Hi Linda,
We have an area on one of the golf holes that has been
marked as ground under repair. It is actually part of the cart path that caved
in and has made a very deep ditch. Today, one of our players hit her tee shot
into this area and the ball could not be found. Would she get a free drop
without penalty or should it have been considered a lost ball?
Thanking you in advance,
Lulu from New Jersey
Dear Lulu,
If it is known or virtually certain that the ball is lost in
the ground under repair (GUR), the player is entitled to free relief [Rule
25-1c]. “Known” means someone saw it enter the GUR; “virtually certain” means
that if you can’t find it outside the GUR there is no other place it could
possibly be than in the GUR.
If you are not absolutely certain that the ball is in the
GUR, the ball is lost and the player must proceed under stroke and distance
[Rule 27-1].
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
