a player takes a practice swing in a bunker and touches the sand, and then he bends a shrub that is in his way, he would be penalized four strokes – two for breaking Rule 13-4, and two for breaking Rule 13-2.
You were unable to find the rule in the rulebook that pertains to this situation because it is not specifically addressed. It comes under Rule 1-4, which tells us that if a situation is not covered by the Rules, then” the decision should be made in accordance with equity.” This means, simply, that the decision must be fair. If a player is unaware that he is not permitted to, for example, move a loose impediment in a hazard, and he moves three pine cones away from his ball, then he has essentially broken only one rule. It is fair and equitable to assess him one penalty; it would be a gross miscarriage of justice to assess him six penalty strokes (two for each pine cone).
In your question, if the player has improved the area of his swing by repeatedly knocking down the leaves, then it will cost him two strokes. The player has broken the same rule more than once; he is penalized only once.
Decision 1-4/12 explains whether a player receives one or multiple penalties when he breaks rules more than once prior to his stroke. I would highly recommend that you take out a few minutes and read it, and perhaps make a copy for the pro at the course where the tournament was played.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Ask Linda #247a-Wrong format
Linda, my partner and I played in a mixed Ryder Cup this week. The format is six holes each of scramble, better ball, and selected drive/alternate shot. We started under the better ball format. Somehow our foursome went brain dead on the 7th hole and played it as better ball instead of switching to the selected drive/alternate shot format.
As we finished the 7th hole, my partner said we should have played alternate shot. Oops! We were pretty sure there was no remedy as we had finished the hole. We discussed it with the other two in our group, and agreed that we were disqualified. We turned ourselves in to the tournament director after the 9th hole and were disqualified. We actually feel pretty good about ourselves - in the end integrity is more important than winning.
My question is this: Was there anything we could have done to avoid disqualification?
Thanks,
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
Yes, Lou. Disqualification was not inevitable; you could have replayed hole #7 before hitting your tee shots on hole #8. Let’s review what really happened under the Rules of Golf, and then I will walk you through the correct procedure.
1. The four of you completed hole #6 correctly under the better ball format.
2. Hole #7 was the start of alternate shot, but you mistakenly continued under better ball. All four of you should have hit your drives, selected which drive to play, and then alternated that ball into the hole.
3. When the first person from each team hit his own ball again on hole #7 instead of alternating shots, the team played in incorrect order. The penalty for doing that is two strokes [Rule 29-3]. As soon as the error is discovered, the team must return to the spot where it first played in incorrect order and proceed correctly.
4. Here is the catch: The error must be corrected before either member of the team tees off on the next hole. Once you hit that next tee shot, your team is disqualified.
When your partner realized as you were finishing hole #7 that everyone had forgotten to switch to alternate shot, all of you could have returned to play the correct format, starting play from the location of the drive you would have selected to alternate. Each team would be penalized two shots for the infraction. Your teams were not subject to disqualification until you teed off on hole #8.
The bottom line for your two teams is that you were disqualified, since you played the following hole without correcting your error.
I hope this is a good lesson for all my readers. There are a number of golf errors can be corrected provided you have not teed off on the following hole. Whenever you suspect (or know) that you have not proceeded properly, you have nothing to lose by returning to the scene of the crime and trying again. These “do-overs” will generally include a two-stroke penalty, but that is a much better outcome than a disqualification.
Again: you are not prohibited from correcting an error because you have finished the hole where the mistake occurred. You don’t lose that chance until you tee off on the following hole.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
As we finished the 7th hole, my partner said we should have played alternate shot. Oops! We were pretty sure there was no remedy as we had finished the hole. We discussed it with the other two in our group, and agreed that we were disqualified. We turned ourselves in to the tournament director after the 9th hole and were disqualified. We actually feel pretty good about ourselves - in the end integrity is more important than winning.
My question is this: Was there anything we could have done to avoid disqualification?
Thanks,
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
Yes, Lou. Disqualification was not inevitable; you could have replayed hole #7 before hitting your tee shots on hole #8. Let’s review what really happened under the Rules of Golf, and then I will walk you through the correct procedure.
1. The four of you completed hole #6 correctly under the better ball format.
2. Hole #7 was the start of alternate shot, but you mistakenly continued under better ball. All four of you should have hit your drives, selected which drive to play, and then alternated that ball into the hole.
3. When the first person from each team hit his own ball again on hole #7 instead of alternating shots, the team played in incorrect order. The penalty for doing that is two strokes [Rule 29-3]. As soon as the error is discovered, the team must return to the spot where it first played in incorrect order and proceed correctly.
