Linda, can a player play his second shot from the tee box
where it lies, without a tee?
Lou
Dear Lou,
Yes. You always have the option to play the ball as it lies.
The stroke that toppled the ball off the tee is stroke #1. The next shot will
be your second.
Don’t confuse this with a ball that is accidentally knocked
off a tee when a player is setting up to hit or the ball is moved during a
practice swing. There is no penalty for either of these actions on the teeing
ground. Your ball is not “in play” until you make a stroke at it. A swing is
not a stroke unless the player intends to hit the ball [Definition of Stroke].
While we’re on the topic of tee shots, another reader
misunderstood the use of the term “teeing ground.” The teeing ground is the
rectangular area defined by the tee markers plus two club-lengths behind them.
It is not the entire area set aside for placement of the tee markers. When you
hit your tee shot, it must be played from within the teeing ground.
It is absolutely essential to read and study the Definitions
if you ever hope to understand and learn the Rules of Golf.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
