Ask Linda #941-Island within water hazard

Dear Linda,

My second shot landed on an island located within a water hazard. As the hazard was dry, I could climb up on the island. I would appreciate your reply to the following questions:

1.    Status of such island in golf rules.

2.    Can I ground my club while addressing the ball?

3.    Can I get a free drop outside the hazard?

4.    What is the status of this island if it was in a lateral water hazard?

Thanks,

Lou from Pakistan

Dear Lou,

The Definition of “Water Hazard” states that “all ground and water within the margin of a water hazard are part of the water hazard.” I will answer your questions based on the assumption that there are no stakes or lines around the perimeter of the island to indicate that it is not part of the hazard.

1. The island is part of the hazard.

2. You may not ground your club when you address the ball.

3. All of the relief options in Rule 26-1 for a ball in a water hazard include one penalty stroke.

4. An island within a water hazard or a lateral water hazard is in the hazard unless there are stakes or lines around the perimeter of the island indicating it is not part of the hazard.

Linda

Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #940-Practice swing in adjacent bunker

Linda, when in a bunker, can I ground a club in an adjacent bunker to take a practice swing?

Thanks,

Lou from Toronto

Dear Lou,

No. You are not permitted to take a practice swing in an adjacent bunker before making a stroke from a bunker. This is a breach of Rule 13-4a, which prohibits testing the condition of a bunker prior to making a stroke at a ball that lies in a bunker [Decision 13-4/0.5].

Follow-up question from Lou:

So further to this then, if I play out of a bunker, immediately play a practice swing in the bunker, not realizing my ball went over the green into another bunker, would a penalty be incurred?

In this case there would be no penalty, Lou. Exception 3 to Rule 13-4 absolves the player of a penalty for testing the condition in a hazard after he has hit the ball out of that hazard into another hazard. So if you should hit your ball out of bunker #1 into bunker #2, and subsequently take a practice stroke in bunker #1, you are not penalized for that practice stroke.

Linda

Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #939-Part of ball embedded in bunker

Linda, my ball was embedded in the face of a bunker and part of the ball was in the face and part was in the sand. The part in the face was beneath newly-planted sod. The sod was not on the face but above the ball. We have adopted the local rule of applying embedded ball rule through the green. So if any part of the ball is touching the through-the-green area do you get the free drop? Or if part of the embedded ball is clearly in the bunker do you have a ball embedded in the bunker? This was my actual case but then I also wondered if ball lies part in and part out of the bunker and is not embedded is the ball in the bunker or out so can you ground your club?

Thanks,

Lou from Florida

Dear Lou,

The answer is in the Definition of “Bunker,” which states that “a ball is in a bunker when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker.” Thus, a ball that is embedded partially in the face and partially in the sand is deemed to be in the bunker – you get no free relief for a ball embedded in a bunker. You may not ground your club in the bunker when your ball lies in a bunker, but you are permitted to ground your club outside the bunker to hit a ball that lies in a bunker [Decision 13-4/29].

Linda

Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Correction to Ask Linda #938

Dear readers,

I have corrected the penalty in #938 (one stroke, not two) and added a paragraph to the end. Please revisit this column: http://lindamillergolf.blogspot.com/2014/10/ask-linda-938-clean-ball-that-interferes.html

My thanks to the readers who caught the error.

Linda

Ask Linda #938-Clean ball that interferes

Hi Linda,

If you are requested to mark a ball that is not on the green but hinders another player, are you allowed to clean your ball or must it remain dirty & be replaced as is?

Many Thanks,

Lulu from Papua New Guinea

Dear Lulu,

You may not clean a ball that you have been asked to lift because it interferes with someone else’s play, unless it is on the green [Rule 22-2]. The penalty for cleaning it is one stroke.

The same holds true for a ball that is lifted because it may assist play [Rule 22-1].

After you mark the ball, lift it carefully and keep it in plain sight. You may be subject to penalty if you toss it to a caddie or drop it in your pocket, since such actions are likely to clean the ball to some extent.

When you replace the ball, if there happens to be a piece of mud adhering to the ball, you may place the ball so that the mud is facing away from your club head. You may not replace a muddy ball with the mud underneath the ball, in effect teeing the ball up on the mud [Decision 21/5].

Linda

Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Ask Linda #937-Ball moves after address

Hi Linda,

This question came up after our round. I mentioned that Greg Norman, during his latest quest for the British Open, addressed his ball then walked away; it was quite windy. My feeling was that once you address the ball and walk away and the ball moves you are assessed a stroke and have to put the ball back in it's original position. Am I correct? 

Lou from Florida

Dear Lou,

Yes, you are correct. Once a player has addressed his ball he is responsible for any subsequent movement, even if he walks away and returns to it later. He is only exempt from penalty if is known or virtually certain that some observable force caused his ball to move. Wind, water, or an outside agency would be “observable forces;” gravity would not [Rule 18-2b, Decisions 18-2b/1 and 18-2b/7].

The penalty is one stroke and the ball must be replaced. If it is not replaced, the penalty increases to two strokes (loss of hole in match play).

Linda

Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.