4. Here is the catch: The error must be corrected before either member of the team tees off on the next hole. Once you hit that next tee shot, your team is disqualified.
When your partner realized as you were finishing hole #7 that everyone had forgotten to switch to alternate shot, all of you could have returned to play the correct format, starting play from the location of the drive you would have selected to alternate. Each team would be penalized two shots for the infraction. Your teams were not subject to disqualification until you teed off on hole #8.
The bottom line for your two teams is that you were disqualified, since you played the following hole without correcting your error.
I hope this is a good lesson for all my readers. There are a number of golf errors can be corrected provided you have not teed off on the following hole. Whenever you suspect (or know) that you have not proceeded properly, you have nothing to lose by returning to the scene of the crime and trying again. These “do-overs” will generally include a two-stroke penalty, but that is a much better outcome than a disqualification.
Again: you are not prohibited from correcting an error because you have finished the hole where the mistake occurred. You don’t lose that chance until you tee off on the following hole.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Ask Linda #247-Waste bunkers
Hi Linda,
At our golf course we have four waste bunkers, but before they were declared waste bunkers they were ordinary sand bunkers.
#1- Does a waste bunker have to be at ground level, or may it have a lip like a regular sand bunker?
#2- Are we allowed to move a ball in a waste bunker if it is too close to the lip and no shot is possible, or do we have to play it as it lies?
Thank you
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
The USGA does not recognize waste bunkers. If an area filled with sand meets the definition of a bunker, then it is a bunker; if it does not, then it is defined as “through the green.” Let’s take a look at the definitions of these terms.
A bunker is defined as “a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like.” In other words, if dirt has been dug out and replaced with sand, it is a bunker. Note that the presence or absence of rakes has nothing to do with whether a particular area is considered to be a bunker.
A golf course may not arbitrarily decide to call actual bunkers “waste bunkers” and allow players to get relief from footprints, move loose impediments, ground their clubs, or violate any other rules related to permissible activities in a bunker (see Rule 13-4).
If there is an area on the golf course that is naturally sandy, where no one has made a special effort to construct a bunker, then this area would be considered “through the green.” “Through the green” refers to the whole course except for the teeing ground and the putting green of the hole you are playing, and all hazards. All fairways, areas of rough, wooded areas, etc. are “through the green.” In such naturally sandy areas you would be permitted to ground your club, remove loose impediments, and otherwise engage in any activity that is permissible elsewhere “through the green.”
It sounds to me, from your question, that these so-called “waste bunkers” are actual bunkers. Whether the bunker is level with the surrounding area or has a lip is irrelevant. There is nothing in the definition of a bunker that requires that it have a lip. If turf was at one time removed and replaced with sand, then these are bunkers.
If your ball in a bunker is so close to the lip that you decide that it is unplayable, you have three choices on how to proceed[Rule 28]. Regardless of which procedure you use, you must add one penalty stroke to your score:
1. Play a ball from where you hit your previous shot. (This is the only option under which you can remove the ball from the bunker.)
2. Drop your ball behind where it lay in the bunker, straight back on the line-of-sight to the hole. There is no limit on how far back you may go, but you must drop the ball in the bunker.
3. Drop the ball in the bunker within two club-lengths of where it lay, no closer to the hole.
According to the Rules of Golf, there is no such thing as a “waste bunker.” If your ball is lying in an area that was prepared to be a bunker, then you must treat the area as a bunker and proceed accordingly.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
At our golf course we have four waste bunkers, but before they were declared waste bunkers they were ordinary sand bunkers.
#1- Does a waste bunker have to be at ground level, or may it have a lip like a regular sand bunker?
#2- Are we allowed to move a ball in a waste bunker if it is too close to the lip and no shot is possible, or do we have to play it as it lies?
Thank you
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
The USGA does not recognize waste bunkers. If an area filled with sand meets the definition of a bunker, then it is a bunker; if it does not, then it is defined as “through the green.” Let’s take a look at the definitions of these terms.
A bunker is defined as “a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like.” In other words, if dirt has been dug out and replaced with sand, it is a bunker. Note that the presence or absence of rakes has nothing to do with whether a particular area is considered to be a bunker.
A golf course may not arbitrarily decide to call actual bunkers “waste bunkers” and allow players to get relief from footprints, move loose impediments, ground their clubs, or violate any other rules related to permissible activities in a bunker (see Rule 13-4).
