Linda, I think this is a simple question but here goes. I
was playing a regular round of golf with two friends. We were on the third hole
and all taking our approach shots to the green. My shot (not over water or
anything) went a little long and hit the cart path behind and to the left of
the green. The ball jumped up a hill behind the hole and out of bounds and not
retrievable. The guys I was playing with said that I should take my next shot
(including the penalty stroke) from where I hit my approach shot. I thought I
would hit it from where the ball landed (behind and to the left of the green)
and then jumped out of bounds. To be safe, I played from where they suggested
and took the distance penalty as well. What is the correct place to play the
next shot from in this scenario?
Lou from Virginia
Dear Lou,
For every guy that asks a simple question, there are 40
behind him who don’t know the answer but are embarrassed to ask.
You were wise to follow the instructions of your friends –
they were correct. Whenever your ball goes out of bounds, you must hit your
next shot from the spot where you last played your original ball and add one
penalty stroke to your score [Rule 27-1b].
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
