Dear Linda,
My question is; if you accidently hit the golf ball in the
teeing area taking a practice swing, is that a penalty? Also if you
are addressing the golf ball in the teeing area and accidently hit the ball, is
that a penalty?
Thank you,
Lulu from New Jersey
Dear Lulu,
There is no penalty in either case. Here is an excerpt from
Ask Linda #714 (posted on August 27, 2013) that addresses both of your
concerns.
A ball is not in
play until a player has made a stroke from the teeing ground [Definition of
Ball in Play]. The mere act of addressing the ball does not put it in play.
Think of all those times you address a ball and accidentally knock it off the
tee. You have moved your ball, but there is no penalty because the ball is not
yet in play. You are permitted to re-tee this ball and start all over again.
A player who
accidently contacts his ball with a practice swing on the teeing ground
may re-tee with no penalty. Again, the reason for no penalty is because the
ball is not in play. However, after
the tee shot, when the ball is in play,
a player who accidentally moves his ball with a practice swing is penalized one
stroke and must replace the ball [Rule 18-2a].
As I have mentioned in
previous columns, it’s best to get in the habit of taking your practice swings
a reasonable distance away from the ball. Not only will you avoid the risk of a
penalty, you will not spend a beautiful day of golf arguing about the Rules.
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