If there is an area on the golf course that is naturally sandy, where no one has made a special effort to construct a bunker, then this area would be considered “through the green.” “Through the green” refers to the whole course except for the teeing ground and the putting green of the hole you are playing, and all hazards. All fairways, areas of rough, wooded areas, etc. are “through the green.” In such naturally sandy areas you would be permitted to ground your club, remove loose impediments, and otherwise engage in any activity that is permissible elsewhere “through the green.”
It sounds to me, from your question, that these so-called “waste bunkers” are actual bunkers. Whether the bunker is level with the surrounding area or has a lip is irrelevant. There is nothing in the definition of a bunker that requires that it have a lip. If turf was at one time removed and replaced with sand, then these are bunkers.
If your ball in a bunker is so close to the lip that you decide that it is unplayable, you have three choices on how to proceed[Rule 28]. Regardless of which procedure you use, you must add one penalty stroke to your score:
1. Play a ball from where you hit your previous shot. (This is the only option under which you can remove the ball from the bunker.)
2. Drop your ball behind where it lay in the bunker, straight back on the line-of-sight to the hole. There is no limit on how far back you may go, but you must drop the ball in the bunker.
3. Drop the ball in the bunker within two club-lengths of where it lay, no closer to the hole.
According to the Rules of Golf, there is no such thing as a “waste bunker.” If your ball is lying in an area that was prepared to be a bunker, then you must treat the area as a bunker and proceed accordingly.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Ask Linda #246-Hitting branch in hazard
Hi Linda!
I am a new subscriber to your website. I play college golf and my coach and I often have discussions about the rules of golf. We talked about a situation the other day that I wonder if you can help me with. I have read the rules on the USGA website but I am still confused. Here is the situation: A player hits his ball into a hazard. He has a stance and is able to play the ball. The player takes a practice swing and hits a tree branch with his club, knocking some leaves off. Is there a penalty? Does it matter if the player was unaware of the branch when he took his practice swing?
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
A player is not permitted to improve the area of his intended swing [Rule 13-2]. So the answer to your question depends on whether knocking down those leaves has made it easier for you to swing.
There are situations where knocking down one leaf will cause you to incur a penalty, while knocking down many leaves will not. Suppose you are under a tree that has only one leaf. If you take a practice swing and knock down that leaf, you have improved the area of your intended swing and will incur a two-stroke penalty. This is because you have eliminated the one leaf that might distract you when you hit your ball.
Now suppose you are under a tree with many leaves, and your practice swing knocks down several leaves. If still more leaves remain on the tree in the area where you will swing, there is no penalty for knocking down a few. You have not improved the area of your intended swing; when you hit your ball there will still be leaves in your way [Decision 13-2/22].
In deciding whether you have improved the area of your intended swing and thereby incurred a penalty, the deciding factor is whether you have eliminated the obstacle. If you have, then the penalty is two strokes (loss of hole in match play). If the obstacle remains, there is no penalty.
Note that the fact that you are standing in a hazard makes no difference with respect to this rule. However, in taking a practice swing in a hazard, be very careful not to touch the ground with your club. You may brush the top of the grass, but if your club contacts the ground, the penalty is two strokes (loss of hole in match play).
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
I am a new subscriber to your website. I play college golf and my coach and I often have discussions about the rules of golf. We talked about a situation the other day that I wonder if you can help me with. I have read the rules on the USGA website but I am still confused. Here is the situation: A player hits his ball into a hazard. He has a stance and is able to play the ball. The player takes a practice swing and hits a tree branch with his club, knocking some leaves off. Is there a penalty? Does it matter if the player was unaware of the branch when he took his practice swing?
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
A player is not permitted to improve the area of his intended swing [Rule 13-2]. So the answer to your question depends on whether knocking down those leaves has made it easier for you to swing.
There are situations where knocking down one leaf will cause you to incur a penalty, while knocking down many leaves will not. Suppose you are under a tree that has only one leaf. If you take a practice swing and knock down that leaf, you have improved the area of your intended swing and will incur a two-stroke penalty. This is because you have eliminated the one leaf that might distract you when you hit your ball.
Now suppose you are under a tree with many leaves, and your practice swing knocks down several leaves. If still more leaves remain on the tree in the area where you will swing, there is no penalty for knocking down a few. You have not improved the area of your intended swing; when you hit your ball there will still be leaves in your way [Decision 13-2/22].
In deciding whether you have improved the area of your intended swing and thereby incurred a penalty, the deciding factor is whether you have eliminated the obstacle. If you have, then the penalty is two strokes (loss of hole in match play). If the obstacle remains, there is no penalty.
