Hi Linda,
I have just come back from a golfing trip in Spain with
3 friends. Whilst there, a situation came up and we had a difference of opinion
in the group to what the correct ruling is. Could you please help?
I hit a tee shot left of the fairway and found my ball in
long grass/bushes that run the length of the fairway. I could not play the ball
so deemed it unplayable and elected to take a penalty drop under Rule 28c. When
the ball was dropped it rolled back into the bushes, due to a steep bank
running along the side of the fairway, and was unplayable again. The ball was
no nearer the hole and was within 2 club-lengths of its original position. I
took another penalty drop and the same thing happened again. It was clear that
each time the ball was dropped it would end up in an unplayable lie. As we were
playing a Stableford, I pick up my ball, scored no points, and moved on to the
next hole.
One player believed I could have re-dropped the ball under
no penalty and then placed the ball at the point where the re-dropped ball
first struck the course, since the ball came to rest in a position where there
was interference by the condition from which relief was taken [Rule 20-2c (v)].
I think he is incorrect, as this Rule has conditions and my ball did not meet
them. The ball was in bushes that were an integral part of the course and I
deemed it unplayable.
Another player believed I could have taken a (double drop) 4
club-lengths for a penalty of 2 strokes. This would get the ball over the bank
so it would not roll back into the bushes. I can’t see this in the rules and
think that a 4 club-length drop has to be completed as two separate drops and
therefore would not help.
Thinking about it after the game, I believe the only option
I had was to go back to the tee and play another ball under Rule 28a. I couldn’t
drop on the flag line, Rule 28b, as there was nowhere to drop the ball, as it
was out of bounds on the other side of the bushes.
If I were playing in a medal competition and had
taken a drop as detailed above and subsequently realised that every drop I made
would roll back into the bushes, would I have been able to return to the tee
after the first drop or would I have had to keep dropping the ball until I had
some type of playable lie and hack the ball out of the bushes into play?
Lou from Manchester, England
Dear Lou,
You seem to really know your “stuff.” All of your
understandings are correct.
(1) When you declare a ball “unplayable,” and you drop
within two club-lengths, the ball is in play as soon as you drop it (unless it
rolls into a hazard, onto a putting green, etc. – see Rule 20-2c). If it rolls
back into the same or a different unplayable position, you would have to
declare it “unplayable” a second time and take another drop, which would add a
second penalty stroke to your score [Decision 28/3]. I always recommend that you
assess your situation before choosing a relief option. It appears that your
best option would have been to return to where you hit your previous shot and
play another ball (stroke and distance).
(2) There is a one-stroke penalty each time you drop when
you are taking relief from an unplayable situation. As you suggest, Rule 20-2c
(v) does not apply when your ball is unplayable. The free drops under that Rule
apply to relief from immovable obstructions, abnormal ground conditions, wrong
putting greens, and embedded balls.
(3) You are not permitted to take one four-club-length drop
for a two-stroke penalty. You must drop your ball within two club-lengths for a
one-stroke penalty, and drop again for an additional penalty should that become
necessary. In your situation, the re-drop would have clearly been useless.
(4) As you suggest, your best option would be to play under
stroke and distance. The two-club-length drop rolled back into the same
problem, and the flagline put you out of bounds.
In answer to your final question, if you concluded after
your first drop that subsequent drops would prove futile, you could certainly
return to the tee to play a ball under stroke and distance. The ball you
dropped was in play. You would be entitled to declare that ball unplayable, add
another penalty stroke to your score, and hit again from the tee [Decision 28/6.5].
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
