Dear Linda,
While playing golf today the following occurred in normal stroke play.
Each of our balls entered the sand trap within about 1 foot of each other.
Opponent played first, never asked me to mark my ball, and when hitting his shot a lump of wet sand landed on my ball, disimproving my lie. He said I was not entitled to relief but I think I was. Please help me prove him wrong. Lou from Ireland
Dear Lou,
A player is entitled to the lie that his stroke gave him. This is one of the basic tenets of golf, and is repeated several times throughout the Decisions book. It is the key to understanding why you were entitled to remove that lump of wet sand from your ball, even though your ball was lying in a bunker.
Once your ball has come to rest in a bunker:
1) If you worsen your lie, you may not restore it.
2) If nature worsens your lie (e.g., a pine cone falls off a tree and settles behind your ball), you may not remove it.
3) If another player worsens your lie, you may restore it.
Let’s take a look at a few related Decisions, all of which are based on the principle that a player is entitled to the lie that his stroke gave him:
Decision 13-4/18 states that if a player’s ball is at rest in a bunker, and a subsequent shot by another player dislodges a divot that lands near the ball in the bunker, the player may remove the divot without penalty.
Decision 13-4/19 discusses your exact situation, Lou. Two balls are lying in a bunker. Player A hits first, and his shot alters the lie of Player B’s ball. Player B is entitled to restore the bunker to its original condition.
Decision 13-2/8.5 talks about Player A’s ball that is lying on the apron between a bunker and the green. Player B hits his ball out of the bunker and deposits sand on and around Player A’s ball. Player A is entitled to brush the sand away and clean his ball.
Decision 20-3b/2 talks about two balls lying in a bunker. In taking his stance, Player B pushes up a mound of sand behind Player A’s ball. Player A is entitled to remove the mound of sand.
This is a logical and fair rule. There are enough obstacles to overcome on a golf course without having to contend with additional debris that another player might deposit on your ball in the course of making a stroke.
Memorize the principle: “A player is entitled to the lie that his stroke gave him.” Your friends will be so impressed by how official you sound that they will trust that your information is correct.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
