Dear Linda,
This came up in play
yesterday. I know that you can take an unplayable lie wherever you deem
appropriate, but this question stumped both of us.
How do you proceed,
if you take an unplayable lie in a sand bunker after several failed
attempts to get the ball out? Is the player still permitted to drop the ball
from where she first hit it into the bunker or would she have to proceed under
one of the other options and drop inside the bunker because her last three
strokes were in the bunker? Also, what is the rule number?
Thanks,
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
First, let me clarify that a player may declare her ball
unplayable anywhere on the golf course except
in a water hazard.
There are three relief options for a ball that is unplayable
in a bunker [Rule 28]. Adding a one-stroke penalty, the player may:
1. play a ball under stroke and distance (I will elaborate
below);
2. drop a ball in the
bunker on the line-of-sight to the hole; or
3. drop a ball in the
bunker, within two club-lengths, no closer to the hole.
Choice #1 permits the player to play another ball from the
spot where she hit her previous shot. In most instances, the previous shot was
taken outside the bunker. However, in your scenario, the player’s previous shot
was taken inside the bunker. If she
declares her ball unplayable after taking several strokes in the bunker, she is
entitled to all three options, but all of them will be in the bunker. The Rule references are 28a (Ball Unplayable) and
27-1a (Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance).
If the player is having trouble negotiating a high lip, she
may want to consider turning around and chipping the ball out backwards.
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