Note that the fact that you are standing in a hazard makes no difference with respect to this rule. However, in taking a practice swing in a hazard, be very careful not to touch the ground with your club. You may brush the top of the grass, but if your club contacts the ground, the penalty is two strokes (loss of hole in match play).
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Ask Linda #245-"Shoveling" ball
Hi Linda,
In our club championship a player hit her ball into a sand trap near the green. In order to hit the ball out, she ''shoveled'' the ball instead of using a normal back swing. Is this technique allowed?
Thank you,
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
“Shoveling” a ball is not permitted. Rule 14-1 explains that the ball “must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.” The player in your question has incurred a two-stroke penalty (loss of hole in match play).
In making a stroke, a player is required to swing at the ball. When done properly, there is only momentary contact between the clubhead and the ball.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
In our club championship a player hit her ball into a sand trap near the green. In order to hit the ball out, she ''shoveled'' the ball instead of using a normal back swing. Is this technique allowed?
Thank you,
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
“Shoveling” a ball is not permitted. Rule 14-1 explains that the ball “must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.” The player in your question has incurred a two-stroke penalty (loss of hole in match play).
In making a stroke, a player is required to swing at the ball. When done properly, there is only momentary contact between the clubhead and the ball.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Ask Linda #244-Ball moves while repairing ball mark
Dear Linda,
I was playing a round of golf with some friends, came to a par 3 and hit my shot to within a foot. I marked my ball and repaired my ball mark, which was a few inches in front of my ball. I replaced my ball and picked up my marker, I tapped down the repair once more, and as I lifted my club I accidentally hit my ball. I hadn't addressed the ball yet. My friends said I incurred a penalty. I said I hadn't. Who is right?
Thank you,
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
You are (probably) right, Lou. If a player accidentally moves his ball or ball marker while he is in the process of repairing a ball mark on the green, there is no penalty and the ball or marker must be replaced [Rule 16-1c]. However, the movement of the ball must be directly attributable to the specific act of repairing the damage. For example, you would not be exempt from the one-stroke penalty for moving your ball in play if you were in the process of repairing a ball mark and your hat blew off and moved your ball. Or, in your case, you would be penalized if you accidentally moved your ball with your putter on your way to repairing the ball mark a second time.
There is a fine line between whether the ball was moved due to the repair or whether the ball was moved due to a careless swinging of the putter. From your account, it sounds like the ball mark was so close to the ball that you would be exempt from penalty for moving it as you lifted your putter upon completion of the repair. Had the ball mark been further away, your friends would be correct in pointing out that you would be assessed a penalty.
By the way, the ruling is the same with respect to marking and lifting a ball. If a ball or ball marker is accidentally moved while you are in the process of marking and lifting, there is no penalty [Rule 20-1]. However, if you were to reach into your pocket for your marker and accidentally drop it on the ball, causing it to move, you would incur a penalty stroke. You are not technically in the process of marking and lifting until you have bent down and begun to place your marker behind the ball.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
I was playing a round of golf with some friends, came to a par 3 and hit my shot to within a foot. I marked my ball and repaired my ball mark, which was a few inches in front of my ball. I replaced my ball and picked up my marker, I tapped down the repair once more, and as I lifted my club I accidentally hit my ball. I hadn't addressed the ball yet. My friends said I incurred a penalty. I said I hadn't. Who is right?
Thank you,
Lou Lou
Dear Lou Lou,
You are (probably) right, Lou. If a player accidentally moves his ball or ball marker while he is in the process of repairing a ball mark on the green, there is no penalty and the ball or marker must be replaced [Rule 16-1c]. However, the movement of the ball must be directly attributable to the specific act of repairing the damage. For example, you would not be exempt from the one-stroke penalty for moving your ball in play if you were in the process of repairing a ball mark and your hat blew off and moved your ball. Or, in your case, you would be penalized if you accidentally moved your ball with your putter on your way to repairing the ball mark a second time.
There is a fine line between whether the ball was moved due to the repair or whether the ball was moved due to a careless swinging of the putter. From your account, it sounds like the ball mark was so close to the ball that you would be exempt from penalty for moving it as you lifted your putter upon completion of the repair. Had the ball mark been further away, your friends would be correct in pointing out that you would be assessed a penalty.
By the way, the ruling is the same with respect to marking and lifting a ball. If a ball or ball marker is accidentally moved while you are in the process of marking and lifting, there is no penalty [Rule 20-1]. However, if you were to reach into your pocket for your marker and accidentally drop it on the ball, causing it to move, you would incur a penalty stroke. You are not technically in the process of marking and lifting until you have bent down and begun to place your marker behind the ball.
Linda
Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
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