Hi Linda,
We had an unusual
incident, in a competition, at our golf course recently and I wonder if you
could advise whether or not a penalty is appropriate.
We have had a
problem with crows taking golf balls and they have a distinct preference for
brightly colored balls.
My playing partner,
seeing a crow was about to take his (white) ball, took a fluorescent green ball
from his bag and hit it towards the crow with his 7-iron. The crow duly took
the colored ball and left his white ball in place. Obviously if the crow was
observed taking his original (white) ball he would have been able to replace it
without penalty.
Does his action in
hitting another ball require a penalty?
Thanks,
Lou from Sydney, Australia
Dear Lou,
I think not. While
Rule 7-2 prohibits a practice stroke during the play of a hole, I would be
hard-pressed to consider the action you describe a “practice stroke.”
Nevertheless, there
is no Decision addressing this situation. You might want to consult the R&A for an official ruling. If you do, please let me know what you learn,
so that I can share the answer with all my readers.
Linda
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