Good Morning Linda,
I have a situation at my local Golf Club in which I believe
a player has taken an illegal drop in the men's club championship on Sunday. I
would like clarification on the situation. If you are able to provide the
information that would be a fantastic help.
I witnessed a player tee off and hit his drive left into a
roped off G.U.R. area. He then stated to the group, “I don't need to hit a
provisional ball as it’s in the G.U.R., from which I can just take a free drop
even if I don't find my ball.”
At this point the golfer in question had a good card going
and I believe it was an attempt to test the two other members of his group if
they were aware of the rules. They just accepted his statement and set off to their
balls on the right side of the fairway.
I witnessed from another tee box behind the hole-in-question’s
green with clear visibility of what was going on. I witnessed the player wading
around in the waist high grass a few feet outside the roped off area and pick a
ball up, then move back to take a free drop within two club-lengths of the point
of entry of the roped off area in a nice lie in the semi rough.
I quizzed the two other members of the group, and asked them
what was said. To which one said, “I wasn't going to go get soaking wet in that
long grass past the ropes, plus he said he didn't need to find his ball as he
could take a free drop because it entered G.U.R.”
I disagree with everything about this and would like clarity
on the ruling.
I believe you must establish your ball is within the G.U.R and
has remained in the staked area; otherwise it is three off the tee.
I believe this individual has deliberately taken an illegal
free drop and has put his other group members off going to look for his ball
and deem whether it was found in the roped off area so he could benefit from
this.
I need some help clarifying before taken this to our
committee. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Lou from Northumberland, England
Dear Lou,
In order for a player to get free relief when his ball is
lost in ground under repair (GUR), it must be known or virtually certain that
the ball is lost in that abnormal ground condition. Otherwise, he must play
another ball under stroke and distance [Rule 25-1c].
If the players all knew or were virtually certain that the
ball entered the GUR, the next step is to search for the ball. If the ball is
not found, the player is entitled to free relief. The player would establish
the point where his ball entered the GUR, find the nearest point of relief no
closer to the hole, and drop within one club-length of that point. In your
narrative, the player dropped within two club-lengths of the point of entry,
which is incorrect. However, the spot where he dropped might also meet the
requirement to drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, in
which case his drop was good.
If the ball is found in the GUR, the reference point
for taking relief is where the ball lies in the GUR, not where it entered the
area.
If there is no knowledge or virtual certainty that the ball
is in the GUR (which seems to be your contention), the player should hit a
provisional ball (not a requirement, but a definite time-saver). If he finds
the ball in the GUR, he is entitled to free relief and must abandon his
provisional ball. If he does not find the ball, he must continue with the provisional ball,
which now lies three. If he does not find the original ball and he did not hit
a provisional ball, he would have to return to the tee (which is where he hit
his previous shot) to hit another ball, which would be his third shot on the
hole.
Linda
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