Dear Linda,
It has been my understanding that while searching for your ball in a hazard (yellow stakes) there was no penalty if the ball was caused to move. Did the rule change for 2012 and is it now a penalty if the ball moves while searching for it or have I been mistaken all these years? One stroke or two?
Curious Lou
Dear Lou,
If you move your own ball during a search, you incur a one-stroke penalty and you must replace the ball before you hit it [Rule 18-2a]. This was the case in 2011, and is still the case in 2012.
There are two exceptions to this Rule:
1) If you believe your ball may be lying in water in a water hazard [Rule 12-1c], you may probe for your ball with a club. If you accidentally move the ball, there is no penalty. You must replace it if you plan to hit it out of the water. There is no need to replace it if you proceed under any of the relief options in Rule 26-1.
2) If you believe your ball may be buried in sand, there is no penalty if you move the ball during search. If you find the ball, you must re-create the lie [Rule 12-1a].
The answer to your question depends on where the ball was lying in the water hazard. If it was on dry land, the penalty is one stroke; if you were probing for it in the water, there is no penalty.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
