Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Ask Linda #1486-Wave players through when searching for ball

Hi Linda,
Can you confirm that a player should call the match behind through when they start the search and not wait until the 5 minutes is up before they call?
Today our match had to wait the 5 minutes, and then the player came back to the tee to play another ball!
Thanks,
Lou from Spain

Dear Lou,

The operating word in your question, Lou, is “should.” Yes, you absolutely should wave a following group through when it appears that your search for a ball will not be quick.

This advice appears in the Etiquette section of your rulebook. Here is the exact wording:

Players searching for a ball should signal the players in the group behind them to play through as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not easily be found. They should not search for five minutes before doing so. Having allowed the group behind to play through, they should not continue play until that group has passed and is out of range.

Linda
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